Cartoons and free speech

Sir,
I’ve learnt with astonishment of the assumption of a number of European newspapers that the publication of the cartoons by the Danish paper Jylands Posten picturing the prophet Mohammed as a terrorist, is being considered as freedom of opinion.

In the first place, freedom of opinion is not absolute, but is limited by local and European legislation, which forbids verbal or public insulting utterances against the religion of a group of people.

In the second place, editors of newspapers are to be expected to show an elementary respect regarding the religious values of minority groups living in their countries, in this case Muslims
Evidently, the official Arab and Iranian government reactions, boycotting Danish products and asking the Danish government to justify itself, are not only disproportionate, but also deny the fact that a government is not responsible for the management policy of a paper.

Also the outbursts of violence by Muslims in a great number of countries are deplorable.

However, besides the publications of the cartoons, those outbursts of violence must also be seen in the light of the common feelings of powerlessness and humiliation regarding European support for the British-American occupation of Iraq and the growing anti-Islamic climate in Europe.

Seen in this light, I consider the republishing of the Danish cartoons by a number of European newspapers not only provocative, but also contrary to with the fundamental human rights principles, which are based on respect for all human beings, regardless descent or religion.

Astrid Essed, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.