The Danish Prime Minister on the Danish Muhammad Cartoons

UPDATE: Danish PM welcomes EU statement on Mohammed cartoons

Over at Agora;  The Danish Prime Minister was
interviewed Sunday about the recent events:

Excerpts:
"People die during violent demonstrations in Pakistan, and places rarely heard
of. And with typical self-centered narcissicism, in Denmark it is interpreted as
a matter of Danish immigration policy and Danish integration policy. Noone even
knows about these things in the streets of Pakistan – to be frank, I think this
kind of criticism is beyond the pale,"
[…]

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But that’s not how your statements has been interpreted. They’ve been
interpreted as you distancing yourself from the cartoons.


"That’s right, but what I said was only that I wouldn’t draw those cartoons, and
for that I have various personal reasons. But it is very important here to
underline precisely what that statement covers, because some have apparently
interpreted it as me saying that I would forbid others to do so. And that is
precisely not what I meant, and that distinction is very, very important.
Everybody in the debate says with great gravity that we must guard Freedom of
Speech and that everybody has the right to print whatever they like. "But…" they
then say – and that means that they don’t really mean that. That is where they
lose their grip, in my opinion."

[…]

How is that attained?


"Well, that can only be attained by accepting that Freedom of Speech means that
everything can be scrutinised and is up for debate. I will, to take an example,
never accept that Sharia can’t be examined critically. It mustn’t be so that
just because someone says it’s sacred, it’s not to be the object of discussion.
There’s been a lot of talk about people being offended, but you’ve got to ask
yourself what is most offending – a few cartoons or two boys that have been hung
in Iran or women that are stoned to death or have their hands chopped off. It’s
important to keep the right perspective."

What would you say?


"I know what my personal preference is. I get most offended by seeing two
teenagers hanging from the gallows in Iran, and I want the freedom to say that,"
says the Prime Minister. "By any means available, we must ensure that no man is
persecuted or discriminated against solely because of his religion. That means
that we must reject anti-semitism, islamophobia, anti-christianity and ensure
that all men have protection for their right to believe whatever they want. That
is an essential part of the answer. And that, I think, can be done in good
manners, to say that we must be allowed be allowed to question everything and be
critical, while protecting all people of all faiths against discrimination and
persecution. I would even say that if that was something that could be agreed on
universally, it would be a beautiful thing. That would also mean that Christians
were guaranteed equal opportunities in Moslem countries.
"

 

Also see an old interview with Rasmussen done before this crisis blew up in his
face, which is available here

Excerpt:

Your fellow Liberal Uffe Ellemann Jensen has criticised that the paper published
the cartoons, saying their only purpose was to provoke – he called it a juvenile
demonstration of free speech. Agree or disagree?


"To me the motive of Jyllands-Posten is irrelevant in this debate because the
press has the freedom to publish whatever it likes. I won’t take a position on
what their motive was, because then I would be derailing the debate by accepting
the premise that freedom of speech has limits. No matter the motive,
Jyllands-Posten has started an essential debate about freedom of speech by
publishing these cartoons."

To Anders Fogh Rasmussen there is a linear connection in the debate about
freedom of speech – from Danish public schools to international politics – from
promoting understanding of what it means to live in a democracy to furthering
democratic reforms in the Middle East.


"It starts with the elementary schools but it is a global task we have at hand."

For the latest global developments on the loony toon jihad;

Malaysia suspends another  daily for Prophet cartoons
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has suspended the operations
of another Chinese-language newspaper for publishing one of the controversial
cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad that have sparked global protest

Thousands Protest Drawings in Karachi
Pakistan Police Detain Dozens in Bid to Prevent Rally in Lahore
Against Prophet Cartoons

UN,
Arabs, Muslim body urge restraint in cartoon row
 
DOHA: The United Nations, Arab states and the world’s largest
Islamic body have called for restraint and dialogue to ease tensions over
cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.

MPs to
meet EU leaders on March 6

ISLAMABAD eb. 26 A parliamentary delegation will take up the issue
of the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with
European leaders on March 6-7.

Pakistani Islamic leaders detained to foil cartoon
rally

Islamic Republic News Agency Pakistan – Cartoon
protest Police and paramilitary force are on high alert in the eastern Pakistani
city of Lahore to frustrate attempt by opposition groups to hold a rally against
the publication of blasphemous cartoons, depicting Prophet Muhammad, officials
and witnesses said.

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Thanks for sharing!