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The Danish cartoon controversy and World Press Freedom Day
152/Nicholas Jones
Nicholas Jones reports on the World Press Freedom Day debate on the Danish Cartoon controversy which was held on 3 May at the House of Commons. Nicholas Jones’ latest book Trading Information: Leaks, Lies and Tip-Offs is published on 3 July 2006.
DATELINE: 8/7/06
Far from apologising or bowing to the international wave of Muslim anger, Die Welt’s editor-in-chief said he would do it again: Islam was a “highly political religion” and there remained every justification for subjecting their symbols to political satire.
Roger Koeppel was resolute in defending his paper’s decision to reprint the Danish caricatures of the prophet Muhammad. At a World Press Freedom Day debate at the House of Commons, he was forthright in supporting the assertion that “freedom of expression is sacred”.
“When you compare the misuse of Islamic symbols by terrorists, I think the Danish cartoons are rather harmless. Religious and political symbols are subjected to satire and it is absolutely essential we don’t go back on this. There were a lot of wars in Europe where this freedom has been fought for and defended”.
Koeppel challenged the refusal of British journalists to publish the cartoons on the grounds of tolerance. “The motivation was not respect but a fear of bad things which could happen… English journalists told me they would like to have published the cartoons, but if they had, there would have been serious threats or even violence.
“This showed that in the public sphere this right of freedom of expression cannot be guaranteed by the authorities. I fear we have somehow lost the cartoon war. People defend freedom of expression but then say it is essential we use it in a responsible way. We are told we have to pay respect to the freedom of the Muslim minority but they want to curb and curtail our freedom of expression”.
Dr Maleeha Lodhi, the High Commissioner for Pakistan, appealed to the assembled journalists to respect cultural differences and acknowledge that Muslims had been invited to the west as guest workers.
“You must respect them. The west cannot remake the world in its own image. We believe in the fundamental freedom of expression. However, this must also be limited by law, by environment, by taste. I think this underlines the need you have in the west to understand the cultural evolution of other countries.
“Muslims live their religion and it is very sacred to them. If there is a movement away from religion in certain parts of the world, that doesn’t mean you can insult every other religion. You might insult your own religion but that doesn’t mean that we accept that you can insult our religion”.
The strength and sincerity of the opposing speakers demonstrated the force of the argument regularly advanced by Flemming Rose, arts editor of Jyllands-Posten who commissioned the cartoons. He remains convinced that the recent months of controversy have sparked off a “very constructive” debate about censorship and freedom of speech, a debate echoed at Westminster in support of World Press Freedom Day.
Last modified: Saturday, July 8, 2006
Previous free speech & censorship stories
Improving Cultural Communication
The Need for Context
The Danish Cartoon Controversy
IFEX conference highlights freedom of expression
Statement of Media Professionals Meeting to Discuss the Danish Cartoons Controversy
Freedom of Expression or Hate Speech
Religion and Freedom of the Press
CPBF response to the cartoons
Cover-ups, lies and censorship
CPBF response to the cartoons
The Danish Cartoon Controversy
IFJ call for debate as cartoons cost editor his job
All the news that doesn't fit
Gagging the truth
Borris Johnson vows 'I'll go to jail to print the truth'
UK paper gagged over Aljazeera memo
Freedom of Information Blockage
FoI training from the Campaign for Freedom of information
Journalists worldwide protest Canada's news lockout
Australia gets tough on journalists
Government to consult over Freedom of Information and the PCC
A law unto itself
Community Newspaper uses FoI Act
Open the Books!
Freedom of speech - the global challenge
IFEX handbook on free expression campaigns
A message from the McLibel two
Using FoI
Freedom At Last?
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Notices
Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
DOWNLOAD FREEPRESS NOW
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
MEDIA FOR ALL CONFERENCE
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Papers from the Media for All Conference
MEDIA MANIFESTO
DATELINE: 26/3/10
The media’s job is to inform and entertain us but we rely on them too to tell us what our rulers and representatives are up to. In the run-up to the Iraq war the government used spin and disinformation in the media to create panic and mislead people. The truth is coming out now, but we need stronger, more independent media to be able to scrutinise governments and make informed choices.
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Previous stories
Free Speech & Censorship
Improving Cultural Communication
The Need for Context
The Danish Cartoon Controversy
IFEX conference highlights freedom of expression
Statement of Media Professionals Meeting to Discuss the Danish Cartoons Controversy
Freedom of Expression or Hate Speech
Religion and Freedom of the Press
CPBF response to the cartoons
Cover-ups, lies and censorship
CPBF response to the cartoons
The Danish Cartoon Controversy
IFJ call for debate as cartoons cost editor his job
All the news that doesn't fit
Gagging the truth
Borris Johnson vows 'I'll go to jail to print the truth'
UK paper gagged over Aljazeera memo
Freedom of Information Blockage
FoI training from the Campaign for Freedom of information
Journalists worldwide protest Canada's news lockout
Australia gets tough on journalists
Government to consult over Freedom of Information and the PCC
A law unto itself
Community Newspaper uses FoI Act
Open the Books!
Freedom of speech - the global challenge
IFEX handbook on free expression campaigns
A message from the McLibel two
Using FoI
Freedom At Last?
Congratulations
