Freedom of Speech vs. Freedom of Religion

- 'The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad Cartoons Controversy' began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005. The newspaper announced that this publication was an attempt to contribute to the debate regarding criticism of Islam and self-censorship. Danish Muslim organizations that objected to the depictions responded by holding public protests attempting to raise awareness of Jyllands-Posten's publication. Further examples of the cartoons were soon reprinted in newspapers in more than 50 other countries, further deepening the controversy. This led to protests across the Muslim world, some of which escalated into violence with instances of police firing on crowds of protestors (resulting in a total of more than 100 reported deaths), including setting fire to the Danish Embassies in Syria, Lebanon and Iran, storming European buildings, and burning the Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, French and German flags in Gaza City. Various groups, primarily in the Western world, responded by endorsing the Danish policies, including "Buy Danish" campaigns and other displays of support. Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen described the controversy as Denmark's worst international crisis since World War II.







Our padre is an old sky pilot,
Severely now they've clipped his wings,
But still the flagstaff in the Rect'ry garden
Points to Higher Things. 

Still he has got a hearty handshake;
Still he wears his medals and a stole;
His voice would reach to Heaven,
and make The Rock of Ages Roll.

- excerpt of <Our Padre> by John Betjeman (1906 ~ 1984) where he depicted 'sky pilot' as a dismissive or critical nickname for a religious figure who counsels passive acceptance of unfair or difficult life circumstances, specifically the one who is seen to be aiding existing social structures by using religion to suppress dissent.







"We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart."

- Henry Louis Mencken (1880 ~ 1956)