Paper defends Muhammad dog cartoon
Leading figures in Sweden's media industry have backed newspaper Nerikes Allehanda, which has been criticised by Iran for publishing a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a dog. The paper itself has meanwhile defended its decision to publish.
PeO Wärring, deputy chairman of the Swedish Newspaper Publishers' Association (TU), said that regardless of what people thought of the cartoons it was important that they could be published and debated.
"The strength of freedom of expression lies in the fact that it tolerates - and protects - not only comfortable, harmless and uncontroversial opinions, but also those that are tasteless, controversial, upsetting and offensive," he said in a statement.
The cartoon in question, by Swedish artist Lars Vilks, depicted Muhammad's head on the body of a dog. Apparently he is depicted in the style of a roundabout dog, a current enthusiasm in Sweden about which more here. Vilks had found it hard to find a gallery willing to display his work, and Nerikes Allehanda published the cartoon alongside an editorial on freedom of expression.
A Swedish diplomat was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday to receive a protest from the Iranian government about the cartoon.
Wärring said that TU fully supported Nerikes Allehanda, an Örebro-based regional paper. He also called on the Swedish government to stand up for Sweden's tradition of press freedom, religious freedom and other forms of free expression.
Nerikes Allehanda on Tuesday published an English translation of the editorial by leader-writer Lars Ströman. In it, he argues that while a liberal society "must be able to defend Muslims' right to freedom of religion and their right to build mosques," it must also allow the ridicule of "Islam's foremost symbols - just like all other religions' symbols."
Ströman told The Local on Tuesday that Nerikes Allehanda had decided to publish after a number of other papers had printed Vilks' cartoons. "I was a bit surprised by the reaction, as we were the last of a number of publications to publish the picture. I also think that the context in which we published should make it more acceptable for Muslims." He said he thought it strange that the Iranian government contacted the Swedish government about the matter, saying it could just as easily have contacted the newspaper itself. The article, he said, points out "that the right to caricature a religion and the right to practice a religion are connected."
Meanwhile,
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that "Zionists" were behind a cartoon in Swedish newspaper Nerikes Allehanda, which depicted the head of the Prophet Mohammed on a dog's body. The drawing sparked an official protest by Tehran to Stockholm.
"They do not want the Swedish government to be a friend of other nations. I strongly believe they are behind it (the cartoon). They thrive on conflict and war," he said. The claim came during a tirade against Israel, in which Ahmadineja accused Zionists of sowing conflict, publishing offensive cartoons and "lying about being Jewish." "Zionists are people without any religion," Ahmadinejad, who has repeatedly predicted that Israel is doomed to disappear, told a news conference in Tehran. "They are lying about being Jewish because religion means brotherhood, friendship and respecting other divine religions," he said. "They are an organised minority who have infiltrated the world. They are not even a 10,000-strong organisation," he said.
Posted on 5:04 PM by Esmerelda Weatherwax
Comments
28 Aug 2007
john utting
muslims have a different sense of humour to everybody else.their idea of a fun day out is stoning a young girl to death,or setting fire to their daughter for wearing makeup.non-muslims would have nightmares for the rest of their lives if they witnessed this.depicting allah with a dogs head is an insult t dogs. infidel john
31 Aug 2007
Muhemmed ali
this man will be killed by a true muslim what are they doing why they jsut want to introduce there news paper in the world and they do like this this guy is fuking ill mother f*****
(asterix's substituted by NER)
2 Sep 2007
tore
To: Mohammed Ali, dont forget that we chistians are many more and very much stronger than you muslims, if we lose our power we might not be as pleasant to deal with as we are now. So please stop threatening our artists.
15 Sep 2007
Eddie
Resaons why they muslims should be banned from Western countries below. Muslims come to the west and demand all their Rights that they do not give to westerners in their own country.
0) Muslims kiss hell and show their asses to heaven when they pray.
1) Non-Muslims cannot be buried in Saudi Arabia, because they would defile the land.
2) Non muslims need permit to gather in Saudi.
3) No non-Muslim could ever be awarded with Saudi citizenship, even by birth.
4) There were no public places of worship for non-Muslims in the country. While significant numbers of Christians reside in the country, there are very few Jews. There were no synagogues or churches in the country.
5) Taxation is also different for the Muslims and the non-Muslims.
6) Discounted price for home for muslims.
7) Non-Muslims living in Saudi Arabia cannot marry any Muslim women. This is completely forbidden.
8) During the month of Ramadan, non-Muslims are instructed by the Saudi authorities to respect the religious feeling of the Muslims. The infidels are ordered not to consume any food in front of Muslims. Any violation of this requirement might result in expulsion from Saudi Arabia of the infidel culprit—merely for eating in the presence of a Muslim.
9) In Saudi Arabia , unless a non-Muslim had converted to Islam, he/she is not eligible to receive any charity (Zakat) whatsoever.
10) Mohammed 3 wife (Aisha) was 6 years old when Mohammed married her.
11) In Saudi and all muslim countries that follow syariah law requires 4 male withness to prove rape. I can only imagine the 4 rapeist testifying as a withness.
