Flemming Rose gets a voice in the Washington Post
Many have described the original publication of the cartoons as provocation. In a very small way they are right, and the guy who made the call explains why it was a useful step forward (despite the widespread small-minded stupidity of his critics). Kudos to the Washington Post for giving him a North American forum (free registration required, I believe).It's not clear to me how long it will be before we get to the Danish experiences but I expect they are coming. I hope we can learn in advance from them.
One key comment from Rose:
But what does respect mean? When I visit a mosque, I show my respect by taking off my shoes. I follow the customs, just as I do in a church, synagogue or other holy place. But if a believer demands that I, as a nonbeliever, observe his taboos in the public domain, he is not asking for my respect, but for my submission. And that is incompatible with a secular democracy.And it is pathetic how many Western political leaders (including, it seems, sadly, our new one) cannot get that simple distinction.
posted by Alan Adamson @ 4:27 PM
1 Comments:
I think the provocation point is an important one. I've always said, as a journalist, that part of my job is to provoke discussion and debate. And that's all Flemming Rose was trying to do.
Post a Comment
<< Home