Bloody Cartoons (part 1 of 2)

What do Danish cartoons tell us about contemporary democracy? A lot it seems. Freedom of expression has always been a core principle of democracy. Imagining one without the other is unthinkable to most people. But what happens when one democratic right infringes on the rights of others? Is democracy itself shaped by religion? Are religions democratic? More importantly, is God democratic? How More.. and why 12 drawings in a Danish provincial paper could whirl a small country into a confrontation with Muslims all over the world. He (Karsten Kjaer/director) asks whether respect for Islam combined with the heated response to the cartoons is now leading us towards self-censorship. How tolerant should we be, he wonders, of the intolerant. And what limits should there be, if any, to freedom of speech in a democracy. Critics of the cartoons claim that they were racist and Islamophobic. According to the critics the controversy is an expression of a society and a political system that is becoming more and more hostile towards non-European immigrants in general and Muslims in particular. Meanwhile, supporters argue that no one was looking to attack Muslims, and that the cartoons are but an expression of freedom of speech in a Western democracy where drawings of religious prophets are published all the time. They point out that the worldwide discussion and protests is a result of living in times with widespread Islamic terrorism. In fact, magazines, newspapers and news websites all over Europe published the Muhammad cartoons in support of Jyllands-Posten and concept of 'freedom of speech'. Bloody Cartoons goes behind the controversy of the Muhammad caricatures by documenting the escalation of the political crisis and in the process examiniing the need for freedom of speech in democratic societies. See Updates section for part 2 (why democracy?, STEPS International)

Channel: LiveLeak Video Length: 0s Date Found: Wed, Jul 28 2010 5:03 AM Category: Educational Date Produced: Mon, Mar 09 2009 12:00 AM View Count: 0