Point/Counterpoint

Free Expression and the Sacred: Should There Be Limits?

With the ongoing worldwide discussions that were triggered by the recent publications of cartoons that ridiculed Prophet Muhammad in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, and with IslamOnline.net's continued commitment to dialogue as a stepping stone for understanding, the Muslim Affairs section introduces this heated debate between British journalist Felicity Arbuthnot and American cartoonist Signe Wilkinson over whether there should be limits on freedom of expression when it comes to the sacred in religions.

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Felicity Arbuthnot is a journalist and activist who has visited the Arab and Muslim world on numerous occasions. She has written and broadcast widely on Iraq, her coverage of which was nominated for several awards. She was also Senior Researcher for John Pilger's award-winning documentary Paying the Price: Killing the Children of Iraq.

Signe Wilkinson is an editorial cartoonist best known for her work at the Philadelphia Daily News. She won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in 1992. From 1994-1995 she was president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. She has been featured on several programs on the cartoon debate since the cartoons ridiculing Prophet Muhammad were published in Denmark. She has also been actively engaged in open discussion on freedom of expression.

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