The session has started. Join us with your questions.
Answer
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Name
Usaima
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Profession
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Dear Sir,
As a Muslim, I would like you to understand that we, Muslims, respect the value of freedom of speech as one of the most important, especially in troubled times like these. We respect your value of the rights of minorities and their protection from discrimination or abuse, we respect your strong stance against racism.
But as much as we know much about your culture, and the values you cherish, we would like you also to know about OUR culture, and the values WE cherish.
For Muslims, respect and love for the Prophet Muhammad ALWAYS comes first. He is held at higher esteem than those closest to us; our mothers, our fathers, our own children.
We do not ask you to love or respect him the way we do, all we're asking is for you to recognize this value in us, and to give it the public space it deserves.
Just as freedom of speech stops before anti-Semitism, just as it stops before racism, we ask that it also stops before vilification of our prophet, and all prophets. This is a value held dear to more than 1 billion inhabitants of this earth.
We believe that a bridge of understanding and mutual respect is key to peace and prosperity for all nations. We also believe that the key to success is being informed. So for you to be successful journalists, you must also be informed about Islam and Muslims. This is an essential requirement for your job.
Now that most headline news are about Islam and Muslims, a journalist should know Islam for what it is, Muslims for what they are and what they do, and most importantly, the prophet Muhammad for the man he was.
Expressing opinion is welcomed when it is informed, and when it is based on a genuine need for understanding, and when it holds respect to the other, no matter what his affliation, no matter what his beliefs.
This was a value taught to us by Prophet Muhammad, and it is a value that Western civilization holds today. Please go back to this value, remember it, embrace it once again, and apply it indiscriminately.
Thank you for your attention, and for joining us in this dialogue.
Answer
Expressing opinion should aslo be welcomed when offensive ideas are expressed. This is freedom of expression. You dont have to tolerate only ideas that are favourable to your mind.
But we at Reporters Without Borders also understand that Muslims have been shocked by the cartoons.
Name
Hasina
- India
Profession
Question
Why are there limits on free speech only when it comes to anti-semitism? Why aren't other people given the same protection the Jews are given?
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In most European countries, there is no specific protection for antisemitism. There is usually something that says you must not incite religious hatred.
That's all. But if some people feel offended, they can complain against medias. Their religion is not relevant to do it.
Name
Susie Ombraker
- Alaska
Profession
Question
BRAVO!!! BRAVO!!! VIVA L'FRANCE!!! Let the word go forth from this place and time that the free peoples of this world will not tolerate Muslim Nazis and Fascist Pigs. LIBERTE, EGALITE, FRATERNITE!!!
Answer
Host: Mr. Jean Francois Julliard refuses to comment on "violent" messages.
Name
abuahmed
- United States
Profession
professor
Question
The question everyone has been dying to ask is why did the European media make a free speech issue out of the cartoons when Holocaust revisionists are imprisoned in your jails? And as a follow up, why were these cartoons published more than once? If it were a matter of free speech that right was exercised after the FIRST publication.
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Revisionists in France are not in prison. It is true that there is a law forbidding any revisionist or negationist word. But it is a matter of history, not a religious one. You can criticize the Jews in France, even strongly - and some media outlets do it - and you will never be put in jail.
And the cartoons were published more than once because some media outlets - in France, Spain, Italy, and Germany - thought it was their duty to support free speech. It was not done in a provocative way. They explained why they did it.
Other media outlets published some of the cartoons only because it constituted very important information; they said you cannnot explain the situation without showing the cartoons.
Finally, some media outlets decided not to publish the cartoon with the Prophet and the bomb over his head because they thought - and we share their views - that this one was very racist and Islamophobic.
Name
James
- United Arab Emirates
Profession
Question
Sir, I was rather shocked by your response to an earlier comment. You said that freedom of speech should be upheld even if it offends others... but reading it after the comment that was actually sent to you, which was trying to reach out and bridge the gap, I wonder whom you would be winning by alienating everyone!
Respect is a basic human value! Do you not believe in it?
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Of course we believe in respect. We respect every human right including freedom of religions, freedom of belief and freedom of faith. But accepting freedom of expression is also accepting criticism and disturbing ideas.
Name
Mona
- Egypt
Profession
Question
Why do you support the so called "freedom of expression" without observing the well-known media standards of social responsibility?
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What is a "standard of social responsibility"? In China, it will be not to speak about politics at all. In Saudi Arabia, it will be not to speak about pornography. In Zimbabwe, it will be not to criticize the President. It depends on where you live.
In Denmark, religion is completely separate from the state. Journalists feel free to have fun about religion.
I'm sure in this case they regret it because they did not want to offend Muslims.
The only limitation we put to press freedom is that you cannot incite violence or murder. Everything else has to be decided by the courts. In the case of the cartoons, some groups in France lodged complaints against France Soir, which reprinted the cartoons. French courts will have to pronounce judgement about it. And this is the good way to react, to protest.
Name
abdulkarim
- United Arab Emirates
Profession
engineer
Question
You said earlier no one was imprisoned for revisionist views of the Holocaust. This from The Scotsman:A TEACHER banned from working in France for peddling revisionist views on the Holocaust has been sentenced to two years in prison by a French court after he made a film contesting a brutal Second World War massacre by Nazi SS storm-troopers. Moreover, a quick google search will yield more than this one fellow imprisoned or sanctioned for his speech.
Answer
OK. But I'm sorry, you cannot compare the Holocaust and a cartoon depicting the Prophet. The offense is not the same. Once again, revisionism is not a religious matter, but a historical one. Not only Jews were killed during the Holocaust.
Name
Genevieve
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Profession
Question
What did the cartoonists hope to achieve by drawing these cartoons? Did they honestly think something good and positive would come out of it? Along these lines, isn't it wrong and illegal to instigate riots and anarchy – so therefore, these drawings come under the same category as it is well-known how the Muslims react to such things. Your opinion please.
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You should ask them what they intended to do. My point of view is that they did not want to achieve something bad. They did not imagine there would be such a strong reaction all over the world.
So you are right. It is illegal to incite riots and anarchy. But the problem is not the cartoons. The reaction by the people who call for violence and burned embassies is completely out of proportion to the offense.
Name
Karen
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Profession
Question
Don't you think it is misguided to say that the cartoons were a demonstration of freedom of expression? There is a difference between freedom of expression and freedom of vilification and insult. I think that Muslims are not asking others to only say what is favorable for them to hear, they are asking others not to insult them. What happened was insult, NOT criticism.
After all, criticism should be based on knowledge, or information, but the cartoons are far from the reality of the person they try to depict.
Answer
OK, maybe you are right. It was an insult. And when you are insulted, you go to court. This is a responsible attitude. Laws are made to protect citizens. If you feel offended, you go to court. Nothing else. No death threats against the journalists. This is a criminal behavior.
Name
Ahmad
- Bahrain
Profession
Question
Are there any media laws, which are superior to the national legal systems, to protect freedom of expression?
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The European Court of Human Rights protects freedom of expression not only when it comes to information or ideas that are favorably received, but also those that offend, shock or distrub. These are the characteristics of pluralism and tolerance, which are the main requirments of establishing a democratic society.
Name
marie
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Profession
Question
Hello -
You believe in complete freedom of speech -- meaning, with no boundaries. So what do you think about the US and its allies curtailing the rights of Muslims to speak about religion and voice their opinions about world events and policies that affect them? Under the patriot act Muslims can now be detained for what they say.
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I don't know what you are talking about.
But don't forget that we were the only organization in the world to try to defend Al-Manar when the Lebanese channel was forbidden in France and in the US.
Name
John
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
In light of the recent escalations on the streets by many Muslims. How do you foresee the future? Do you expect violence on a larger scale, or on a state level?
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I hope not. We are organizing a big conference on this issue next thursday. We hope it will create more understanding and quell the growing anger.
Name
H
- Egypt
Profession
Educationalist
Question
Good morning,
In Europe, especially in Eastern European countries, freedom of expression was/has been an issue arising from the need to resist oppressive regimes.
Today, we have Doctors Without Borders, who play a brilliant role in the field. By the very nature of what they do. They are instilling noble values in the different societies.
By calling yourselves Reporters Without Borders, there is an automatic link subconsciously to an already existing group that values human life. You believe that you have the right to say whatever you want without respecting human dignity. Am I right? Please comment .
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What I am saying is that there are other ways to react when you think that human dignity is unrecognized.
Name
Yosra
- Egypt
Profession
Question
Why does the west see this as a way of imposing Muslim rules on the west? we don't say that respect is only due to Muslims but to all religions. How can we make it clear that Muslims tried to go through legal channels but they received rejections from the Danish PM and the court. Outrage is useless but when freedom of speech is not accompanied by justice don't you think it betrays that the insult may be intentional and instituionalised?
Answer
OK. You tried to go to court in Denmark and were rejected. You can go to a supreme court, like the European Court of Human Rights. And even if you lose again, is it a reason to threaten to death the ones who did the cartoons? I'd like also to see you condemn this attitude. We condemn the cartoons saying they were racist, but we denounce the overreaction. Why cannot you do the same?
Name
hamzat
- United States
Profession
technician
Question
You say there is a law against negationist words. Is this not a curtailment of freedom of speech and why do you differentiate between "religion" and "history" when the two are interwoven?
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This is also an infringement of freedom of press. We protested when the law was adopted by the French Parliament. I talk about it as a fact, but this doesn't mean that I support it.
Name
Host
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Profession
Question
We apologize for not being able to answer all your questions as the Web site experienced some technical errors due to a hacking attempt that took place today, Monday, February 6.
