Agora

Kristeligt Dagblad, February 15, 2006

Editor-in-Chief warns of special rights to Moslems

Amidst continuing protests of against Denmark and the demand by the city council of Basra for the departure of Danish troops, the Editor-in-Chief of Jyllands-Posten warns that Moslems may receive special considerations in the future.

By Dorte Remar

Following the global turmoil and strife regarding the 12 Cartoons published in Jyllands-Posten depicting Muhammed, Carsten Juste the Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper warns that Moslems may receive special considerations as a consequence of the crisis.

It seems that the conditions for freedom of speech is deterioating faster than I expected. And I think we have to recognize that limits are being placed on freedom of speech where Moslems will receive special considerations.

The consequnce will be that special considerations are going to be taken to a larger degree. Current events leave me worried, says Carsten Juste in the first interview about the issue since the cultural editor was sent on extended leave last week and he was urged to step down by former Foreign Minister Uffe Elleman Jensen of the Liberal party.

In light of the cartoon incident, the Editor-in-Chief expresses deep concern about the role the religion has suborned in Denmark.

There’s too much religion in Denmark. It’s oozing from the cracks and that’s because a very strong religion, Islam, has come to Denmark. I think it’s an unfortunate turn of events. Religion should be a private matter yet religion is in the public space like never before.

Suddenly one has to consider issues one never thought were up for debate. Like blood money, oppression of women and the eerie world of ideas of Hizb-ut Tahrir, says Carsten Juste who thinks the last satirical depiction of Muhammed has been drawn.

After a week of silence, the Editor-in-Chief responds to the severe criticism - domestic as well as foreign - that the newspaper’s decision to publish the 12 Muhammed cartoons which have offended Moslems around the globe.

The Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan, says we live in a global village and therefore can’t keep our national discussions national anymore. Is that true? I wouldn’t be so sure.

If the Imams hadn’t toured the Middle East spreading false cartoons and disinformation, nothing much would have resulted from this.

But where does the media made reality start and where does it end? TV shows that apparently many people are demonstrating but that is not the real picture. I deeply hope that it was only a fringe minority that caused the uproar and that the great Moslem majority is as peaceloving as they make out to be.