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Crossing the Line? Freedom of Speech and Religious Sensibilities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 April 2007

S. Suzan J. Harkness ,
Mohamed Magid ,
Jameka Roberts  and
Michael Richardson
S. Suzan J. Harkness
Affiliation:
University of the District of Columbia
Mohamed Magid
Affiliation:
University of the District of Columbia
Jameka Roberts
Affiliation:
University of the District of Columbia
Michael Richardson
Affiliation:
University of the District of Columbia
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Extract

On September 30, 2005, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten printed 12 editorial cartoons, several of which contained caricatures of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. This publication sparked a controversy that began in Denmark and spanned the globe. The cartoon publications stemmed from an article discussing the difficulty in finding illustrators for a book on the life of the Prophet Muhammad. According to the book's author, cartoonists refused contract out of fear of retaliation from the Muslim community, citing the example of the 2004 murder of Theo Van Gogh, a Dutchman, for making the documentary Submission, a film focused upon the position of women in Islam. In addition to the article, nationwide debate discussed the right to freedom of speech and the problems surrounding self-censorship. It was within this context that Flemming Rose, the cultural editor at Jyllands-Posten, asked Danish cartoonists to depict the Prophet Muhammad as they saw him with the underlying purpose to raise the issue of self-censorship and fuel further debate. The cartoons ran alongside an article on free speech and self-censorship.

Type
SYMPOSIUM—U.S. POLITICS
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 40 , Issue 2 , April 2007 , pp. 275 - 278
Copyright
© 2007 The American Political Science Association

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References

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