freedom and acceptance

Submitted by Frank Oddersborg (Denmark), Feb 12, 2006 at 15:49

Hi Al

I read your post regarding the point by drawing those satiric cartoons. I can tell you – as a Dane, the whole point, before it got global was to raise a debate in Denmark regarding self censorship in the Medias.

Jyllandsposten chose the ‘picturing of Mohammed' as there existed some double standard in Denmark regarding what we could discuss and what we couldn't. You see every time someone raised a negative voice regarding Muslims, they were in fact called racists or worse. Were as Muslims was free to express their ideas about our women, faith, democracy, queen and political leaders etc.

In Denmark we think that freedom is for all and there can't be a part-freedom, it's either all or nothing. That's a Danish value.
Another fact is that some Imams (religious leaders) took on a trip to the Middle East when they felt that Denmark was getting too easy "of the hook".

Before making the trip they added themselves 3 additional cartoon, which were far more offending than any of the others. They showed all of the cartoons to leaders in the Middle East and told them that all 15 cartoons was a part of a western attack on the Muslim world.

Besides Muslims countries seem not to accept our freedom but still demand the west to cherish their values, can that be right?
Finally I think they have put too much faith in some religious leaders who have their own agenda.

What should all the ordinary and decent Muslims do to those Imams?

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