Free speech vs. religious ideals, current events in question. Options

[jayi12-15psi]

If you watch the news you're aware of the events taking place in the middle east reguarding violent protests against anti-Muslim danish Cartoons. Most people will tell you that violence is obviously not the answer, but the issue at hand here is... Do you think that the rights of free speech should be curbed so it does not offend a religion?

This post has been edited by jayi12-15psi: Feb 8, 2006 - 5:23 PM

[saleeka]

in regards to whats going on with the cartoons and this particular question- freedom of speech trumps any attempt to have religious overtones silence it, in my opinion- In the middle east, you see in their media plenty of extreme defamatory material against you name it (jewish people and amricans come to the top of my mind)- yet the rest of the world is supposed to quelch anything that these people find offensive? i dont think so... You don't see americans buring Afgani or North korean flags in the streets over negative press they roll out... In my opinion, a lot of middle eastern "values" are just too ancient to function within our western culture. The cartoon of Allah having his eyes coverd with a black line, and of the two women fully covered except for their eyes is a perfect example of this to me. I think the cartoon makes a great point in that women certainly have no equallity when it comes to their society and how the the koran dictates that- and they see it as this huge insult to their culture because 'the book says so", even though most of the world sees differently... The outrage that has come of this, i find unwarranted... I do think, however, that the illustration of Allah's turbin resembling a bomb was in VERY bad taste, but honestly, it is most certainly not enough to justify people buring down embassies and so on and so forth...