A freedom of speech! [Archives:2006/921/Community]

By: Najla Abu-Taleb
[email protected]
Although not one to advocate censorship, evidently the latest wave of Islamophobic tirades sweeping Europe has hit a sore nerve, not just within Muslim communities in Europe, but beyond.

The national newspapers of the small Scandinavian country of Denmark and its closest neighbor, Germany, have repeatedly published these contentious cartoons in the name of freedom of speech.

I find this fascinating, especially when we compare the anti-Semitic histories of the two countries. Notably, Germany, which began Jewish degradation with the rise of unquestionable anti-Semitism in the 19th century and ended with institutionalized genocide of the concentration camps.

Islamophobia has had its own concentration camps, whether it be those of the Occupied Territories or, closer to home, the massacres and yes, genocide, of Muslims in the 1990s Balkan War.

Normally, I would argue that these cartoons are meaningless and raising attention to them will only raise their profile. However, let's be a little bit more rational about this, given the obvious prejudices that exist – certainly, European countries against the 'other.' History verifies this.

So let's turn the tables. The crux of the question is: Whose freedom of speech is more worthy? Obviously, not the Jews or the Muslims. More importantly, is it a question of values or a question of color?

In part, it is about the herd mentality and the explicit tenets of the Universal Declaration of Rights – embodying state and individual rights – to be used only against a specific criteria deemed responsible by those who feel a sense of ownership in what these rights mean and to whom they apply.

This also has been heightened by the EU's response, so disgracefully articulated by German Chancellor, Ms. Angela Merkel, on the Hamas victory in the first Palestinian parliamentary elections and potential EU funding withdrawal. This reminds one of the farcical Algerian elections, which resulted in a military coup supported by the West and specifically sustained by the French. A military dictatorship obviously is easier to control than an elected representative Islamist government. Where is the UDHR? And more importantly, who is there to police it?

The West has demonstrated its irresponsibility and poor judgment for a long time now. It's high time for change and a thorough understanding of the meaning of terms such as freedom of speech, rather than being used as a recourse to justify bigotry and racism against whichever people.

Thus, I am for the people power we have seen across the world of economic sanction against governments that allow this to persist under the guise of liberalism or free speech.

Note: France and Spain, which also have large Muslim minority populations, also reprinted the cartoons.
——
[archive-e:921-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-02-16-p:community]