The Muhammad Cartoon Uproar

Der Spindoktor reports that the controversy surrounding the Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammed has spread to the German press, which published the cartoons as a display of "solidarity" with Denmark in upholding the democratic principle of press freedom. All well and good, until you realize that it is the Springer-owned daily Die Welt that is undertaking this action.  What are its motivations? Die Welt has been the most vocal advocate in the German media for military action against Iran. Die Welt hosts the right-wing English language blog The Free West where the Dutch author Leon DeWinter writes daily posts demonizing Muslims and urging war with Iran.  And it is the editor-in chief Roger Köppel  who urges the Islamic world to have an "open mind" for satire - even though these cartoons are viewed as blasphemy:

"Man sollte den Fall nicht zum Kulturkampf stilisieren, schließlich gibt es tatsächlich eine Schamschwelle satirischer Verhunzung, die in Religionsfragen nicht überschritten werden sollte. Der von den Moslems angelegte Maßstab freilich überfordert die offene Gesellschaft."

This is actually the same Roger Köppel who urged Europeans to have an open mind for the practice of torture. Let's be clear here: Köppel's goal from the beginning was to spread anti-Muslim hate.  Counterpunch takes Köppel to task:

And what further argument does Die Welt put forward to justify its "legal" action? " It pointed out that "Syrian TV had depicted Jewish rabbis as cannibals." You can imagine how helpful a similar argument would hold up in a court of law: "But your honor, I only killed one guy and raped two women: the other guy killed four and raped 10!" That a German editor-in-chief of a major German paper should use the "legal" argument to justify offending the religious sensitivities of Muslims, when that same "legal" framework would see him thrown in jail faster than he could spell the word legal if he offended the sensitivities of Jews, may be a testament at least of his own deep-seated contempt for Muslims. That so many European papers have now reprinted the offensive cartoons is an indication that the contempt for Muslims does not stop with the editor-in-chief of Die Welt.

The political journalist Jörg Lau has a very balanced overview of the entire controversy which can be read in both English and German.

Raddatz-Watch: The German "Islamic Expert" Hans-Peter Raddatz, who was spotted last week contributing to the online hate magazine Front Page, makes an appearance today in the Stuttgarter Nachrichten where he laments the tolerance that European nations have displayed towards Muslims. By tolerating Islam, Raddatz says, we are turning our backs on the constitution:

„Die Tatsache, dass wir Bedürfnisse, Forderungen und Religion von Muslimen Rücksicht nehmen,
ist ein kompletter Weltbildwandel, der vor einem halben Jahrhundert
mit dem Dialog der Kirchen begann und sich in Politik, Justiz und
Medien zu einem Mainstream entwickelt hat. Heute sind wir so weit,
dass weder wir noch unsere Institutionen Respekt vor der eigenen
Verfassung haben.“

Finally, it is disturbing that one the best bloggers on this topic - Dr. Dean - has been the target of death threats by commentators on some of the right-wing German Bush-Blogs.

Islam Islamophobia Danish Cartoons

Comments

[Dr. Dean]

It starts with a smear campaign. Now a certain amount of level-headedness is called for.

Thank you for your well-balanced description and thank you very much for your assistance!

I heard Roger Köppel in the radio today. In his last sentence there was a indisputable smell of hate in his voice - his voice seems to be a bit uncontrolled. He asked why the muslims protest against the cartoons while they are supporting (and: not protesting against) Al Quaida.

(my german would be more correct: Roger Köppel fragte im Radio, warum die Muslime gegen die Karrikaturen protestieren, wenn sie nicht gegen Bin Laden protestieren, der eine gröpere Beleidigung des Islams darstelle)

[Jorg]

Dr. Dean,

death threats are of course unacceptable. Wenn weder der Blogger noch der Host (myblog.de) entsprechende Massnahmen ergreifen, vielleicht sollte dann der Presserat (?) eingeschaltet werden...
On the other hand, I wouldn't pay too much attention to some nutcases. Du bist ja auch anonym.

Eine marokkanische Fulbrighterin hat auf einer mailingliste aehnliches berichtet wie Koeppel, den Du erwähnst. Sie macht noch andere Argumente, diese Auseinandersetzung m.E. ganz gut auf den Punkt bringen:

For the secular world, freedom of expression is sacred and for the
muslim world where religion is central, the sacred is beyond
individual freedom. Both parties have the right to beleive what they
want and both should respect that. This whole situation generated out
of cartoons really reflects a clush of civilisation, it is the true
illustration of the confrontation of the secular and the sacred.

When the story of the cartoons appeared, I didn't pay that much
attention, and I must confess, I found it kind of caustic the reaction
of Saudi Arabia that had to act to protect its position as the
protector of the "Sacred". However, when many newspapers in Europe
started to protest by publishing the cartoons all over, I found it
kind of overeacting specially in the actual tense context of post
Spetember 11, war in Afghanistan, Abu Guraib, Guantanamo, Iraq ect
that the Muslims perceive as constant humiliation and threat to their
own identity.

I also find the Muslim reaction somehow disproportionate. For
instance, A jordanian newspaper has been closed because it published
one of the cartoons while questioning how come Muslims feel outraged
when their prophets is portrayed while there is only silence when
bloody images of suicide bombings are made in the name of Islam?

[Jochen]

Wunderbar ausgeglichen. Danke! Werd mal einen Link setzen:)