Nick Cohen directed his typical brand of insightful polemic at the international uproar caused by a Danish newspaper printing of cartoons featuring the profit Mohammed. I have no time for violence excused by perpetrators claiming their religious sensibilities have been disturbed and Cohen has a very important point to make about UK media in relation to this situation. His argument is that Catholics, Jews, politicians and British troops are safe targets for journalists because they won't resort to violence (against those journalists) but in the current political climate some extremists, who claim to be acting in defence of Islam, will.
"Newspaper editors will print pictures of servicemen beating up demonstrators in Basra, which may place the lives of British troops in danger, but not Danish cartoons, which may place their own lives in danger.
You can't be a little bit free. If you are not willing to offend Islamists who may kill you, what excuse do you have for offending...British troops who won't?"
No comments:
Post a Comment