Let's take a little time to reflect on the internatiional community. When thinking of international events usually a person has one or two really profound events that stand out to them. Whether it be the War in Iraq or the conflict between Israel and Palestine there is always a lot of attention paid to it. Usually this issue or event draws attention from the entire world and is focused on by the majority of the international community. If someone asked you what you think is the major international event going on right now what would you say? My guess is that for the most part everyone would come up with the same thing.
However, the interesting thing here is that right now there are a few of these 'major international events' instead of the usual one or two. I believe that there are four of these such events and in no particular order they are the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy; the ongoing protesting and conflict regarding the Muhammed cartoons in the Danish newspaper; the Palestinian election resulting in a Hamas victory; and the current election in Haiti.
Depending on who you are and where you live these issues will have varying effects on you. For the average Canadian I think that the two issues with the most affect on our lives are the olympics and the cartoon controversy. Everyone loves the olympics, or at least wants Canada to finish well. On the other hand you have the Muhammed cartoon controversy that has been poking its head out since last fall. Now some people might ask why an issue arising from the publishing of a set of cartoons by a newspaper in Denmark will affect them. And the answer is simple. Anytime there is a contradiction of fundamental rights as there is in this case you know there will be a large uprising on both sides.
Back in September of 2005 a Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, published a set of satirical cartoons depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammed which caused an outrage not only among Islamic countries but with Muslims all over the world. About two weeks later numerous Islamic countries condemn the newspaper and demand the Danish leader to punish them, but he refuses. Muslims spread the word around the world that these cartoons do, in fact, exist. Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks out against harrassing religious groups but at the same time defends the Danish freedom of speech. In January of this year Islamic countries began protesting through boycotts of Danish products and pulling diplomats out of the country. The Danish newspaper issues and apology but, still, at the same time reserves their right to publish them and this is followed by other newspapers printing the cartoons. Newspapers all across the world have joined the fight by reprinting the cartoons. Earlier this month there were massive prostests around the world held by Muslims against the cartoons and included burning the Danish flag. In Syria, the Norweigan and Danish embassies are torched and the Syrian government did nothing to stop it. Ever since then up until today there have been reports of embassy burnings and protests all over the world and at the same time newspapers and other media types publishing the cartoons all over the world.
The conflict has even reached us here in Canada on a few different levels after a French newspaper and the UPEI student newspaper both have published the cartoons. And a professor at SMU put the cartoons up outside his door and introduced them as course material in his class. There have been protest rallies and marches in Halifax as well as the rest of the country and the Danish PM has called it a 'global crisis'.
So what is everyone arguing about? What are the fundamental issues here that is actually causing the uproar. Superficially, someone might think it is about the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten making fun of Muslims and the prophet, Muhammed and on the other end the Muslim world responding to these attacks. However, fundamentally that is not at all what this is about, because if it was you wouldn't have newspapers and university professors jumping on the side of the the Danish. There are two fundamental freedoms here that are at odds with one another, and it is not the first time that this has happened. In one corner you have the Danish newspaper, the Danish PM, and all of those newspapers and publications that have come to their side. They are defending the freedom of speech and freedom of the press. In the other corner we have the entire Muslim community all around the world who were shocked, angered, and appalled at the newspaper's decision to print the cartoons portraying Muhammed as a terrorist among other things. This has become a 'global crisis' and if it hasn't become one yet just wait and it will be. There have been many deaths and injuries resulting from this conflict mostly coming from protest rallies that have turned violent. It only remains to be seen what the outcome of this whole ordeal will be but I don't see it coming to a conclusion anytime soon.
- DCM
However, the interesting thing here is that right now there are a few of these 'major international events' instead of the usual one or two. I believe that there are four of these such events and in no particular order they are the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy; the ongoing protesting and conflict regarding the Muhammed cartoons in the Danish newspaper; the Palestinian election resulting in a Hamas victory; and the current election in Haiti.
Depending on who you are and where you live these issues will have varying effects on you. For the average Canadian I think that the two issues with the most affect on our lives are the olympics and the cartoon controversy. Everyone loves the olympics, or at least wants Canada to finish well. On the other hand you have the Muhammed cartoon controversy that has been poking its head out since last fall. Now some people might ask why an issue arising from the publishing of a set of cartoons by a newspaper in Denmark will affect them. And the answer is simple. Anytime there is a contradiction of fundamental rights as there is in this case you know there will be a large uprising on both sides.
Back in September of 2005 a Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, published a set of satirical cartoons depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammed which caused an outrage not only among Islamic countries but with Muslims all over the world. About two weeks later numerous Islamic countries condemn the newspaper and demand the Danish leader to punish them, but he refuses. Muslims spread the word around the world that these cartoons do, in fact, exist. Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks out against harrassing religious groups but at the same time defends the Danish freedom of speech. In January of this year Islamic countries began protesting through boycotts of Danish products and pulling diplomats out of the country. The Danish newspaper issues and apology but, still, at the same time reserves their right to publish them and this is followed by other newspapers printing the cartoons. Newspapers all across the world have joined the fight by reprinting the cartoons. Earlier this month there were massive prostests around the world held by Muslims against the cartoons and included burning the Danish flag. In Syria, the Norweigan and Danish embassies are torched and the Syrian government did nothing to stop it. Ever since then up until today there have been reports of embassy burnings and protests all over the world and at the same time newspapers and other media types publishing the cartoons all over the world.
The conflict has even reached us here in Canada on a few different levels after a French newspaper and the UPEI student newspaper both have published the cartoons. And a professor at SMU put the cartoons up outside his door and introduced them as course material in his class. There have been protest rallies and marches in Halifax as well as the rest of the country and the Danish PM has called it a 'global crisis'.
So what is everyone arguing about? What are the fundamental issues here that is actually causing the uproar. Superficially, someone might think it is about the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten making fun of Muslims and the prophet, Muhammed and on the other end the Muslim world responding to these attacks. However, fundamentally that is not at all what this is about, because if it was you wouldn't have newspapers and university professors jumping on the side of the the Danish. There are two fundamental freedoms here that are at odds with one another, and it is not the first time that this has happened. In one corner you have the Danish newspaper, the Danish PM, and all of those newspapers and publications that have come to their side. They are defending the freedom of speech and freedom of the press. In the other corner we have the entire Muslim community all around the world who were shocked, angered, and appalled at the newspaper's decision to print the cartoons portraying Muhammed as a terrorist among other things. This has become a 'global crisis' and if it hasn't become one yet just wait and it will be. There have been many deaths and injuries resulting from this conflict mostly coming from protest rallies that have turned violent. It only remains to be seen what the outcome of this whole ordeal will be but I don't see it coming to a conclusion anytime soon.
- DCM
Comments
I think that this has really blown out of hand. I think the whole world is going a little crazy if it is a "global crisis" (which I had not heard of until I read this!)
While we do have a freedom of speech, we also must respect others. Obviously, the cartoonist does not respect others, but that should not break the world into "crisis". You almost have to feel bad for the people that take a cartoon so to heart.
It shall be interesting to see what happens.
Plus, we're really ignoring the bigger problem here: the cartoons aren't even funny...