Cartoons and toleranace (2)

A Turkish teenager confessed to the police that he murdered an Italian cleric in Trebizond because he felt offended by the Danish cartoons depicting Mohammed. Maybe this fanatic particularly hated this Westerner because the latter was helping Armenian Christian girls escape prostitution. Probably this Turk argued that anyone who helps Christians is an obvious enemy of Islam and therefore a good target. How ironic that the first victim had to be a social-worker priest and not some typically secularised Scandinavian cartoonist.

Locally, Maltese journalists and cartoonists have started saying that although freedom of speech is a fundamental human right, publishers must respect religious sensibilities. Indeed Maurice Tanti Burlò was reported in The Times (February 5) as saying that he avoids depicting Mohammed because he does not want to encourage anti-Islamic feelings in what he considers an intolerant Maltese society.

Mr Tanti Burlò thinks that we are naïve. The truth is that many in the mainstream media are very careful not to offend any community whatsoever - Jews, Muslims, illegal immigrants, gays, gypsies or the disabled - but then all respect vanishes when it is the turn of Christians. Moreover it looks fashionable and a sign of good taste to make fun of anything sacred especially if it is dear to Roman Catholics. I remember quite well last summer the cartoon after the Zebbug fireworks explosion which left four victims. It showed St Joseph with baby Jesus gazing towards the disaster area with the sarcastic comment "at least they had the blessing of the bishop".

I have my doubts whether any Maltese cartoonist has the guts to depict Mohammed or Imams with the same dose of ridicule as Catholic symbols are subjected to. Of course, they don't want to admit that. Instead they say that religion is the cause of fanaticism in the world and anyone who dares criticise them is inquisitorial or anti-progressive.

This whole story of the Danish cartoons clearly confirms two things. It is clear evidence of the danger of Islamic fundamentalism. In addition it shows the hypocrisy of many a cartoonist around the Western world who succumbs to fear and compromise instead of being a real hero of free speech.