Does the right to freedom of speech justify printing the Danish cartoons?
Philip Hensher: Yes The first thing to say about the contested cartoons published by a Danish paper last September is that some are, indeed, offensive. Jyllands-Posten took up the case of a Danish author who could find no one to illustrate a book about the prophet Muhammad. The paper, presenting this as a case of self-censorship, asked 12 illustrators for depictions of the prophet, and the one that has caused immense offence shows the prophet wearing a turban that conceals a fizzing bomb. The cartoonist can’t be accused of ignorance or lack of research – he has scrupulously transcribed a verse from the Qur’an on the turban – and there’s no doubt that this is seriously offensive, and not just to Muslims but anyone who values truthful debate. It just isn’t true to say that, from its founding, Islam would inevitably lead to suicide bombing, or even that its founder’s teachings bear responsibility for this particular brand of atrocity. That accusation, if made of any religion or secular sc
