U.S., Britain Decry Violent Cartoon Responses; Iran Paper Creates New Challenge

Protests over the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad spread to more areas of the world today and often turned violent (CNN report), after newspapers in a number of countries last week reprinted the cartoons to show their support for press freedom.(New York Times, Feb. 2). In both the U.S. and Britain, government leaders condemned the violence. In Washington, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan answered reporters questions on the situation:

Q: Scott, Iran has announced it's cutting off trade ties with Denmark over this cartoon of the prophet Mohammed. Does this worry you at all, that this sort of thing is happening?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I haven't seen what the regime in Iran has said. I think we've made our views very clear when it comes to the regime. But in terms of the issue relating to the cartoons, we have spoken out about this very issue. We condemn the acts of violence that have taken place. There simply is no justification to engage in violence. We call for constructive and peaceful dialogue based on respect for all religious faiths. Those who disagree with the views have the right to express their views, but they should do so in a peaceful manner. And we urge all governments to take steps to lower tensions and prevent violence, including against diplomatic premises, businesses and individuals.

And let me just make a couple other important comments. We have talked about the need for tolerance and respect for people of all communities and of all faiths. And that's important for everyone to heed. We have also said that we understand fully why Muslims find the cartoons offensive, and we have spoken out about that. In a free society, people have the right to express their views, even when they are offensive and wrong. We support and respect the freedom of press, but there are also important responsibilities that come with that freedom. And that's why we continue to urge tolerant respect for people of all faiths.

We also urge all those who are criticizing or critical of the cartoons to forcefully speak out against all forms of hateful speech, including cartoons and articles that frequently have appeared in the Arab world espousing anti-Semitic and anti-Christian views. So I think those are the points that we would emphasize when it comes to this very issue.

In Britain, Prime Minister Tony Blair today issued the following statement:

We understand the offence caused by the cartoons depicting the prophet and of course regret that this has happened. Such things help no one

It is always sensible for freedom of expression to be exercised with respect for religious belief. But nothing can justify the violence aimed at European embassies or at the country of Denmark.

We and our EU partners stand in full solidarity with them in resisting this violence and believe the Danish government has done everything it reasonably can to handle a very difficult situation. The attacks on the citizens of Denmark and the people of other European countries are completely unacceptable as is the behaviour of some of the demonstrators in London over the last few days.

The police should have our full support in any actions they may wish to take in respect of any breaches of the law, though again we understand the difficult situation they had to manage. We also strongly welcome the statements of Muslim leaders here who are themselves tackling the extremists who abuse their community's good name.

Meanwhile, an Iranian newspaper responded by launching a contest to find the 12 "best" cartoons about the Holocaust, according to today's Jerusalem Post. Farid Mortazavi, graphics editor for Tehran's Hamshahri newspaper, said that this would test how committed Europeans really are to the concept freedom of expression.