When freedom of speech is stupid
Everyone and their dog thinks freedom of speech is such an important part of life. Well, that's in societies where every family has a dog. The Danish seem to think so. When the Danish Jyllands-Posten, Denmark's largest circulation daily printed caricatures depicting Mohammed, the Muslim's prophet, the Muslim world was outraged. Norwegian Christian paper, Magazinet, followed suit recently, reprinting the same caricatures, which do not hold the prophet in kind light, either.
"Just like Jyllands-Posten, I have become sick of the ongoing hidden erosion of the freedom of expression," wrote Magazinet Editor Vebjoern Selbekk.
The problem here is that this has affected all Danish and Scandinavian products in the region. The Saudi's are calling for a boycott and they are very serious about it. Why would Lurpak, for instance, have to suffer because some editor thinks that printing offensive caricatures is a way to combat the erosion of the freedom of expression as he put it?
Freedom of speech is all fine, but offending people needlessly, under the pretext of 'freedom of speech' only hurts your economy. Think about it. Now you have all those companies having to fight a PR scandal that they have had nothing to do with. Well, at least it's keeping the PR companies busy here.
"Just like Jyllands-Posten, I have become sick of the ongoing hidden erosion of the freedom of expression," wrote Magazinet Editor Vebjoern Selbekk.
The problem here is that this has affected all Danish and Scandinavian products in the region. The Saudi's are calling for a boycott and they are very serious about it. Why would Lurpak, for instance, have to suffer because some editor thinks that printing offensive caricatures is a way to combat the erosion of the freedom of expression as he put it?
Freedom of speech is all fine, but offending people needlessly, under the pretext of 'freedom of speech' only hurts your economy. Think about it. Now you have all those companies having to fight a PR scandal that they have had nothing to do with. Well, at least it's keeping the PR companies busy here.
posted by Dubai Media Observer at 1:49 PM
4 Comments:
It's not as though Danish bacon was selling particularly well in Saudi previously, though. The Religious Policeman has some interesting words on this.
The Religious Policeman is right on the money most of the time. However, in this particular case, the caricatures are certainly offensive. The issue, to me, is a purely business-oriented one. Saudi is a huge consumer market. They have the right to boycott products, just like the Norwegians and Danes have a right to publish offensive caricatures.
Of course, in this particular case, proving the point may be more important than the short-term sales. Who knows, we'll have to see how this plays out.
I understand how muslims can take offence. But they really cannot expect to pressure a foreign sovereign government to amend its laws just for them.
It offends me hugely that Saudi Arabia doesn't allow women to drive. Do I spend all my time railing at the Saudi people because of it? No.
It's no ones business but the Danish people's what they print in their country's newspapers. If the Danish people are offended, then they can elect in a new government that will curtail certain freedoms of speech.
Why not? Western countries expect to pressure foreign soverign governments to change their whole governments all the time.
It is irrelevant whether it is right or wrong. The point is, the purchasing power of the Middle East is a force that should be considered when living in a global economy -- and freedom of speech without money is worthless.
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