Saturday, 4 February 2006
View: Dr. Sedat LACINER
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen tends to justify all his 'mistakes' by 'freedom of expression'. Denmark first allowed the Roj TV to broadcast from Denmark to the Middle East though it was well-known that Roj TV was the PKK's propaganda channel and it was encouraging violence in the Middle East. The security reports clearly show that the Roj TV is financed by the PKK's drug and human trafficking money. It is argued that the terrorist organization uses the 'TV channel' for its money laundering businesses. One of the members of the Roj TV managers is the high-ranked PKK (Kadek) militant. When Turkey asked Denmark to closed down the PKK's channel, as United Kingdom and France did previously, Rasmussen argued that Denmark was a free country and the Government could do nothing to limit the 'freedom of expression'.
Rasmussen not only allowed the PKK's TV channel to broadcast from Denmark but also considered it as a respectful media body acceptable to all international press meetings in Denmark. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted harshly against allowing the PKK terrorist organization's Roj TV into the hall where a joint press conference was to be held in Denmark. The host, Prime Minister Rasmussen, who gave permission to this PKK TV channel, appeared alone before press members and created an interesting crisis. According to the Turkish side there was no difference between the PKK's Roj TV and the Al Qaeda's propagandas. As Journal of Turkish Weekly we asked the Danish authorities if Turkey allows an Islamist extremist TV channel encouraging violence in Denmark and in Europe, could it be considered by Denmark in terms of 'freedom of expression'.
And now the cartoons crisis erupted and Rasmussen says it is matter of 'freedom of expression' principle: The cartoons, some of which depict Islam's Prophet Hz. Muhammad as a terrorist, were first published in September 2005 by Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. On 20 October 2005, the ambassadors from the Muslim countries in Copenhagen, including Turkish and Bosnian ambassadors, complained to Danish PM and searched for co-operation to prevent an international crisis. Almost all of the ambassadors were aware of the freedom of expression principle, however they also knew that the timing was awful for such a crisis. Interestingly Danish PM refused to make any co-operation. Even Rasmussen rejected to meet with the ambassadors. When the crisis has been erupted and as a result of the tension the Danish firms have faced bankruptcy in the Middle East and North Africa regions, Rasmussen has changed his mind. He has met with the Muslims ambassadors and he has made anything possible to persuade the Arab and Muslim countries. The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten which had rejected to apologize before has also changed the mind and the newspaper apologized from the Muslims on 31 January 2006. So, how about the freedom of expression? Why have both Rasmussen and the newspapers changed the mind? If they apologized 4 months ago, or Rasmussen met with the legal representatives of the Muslim world, would the 'freedom of expression' principle damaged? Or is money more important than the principles? Are collapsing Danish firms more important than more than 1 billion Muslims' religious feelings?
* Matter of Principle or Double-Standard?
When Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad publicly denied Holocaust, no one in the Western world showed any 'tolerance' towards Mr. Ahmedinejad. All American and European newspapers (including many Turkish and Muslim newspapers) blamed Ahmadinejad, and many named him 'crazy' or 'mad'. German Chancellor Angela Merkel likened Iranian President Ahmadinejad to Adolf Hitler. We, as Journal of Turkish Weekly also accused Ahmadinejad of increasing the tension in the region. None of us considered Ahmadinejad's 'different ideas' in the frame of freedom of expression. The Western media in particular was so sensitive in respecting the Jewish victims' memories. We also respect the Jewish people's memories. Turkey, different from all of the continental European countries, has the cleanest record in terms of Holocaust and protecting the Jewish people. Turkey was the only continental European country who refused to handle its Jewish citizens to the Nazi Germany. As a result, the sensitiveness of the European and American press in protecting the Jewish memories make us happy. However the same sensitiveness should be shown to the living Muslims around the world. If you say that there was no Jewish genocide during the Second World War, you would be found yourself before a European court. However even if you implement a systematic campaign of slander against more than 1 billion Muslims, no European court could punish you. It is unfortunate that journalists and politicians all around the world think that they have all the right to insult and humiliate the Muslims, because there is no compensation for the damages given to the Muslims. You cannot insult the Christians, Jewish, even the Hindus, but you can insult the Muslims, their holly book and Prophet.
We share the same world, and we have to respect each other. We have to be very sensitive for not deepening the religious and civilizational biases. The only thing we need is some sort of empathy with the other nations and religions.
Now millions of Muslims are on the street demonstrations against Denmark, Norway, France and Germany. The drawings have sparked protests in countries including Indonesia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Egypt. Hundreds of Syrian demonstrators stormed the Danish Embassy in Damascus Saturday and set fire to the building, The French Embassy was the next target. Hundreds of Palestinians turned out for protests on Saturday. In Gaza City, demonstrators hurled stones at a European Commission building and stormed a German cultural center, smashing windows and doors. Protesters also burned German and Danish flags, and called for a boycott of Danish products. The demonstrators in Turkey accused Denmark for insulting their holiest things. Angry demonstrators took to the streets in Denmark and Britain on Saturday, signaling a ratcheting up of tensions among European Muslims. In London, several hundred demonstrators gathered under heavy police security outside Denmark's embassy, shouting slogans to protest the publication of the drawings. The picture in Pakistan, Arab countries, Iran and in many other Muslim countries is not so different than the above. Not only the people protest the caricatures, but also the Muslim leaders condemned the publishers and Denmark and called Rasmussen to apologize. Turkey's conservative and leftist leaders, who have very little in common, have agreed on the issue.
The Muslim peoples had serious doubts about the West's sincerity and goodwill. The Palestinian Issue, Lebanon, Bosnian Genocide, Tragedy in Chechnya, Armenian Occupation in Azerbaijan, Iraq and Afghanistan occupations deepened the humiliation of the Muslim peoples and the Muslim victimization. Osame Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda and other violent extremists have abused this ground. It is unfortunate that Rasmussen's Denmark and the European newspapers played a role in deepening the prejudices between the East and West as Al-Qaeda has been playing till now. And it is unfortunate that it is really difficult to see any difference between Iran's Ahmedinejad and Denmark's Rasmussen. Both men are idealist but short sighted. They have no vision. Both are ego-centric. Both thinks that they defend the principles, yet both ignore the others' holly principles.
Osame Bin Laden aimed to unite all of the Muslims against the Christians. He did anything possible to abuse the problems between two religions. Laden has failed in starting a civilizational war. Most of the Muslims, particularly the Euro-Muslims and Turkey Muslims consider Osame Bin Laden as a terrorist. However Rasmussen's Denmark, Norway and some other countries are more successful than Osame Bin Laden in making the Muslims and Christians to conflict.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sedat LACINER: President, Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization (ISRO-USAK) & Young Global Leader 2006.
Journal of Turkish Weekly
4 February 2006
www.turkishweekly.net
