Euro-Med Assembly condemns Danish cartoons

Friday March 31st 2006, 11:54 am
Filed under: Newspapers

MEPs and national MPs from the EU and Mediterranean countries have approved a resolution which ‘condemned the offence’ caused by the Danish cartoons of the prophet Mohammed as well ‘as the violence which their publication provoked.’ The two-day plenary session of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly, held in Brussels, also urged governments to ‘ensure respect for religious beliefs and to encourage the values of tolerance, freedom and multiculturalism.’ Speaking during the parliamentary assembly, Egyptian parliament speaker Ahmed Sorour insisted that the cartoons published in Denmark and other recent events showed the existence of a cultural deficit. Jordanian MP Hashem al-Qaisi also condemned the cartoons while remarking that it is not sufficient to deplore the cartoons as these things might occur again in another country. But Danish parliamentarian MP Troels Poulsen, reacting to extensive criticism on Danish society over the issue, insisted that Danish society is based on both freedom of expression and religious tolerance. He added that the government can not influence the media. The Danish MP also said the violent reaction to the cartoons was disproportionate. (EU.observer,March 31, 2006)

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