Satire and free speech.

From Birgitte in Denmark

Satire means to ridicule the human weaknesses, vices and pieces of folly.

At least in Denmark satire has traditionally been used against the ruling elite. The only exception - until the recent satire began to be used against the Muslim Religion - was as far as I am aware, the satire used by the fascists against the Jews up to and during the 2nd World War.

It is not difficult to see which political wing at present is embracing the right to use satire against the Muslim religion - calling it "the freedom of speech right".

But our freedom of speech right is not threatened by attacks from a few terrorists. The threat comes from a completely different direction - the same direction where terrorism has come from - the economic mess the capitalist system finds itself in.

The terrorists in Paris were not motivated by a wish to hit our right to print or draw what suits us, but by a need to avenge the insult to their religion and not least their prophet. What some call satire was in their eyes defamatory.

Look at the situation of the Muslim population to day. What do we see? Poverty and degradation.
One of our traditions is - or should be - things are changing - that we do not walk over the weakest people. You do not step on someone who is lying down.