Froukje Demant

Fortuyn's famous slogan "I say what I think" has not in recent years
only gained widespread imitation, but also led to fierce discussions
about the limits of freedom of expression. Begin 2006, during
global outcry over the Danish Mohammed cartoons', pleaded vvd-
MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali for "the right to beledigen'.1 A Danish
prints was an image of the Prophet Mohammed with a turban in
the shape of a bomb with lit fuse. This cartoon was shown 2008
a starring role in the film Wilders, Fitna, which already has also led to
heated discussions about the limits of freedom of expression. Now That
which borders have shifted and that more can be said than before
seems clear. A striking example is the uproar over the
police raid in May 2008 a Dutch cartoonist 'Gregory
Shot in the neck "which for years has been criticized Islam. The Arrest
the cartoonist, who was suspected of the prohibitions on discrimination
to have violated, aroused great public and political outrage.
Cartoons should be able to, as was widely argued, regardless of
their content. The question of where the limits of free expression than
it should be, remained in the background. However, in discussions
in recent years increasingly argued that the border should
be drawn at inciting violence.
But, as others say, without inciting violence large
harm be done, because the expanded freedoms of expression
influence on the occurrence of intolerance and discrimination. As argument
for this position are indications for a relatively high level
Islamophobia cited in Netherlands. From a survey showed
that more than half of the Dutch, non-Muslim school age
fourteen- to sixteen year olds are negative relative
of moslims.2 As one of the causes is negative image
genoemd: "Negative stereotypes of Muslims and negative clichés
of islam, negative messages from parents and best friend
about Muslims and Islam, and the belief that Muslims are a threat
types for security an important effect on the attitude '.

Read more in the monitor