Public Life In Syria: Part II – Danish Cartoons

As I’m sure many of you have seen in the recent news, there have been widespread protests in response to a number of cartoons published in a Danish newspaper. The 12 caricatures, which depicted the prophet Mohammed from a series of unflatteringly perspectives, were supposedly created as an exercise in free speech.

Since graphic depiction of God or the prophets is forbidden in Islam, the publication of these cartoons was offensive to many Muslim immigrants in Denmark. The offense became an international issue, however, when several European newspapers decided to reprint the cartoons (a newspaper in Norway was among the first of these). The Danish newspaper eventually apologized, but the Danish prime minister refused to do so, saying, "I will never accept that respect for a religious stance leads to the curtailment of criticism, humour and satire in the press.” Many Muslims around the world, deeply offended at what they see as a desecration of their religion and beliefs, have rallied in protest.

On Saturday (February 4th), Syrians gathered to protest in Damascus. The majority of the protesters were peaceful, however, some got out of hand. Police tried to protect the Danish embassy for a time, but their numbers were not enough to hold back the crowd, and eventually some protestors entered the embassy and set it on fire. The inside of the embassy was destroyed by the fire (the walls were cement, and thus were only charred by the smoke – see the included pictures). Unfortunately the embassies of Chile and Sweden were located in the same building, and were also incinerated. Protesters also broke into and burned the Norwegian embassy (in a different area of the city). There have been rumors of other protests planned around the city, but in all likelihood we have come through the worst of it. The protests in Damascus have been echoed in other countries, from North Africa to Indonesia, and have ranged from peaceful (Niger, 50,000 demonstrators) to violent (Afghanistan, 12 people killed to date).

These events bring into focus many questions – what does freedom of speech/the press really mean? Does it mean that we are free to (or ought to) ridicule what is most sacred to our neighbor, as the Danish prime minister suggests? Or does the idea of freedom include responsibility? If so, to whom? Our Syrian friends, both Christian and Muslim, have asked us such questions repeatedly. Many cannot fathom a principle which would prioritize absolute freedom of speech over respect for the sacred and the beliefs of others. In many ways this issue is a manifestation of deeper cultural differences - a communal versus individual orientation to the world.

In terms of personal safety, we are fine. The Syrian people remain among the most hospitable I have ever encountered. A Norwegian classmate of ours was actually at the Norwegian embassy during the protest, and even addressed the crowd on behalf of his country (for the story click here). There has been a general boycott on Danish goods (see the picture), and a very select number of shops have refused to serve Danish patrons (but many Syrians find this kind of behavior terribly offensive).

Thanks to many of you for your kind e-mails of concern. I’m looking forward to hearing any thoughts you might have in the comments section.