Europe is continuing to tolerate insults against Islam and Muslims, citing freedom of expression. The Swiss Federal Court acquitted coalition partner the Democratic Union of the Center (UDC), a right-wing political party, from charges of its election campaign poster inciting hatred between communities.
In the poster, Swiss Muslim citizens are seen worshipping. The superscript over the photo reads “Use your heads,” urging non-Muslim citizens to vote for the party in the face of the “Muslim threat.” The Muslims, photographed whilst prostrating themselves in prayer, came together in Bern in a show of solidarity when the cartoon crisis erupted in Denmark in 2005.
Danish daily Jyllands-Posten published cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad in indecent and humiliating ways on Sept. 30, 2005, which deeply hurt Muslims worldwide and received criticism both from Muslim and non-Muslim communities. However, the then Danish prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, refused to even meet with the diplomats of Muslim countries to talk over the kind of precautions that needed to be taken and ways to remedy the harm done. Ultimately, the totally uncompromising attitude of the Danish government intensified the level of protests which left more than 140 people dead.
According to speculation, Rasmussen pledged to offer an apology to the Muslim world if Turkey withdrew its veto before his election as the new secretary-general of NATO. After being elected as such, he visited İstanbul to attend the Second Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) project, held on April 6-7, but did not apologize as promised, although he said he was distressed about the publication of the cartoons back then.
The court case in Switzerland was opened by André Morand, a prosecutor of Bas-Valais region in the country. “Would you dare to publicize such a poster targeting Jews or Christians, too?” Morand asked the UDC representatives before filing the lawsuit. The case was recently concluded and the court ruling was in favor of the UDC, stating that its poster does not carry any discriminatory or racist elements. Federal judge Dominique Favre defended the court’s decision. “The poster, despite being devoid of tolerance and playing on fears, does not depict Muslims in a way that they are unequal before the law. In a democracy, any criticism should be tolerated even if it is extreme and bad,” said Favre. On the other hand, Hans Wiprächtiger, another federal judge, said the court’s ruling was “depressing.” Arguing that the poster insults Muslims, the judge expressed his worries, saying that he fears such attempts will increase after this ruling.
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