Western arrogance BRITISH PM CAMERON REBUTS POPE ON “INSULT TO RELIGION”

By Manny Pinol

British Prime Minister David Cameron displayed the outrageous Western Arrogance and self-righteousness when he disputed Pope Francis’ earlier statement that people’s faith and religion should not be mocked in the name of freedom of expression.

The Pope’s statement followed the attack by Islamic extremists on the editorial offices of Charlie Hebdo Magazine which has repeatedly published caricatures making fun of Islam’s revered prophet, Mohammed.

In an interview with Vatican reporters during his flight to Sri Lanka, Pope Francis said that while “it was an “aberration” to kill in the name of God and religion…., there was a limit to free speech when it concerned offending someone’s religious beliefs.”

“There are so many people who speak badly about religions or other religions, who make fun of them, who make a game out of the religions of others,” he said. “They are provocateurs. And what happens to them is what would happen to Dr. Gasparri if he says a curse word against my mother. There is a limit.”

Agence France Presse reported that “in an interview that aired Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation, Cameron said the West must show that its values, like free speech, are stronger than those of Islamist extremists pursuing a “poisonous death cult narrative.”

“I think in a free society, there is a right to cause offense about someone’s religion. I’m a Christian. If someone says something offensive about Jesus, I might find that offensive but in a free society I don’t have a right to wreak my vengeance upon them,” Cameron said.

“We have to accept that newspapers, magazines can publish things that are offensive to some as long as it’s within the law,” he said.”

Cameron’s obstinacy on the issue of absolute freedom of expression illustrates the utter lack of understanding by the West of the sensibilities of people in other parts of the world.

This is the kind of attitude which the Imperial Powers had when they conquered the rest of the world and imposed their own standards of right and wrong and forced their religion on others.

I fully agree with Pope Francis that while there is no justification to the killing of the Charlie Hebdo editors and cartoonists, the provocation on the followers of Islam was uncalled for.

“You cannot provoke, you cannot insult other people’s faith, you cannot mock it,” Pope Francis said.

“Freedom of speech is a right and a duty that must be displayed without offending,” the Pontiff added.

Pope Francis further illustrated his point by telling reporters that if his friend insulted the Pope’s mother, he could expect a punch on the nose as a natural reaction.

This point left me wondering how Prime Minister Cameron would react if one of England’s racy tabloids would run a story insulting his mother.

What does the magazine Charlie Hebdo achieve by ignoring the resentment of Islamic believers over the caricatures of Prophet Mohammed and continuing with its insulting cartoons?

“Every time we draw a cartoon of Mohammed, every time we draw a cartoon of prophets, every time we draw a cartoon of God, we defend the freedom of religion,” the editor Gerard Biard was quoted by AFP as telling NBC’s Meet the Press.

“Yes, it’s also the freedom of speech, but it’s the freedom of religion. Religion should not be a political argument.”

“If God becomes entangled in politics, then democracy is in danger,” Biard added.

This is a reasoning which defies logic.

For me, it is not really about Freedom of Expression.

It is more because of crass commercialism. Create a controversy to sell more.

Three million copies of Charlie Hebdo magazine were sold after the attack on its editorial offices which killed most of its editors and cartoonists.

In the meantime, devout Muslims around the world display their resentment and anger by destroying properties and burning anything that represents the West.

The Charlie Hebdo offensive cartoons of Prophet Mohammed and the obstinate comments of Prime Minister Cameron on total freedom of expression illustrate why there is so much conflict in the world today.

(Photo credit: Photos of Pope Francis and British PM Cameron downloaded from google.com)