What the Wa Post Didn't Let You See, They Finally Let You Read

The Washington Post did not print the Muhammed cartoons for their readers to see, as explained by Executive Editor Len Downie here. By not printing the cartoons, they de facto concluded that they are offensive and most Americans have been operating under that assumption, true or not, without having the benefit of being able to make up their own minds about this important global issue.

Now, finally, the Washington Post gives voice to the Danish editor who gives the background to the whole controversy and what his motives were.

Last September, a Danish children's writer had trouble finding an illustrator for a book about the life of Muhammad. Three people turned down the job for fear of consequences. The person who finally accepted insisted on anonymity, which in my book is a form of self-censorship. European translators of a critical book about Islam also did not want their names to appear on the book cover beside the name of the author, a Somalia-born Dutch politician who has herself been in hiding.

So, over two weeks we witnessed a half-dozen cases of self-censorship, pitting freedom of speech against the fear of confronting issues about Islam.

You can see the cartoons for yourself here, and make up your own mind.