Should Media Publish Images of Muhammad?

Recommend (7) Comments (17)

Quite simply, there cannot and should not be any form of global censorship. However, it is important for both Muslims (ranging from the secular to the very orthodox) and non-Muslims (ranging from Christian conservatives to atheists) to discuss what is acceptable—and what is merely hurtful or disrespectful. If a majority of Muslims consider the publication of their Prophet's image to be disrespectful, there must be a discussion on what message such publication sends—whether consciously or not--as well as the short and long-term implications. It is also worth noting that conservative religious individuals, even those from different faiths, tend to side together on this issue. So in some ways what we are dealing with here is not unique to Islam, but is instead a fundamental difference between religious individuals, who believe in a respect for the sacred, traditions, and jurisprudence, and secular individuals, who believe in the values of enlightenment, civil liberty, and the freedom of expression regardless of impact.