A populist group in Germany wants to publicly show the anti-Islam film “Innocence of Muslims,” which is stoking a violent backlash across the Muslim world. Officials are reviewing whether they could ban the action, sparking a delicate debate over free speech and public order.
Freedom of expression is a basic right in Germany, but recent controversy over the anti-Islam film “Innocence of Muslims” has sparked a debate among lawmakers about just how far that right extends.
A populist group called Pro Deutschland wants to stage a public showing of the controversial anti-Islam film “Innocence of Muslims,” which has inspired protests and deadly attacks on American and Western diplomatic missions across the Muslim world in the last week. Pro Deutschland may have just a few hundred members, but amid heightened fears of retaliation, the group’s provocative threat has even attracted the attention of Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Asked at a press conference on Monday whether she thought a showing of the film, which is highly disparaging of the Muslim prophet Muhammad, should be prevented, Merkel said that a ban could be justified if public security was at risk. “I can imagine that there are good reasons for this,” she said on Monday, adding that such measures were currently being considered by her government.
Addressing the issue is a delicate maneuver for the chancellor, who is known to place great value in freedom of expression and the press. Two years ago she lauded Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard for his courage in publishing caricatures along with several other colleagues that sparked protests and riots in the Muslim world. Westergaard’s drawing, which showed the Prophet Muhammad with a bomb for a turban, even resulted in an attempt on Westergaard’s life.
On Monday, Merkel acknowledged that she had been critical of the caricatures “in terms of taste.” But according to the modern sense of free expression, she said, “He is allowed to do this.” That is also the chancellor’s take on “Innocence of Muslims.” As such, she cannot ban the film outright. However, given the massive tensions over the work, she does want to prevent unnecessary provocations through its showing.
Spiegel has the full article
