Book deal canceled due to fear of Islamic retaliation

A German publisher (Droste Publishers) had canceled the printing of novel about an honor killing because it contained passages insulting Islam.

Droste publishers is being criticized for not upholding the ‘freedom of speech’ doctrine and succumbing to fears of attacks by the Islamist radicals. The sometimes violent retaliation to the offensive drawings of our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has been cited as reasons for this fear.

Felix Droste, head of Droste publishers, had this to say:

…one knows that one can’t publish sentences or drawings that defame Islam without expecting a security risk

Freedom of Speech?

A lot of emotion, it seems, is attached to the idea of Freedom of Speech. No one seems to notice the glaring loop holes in the whole idea of Freedom of Speech – offense to one’s deeply held beliefs is at one instance considered OK and in another instance considered outright offensive (case in point: actual laws the outlaw the open denial of the holocaust). It is quite amusing to see the champions of liberal thinking bend backwards to defend unchecked Freedom of Speech.

Of course, everything has to be done in limits. It is but natural to expect the same with one’s inherent freedom to move, to speak and to possess. You will not expect a person to just waltz into your house and make camp in your living room, just like you should not expect – or be OK with – someone poking fun at something you hold dear.

Why do not people see that with Freedom comes Responsibility?

(via Reuters | Full Story)