Ridicule of religious symbols and the problem of freedom of opinion and expression

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor at the Department of Journalism at the Higher International Institute for Media - El Shorouk Academy

Abstract

This research deals with one of the most important and prominent thorny and complex issues, where the media deal with religious symbols, and on the other hand freedom of opinion and expression, by applying to the case of the French weekly (Charlie Hebdo), which republished a set of cartoons insulting the Prophet of Islam (Peace be upon him) in 2006. That was after the Danish daily (Jyllands-Posten) published these cartoons in 2005.
The matter took on many intertwined dimensions. There were those who rejected what the French newspaper had done from the point of view of the need to respect religious symbols and not offend them, and there were those who considered it their right in terms of freedom of opinion and expression. French society also witnessed violent incidents, in which a number of journalists were killed.
In this context, this study attempts to explain what happened, within the framework of the theory of social responsibility, and the principle of "responsible freedom." It also proposes a draft code of conduct for media interaction with religious symbols, with an emphasis on respecting freedom of opinion and expression and not violating this right.
 

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