Today we've seen the pardon of the British teacher who was sentenced to fifteen days in jail for breaking a Sudanese law. Intense diplomatic pressure already ensured that she was sentenced with great leniency, but apparently this was not enough for Western leaders, who did not stop pressuring the Sudanese government until it was forced to give into demands.
We've seen Gordon Brown claim that her sentencing was "completely wrong" and her imprisonment "completely unacceptable". When we saw precisely the same outcries from Middle Eastern nations about certain drawings that they felt insulted the prophet of Islam, we shrugged it off and claimed that our culture and legislation trumphed their religious sentiments. Why is it then that Western countries now feel that their culture and legislation trumph those of Sudan in a case of a crime commited in Sudan?
After the latest freedom of speech and freedom of expression rhetoric from Western countries who are quick to emphasise that these freedom exist in Western nations whenever Muslims are outraged about anything pertaining to their religion, is it really right for Western countries to completely disregard Sudanese culture and legislation, and trumph through their own opinions of right and wrong? When Western countries are so quick to assert their own legislative powers, how can they defend taking actions that essentially prevent the Sudanese government from sentencing people with Sudanese legislation for crimes commited in Sudan? Isn't it Sudan's prerogative to legislate according to the culture of their country, when Western nations do precisely the same?
To clarify my position, I'm all for Western freedom of expression. If I want to draw Mohammad with a bomb in his turban, I don't particularly want to die over it. I do, however, also believe that it's up to each nation how to best legislate according to their society and their nature, and that constructive dialogues can exist between countries debating what's fair and what's not, but that no nation should ever be forced into abandoning their right to prosecute people within their own borders when adhering to their own legislation. What do you think?
We've seen Gordon Brown claim that her sentencing was "completely wrong" and her imprisonment "completely unacceptable". When we saw precisely the same outcries from Middle Eastern nations about certain drawings that they felt insulted the prophet of Islam, we shrugged it off and claimed that our culture and legislation trumphed their religious sentiments. Why is it then that Western countries now feel that their culture and legislation trumph those of Sudan in a case of a crime commited in Sudan?
After the latest freedom of speech and freedom of expression rhetoric from Western countries who are quick to emphasise that these freedom exist in Western nations whenever Muslims are outraged about anything pertaining to their religion, is it really right for Western countries to completely disregard Sudanese culture and legislation, and trumph through their own opinions of right and wrong? When Western countries are so quick to assert their own legislative powers, how can they defend taking actions that essentially prevent the Sudanese government from sentencing people with Sudanese legislation for crimes commited in Sudan? Isn't it Sudan's prerogative to legislate according to the culture of their country, when Western nations do precisely the same?
To clarify my position, I'm all for Western freedom of expression. If I want to draw Mohammad with a bomb in his turban, I don't particularly want to die over it. I do, however, also believe that it's up to each nation how to best legislate according to their society and their nature, and that constructive dialogues can exist between countries debating what's fair and what's not, but that no nation should ever be forced into abandoning their right to prosecute people within their own borders when adhering to their own legislation. What do you think?