"The well-known artist [Lars Vilks] took his pictures to galleries in Värmland
and Bohuslän. Both however refused to show the drawings on the grounds that the
security risk was too great.But now two groups - the Secular Muslims in Sweden
(Semus) network and the magazine Minaret - have taken a joint decision to
exhibit the sketches…While he himself considers the drawings to be tasteless,
[Semus spokesman Hooman] Anvari is adamant that they should be put on
display.“Our intention is to create a nuanced debate around freedom of speech,
religious freedom and democracy. These issues tend to cause polarization if they
are not tackled in the right way,” he said."
This is a bold move, and one that should be applauded. Mohammed and Allah are both either big enough and strong enough that they can take some criticism, or they are not worth being worshiped. This is a good development, it should be remembered that the Christian church has its own history of violence against a number of other faiths. In time, Islam may be able to evolve away from its violent past, just as for the most part, Christianity has evolved past its violent past.
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