I WRITE in response to the comments made by Lewis Rich and Andy following my letter regarding the reprinting of caricatures in Denmark.
Firstly, I must apologise for not stating in my letter that it was reported that the Danish authorities apprehended three persons in respect of a plot to harm one of the journalists involved with the original cartoons. If the Danish authorities are correct then I wholly condemn the motives of those three people, as their actions can never be justified. However, neither can the subsequent response of those Danish news editors who have allowed these hurtful repellent images to be publicly displayed once again.
I would also respectfully submit that the reprinting of these caricatures was based on intelligence that these three persons planned to harm a journalist; and we all know how reliable intelligence is, given the recent invasion of Iraq!
However, no evidence in support of this claim has been provided by the Danish authorities.
It appears that the doctrine of innocent until proved guilty does not apply today in our civilised society. Rather than comment on the basis of assumptions which can create disorder in society, we should all unite and work on the basis of what we know is factually correct. In any civilised society vulgarity can never be justified, no matter what form it takes.
Farooq Aftab
Huddersfield
