Representations Offensive to the Religious Sentiments

VATICAN CITY, FEB 4 2006 (VIS) - In response to several requests for the Holy See's position vis-à-vis recent representations offensive to the religious sentiments of individuals and entire communities, the Vatican press office states:

"1. The right to freedom of thought and expression, sanctioned by the Declaration of the Rights of Man, cannot imply the right to offend the religious sentiments of believers. This principle obviously applies for any religion.

2. In addition, coexistence calls for a climate of mutual respect favoring peace among men and nations. Moreover, these kinds of exasperated criticisms or derision of others manifest a lack of human sensitivity and may constitute in some cases an inadmissible provocation. A reading of history shows that wounds existing in the life of a people are not healed in this way.

3. However, it must be said immediately that the offenses caused by an individual or a member of the press cannot be imputed to the public institutions of the corresponding country, whose authorities might and should intervene eventually, according to the principles of national legislation. Therefore, violent actions of protest are equally deplorable. Reaction in the face of offense cannot fail the true spirit of all religion. Real or verbal intolerance, no matter where it comes from, whether as action or reaction, is always a serious threat to peace."

While I believe that some people we be offended no matter what, one should not deliberately attempt to offend another because of his religion. However, it seems to me that violent criminal reactions and behavior to cartoons are much worse than "equally deplorable"...

Who would like to bet that those starting fires and engaging in other illegal criminal acts of violence over some cartoons are not fanatical or crazed "Religion of Peace" Mohammedans proclaiming their disgust and outrage but covert Christians and Jews who have infiltrated the ranks of Islamofacism - all in an effort to sway public opinion...I mean, why accept any responsibility for ones own criminal, frenzied and psychotic behavior? Surely, it's always someone elses fault...

I suppose they haven't seen or read Jack Chick's tracts yet?

So far it seems that some Danish imams distributed booklets that showed, in addition to the original 12 cartoons, three fraudulent anti-Mohammed pictures that were much more offensive than the ones published in Denmark. Some think that these three unpublish images are what ignited the outrage in the Muslim world.