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Unacceptable speech
checks on our freedom of speech. The rea-
son that Islam has been an important part
of this debate is that the terrorist act was
motivated by a fear that over the long run,
Islamwould destroy Norwegian society.
But even before the 22 July attacks, Islam
had been a hot potato: Why has this parti-
cular religion has become such an inflam-
matory topic in the public debate?
"Events such as September 11th, the
Muhammad cartoon controversy and the
murder of Theo van Gogh in Holland have
contributed to the West's fear of Islam, but
also to irritation on the part of Muslims
with being identified with terrorism and
anti-democratic attitudes. Both anti-
Muslim and anti-Western forces employ
this mutual suspicion to increase the
polarization of the debate. At the same time
our debate over Islam is challenged by our
understanding of secularism, and our way
of responding to new religious demands,”
says Jakobsen.
Secularism is the separation between the
state and religion, which according to
Jakobsen is the cornerstone of any de-
mocracy. If state laws were rooted in a par-
ticular religion, we would not have religious
freedom – or freedom from religion.
"But the question is whether we can have
a secular society at the same time that we
involve those with strong beliefs in public
and political life. Unlike some religious and
anti-religious debaters, I believe that this is
possible. But it is not without its problems,"
Jakobsen says.
A global minority
The debate over freedom of speech and
religion is not new. It was not new in 2005,
when cartoons of Muhammad published
by a Danish newspaper created an uproar.
And the debate is not just limited to online
forums.
In recent years, the philosophical debate has
increasingly focused on multiculturalism,
and encounters between Islamic and secu-
lar principles.
Jakobsen believes that Western European
countries have been caught off guard
regarding the fact that their relationship to
religion is not common in a global context.
"The renowned German philosopher
Jürgen Habermas now believes that the
secularization thesis, the assumption
that religions disappear when a society
is modernized, is a distinctive European
phenomenon. The rest of the world, inclu-
ding the United States, is experiencing a
religious revitalization. Secular Europeans
are a global minority," says Jakobsen.
Offending religious beliefs
How we will deal with the increasing pre-
sence of religion in the democratic
debate? Is it in keeping with the spirit
of a good democratic debate to offend
someone's religious sensibilities?
"Additionally, only cultural and religious
minorities are criticized. This criticism
will sooner or later cause some individuals
to feel offended. But if we have to make
allowances for anyone who feels offended,
we quickly run into problems: How can
we compare the different offenses to each
other? Is it the person who is most offended
the person who is the most right?," asks
Jakobsen.
"At the same time, I believe that it is wrong
to say that freedom of speech is threatened
if we take into account the person we are
talking to, or what we are talking about. It
is not what we say that is limited by these
kinds of considerations, but how we say it.
For example, it is not a problem to criticize
certain interpretations of Islamwithout
using hateful statements about Islam's 'true
beings.' Criticism of Islam that does not re-
cognize howmany different kinds of Islam
there are is quite bad."
Democracy ismore thandebate
To come up with arguments that cause
different groups in society to come under
suspicion is not a particularly good way to
conduct a democratic debate.
"Many, including the philosopher Axel
Honneth, believe that an atmosphere of
solidarity is necessary for a democracy to
function. Religious groups perhaps cannot
demand legal protection for religious fe-
elings, but they can point out asymmetries
in the public domain. An example would be
unilateral negative portrayals in the media,
which reduce the ability of the followers
of that religion to contribute positively to
society," Jakobsen says.
Critics of Islam, multiculturalism andMus-
lims often take an aggressive tone. Jakobsen
says that many defend this tone by saying
that everything is allowed verbally, as long
as one does not carry out acts of violence.
"But words are also actions, and we see
that simplified generalizations can change
feelings in our social reality. These words
and feelings help to create fear and dislike
of Muslims, among others. In a democracy,
we must set limits on the degree of negative
stig-matization of certain groups that we
will allow, especially if the group at issue is
University of Tromsø –
Labyrint E/11
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Text: Maja Sojtarić