DENMARK VOWS TO DEFEND TEACHERS FROM THREATS TO THEIR RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH

Sat 18 December 2021:

Denmark says it will take steps to protect teachers’ right to free speech and avoid the risk of “self-censorship.”

Teachers should be able to speak about certain topics, such as Prophet Mohammed cartoons, the Holocaust, women’s rights, and LGBT+ issues, according to the Danish government.

In January, the ruling Socialist Party announced that it would begin debating “freedom of expression” in parliament.

“It is unacceptable for violence and threats to create self-censorship and censorship in schools,” said Danish Justice Minister Nick Hækkerup.

“All teachers must feel free and safe in their teaching, and Parliament has an obligation to ensure this,” he added.

Last week, Denmark’s opposition had a majority support its proposal for school teaching on caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.

The caricatures , which were first published in 2005 by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, sparked a wave of anti-Danish sentiment in a number of Muslim countries. Any depiction of Prophet Mohammed is strictly forbidden in Islam.

Many teachers in Denmark fear “violence or threats of violence” related to their work, according to the country’s government.

“Teaching in primary schools must, of course, include teaching about democracy and freedoms, and the Muhammad crisis — as a major event in Danish history — is a natural part of that teaching,” the justice ministry said in a statement.

“We must not and will not accept teachers being met with threats when they do their work.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

File Photo: Protesters in Pakistan burning Swiss flag.

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