On the brink of a clash of civilizations ?

"This conflict is not about cultural freedom in just one country, but about cultural power all over the world -about the power to uphold certain taboos or get rid of them," says historian Thomas Maissen commenting on the cartoon controversy. He calls for more tolerance in this issue: "Tolerance doesn't mean unconditional tolerance. There are not only laws, but also cultural values that are non-negotiable for us Westerners. But if we want to have intercultural dialogue instead of autistic monologue in this world, we must define a list of values which are non-negotiable as clearly as possible. Not every single complication – and certainly not self-inflicted complications – should be allowed to escalate into an affair of state and then a battle over principles. What do we really have to lose, either in terms of quality of life or possibilities for self-realisation, by voluntarily, respectfully and tolerantly refraining from caricaturing the prophets of other religions or even depicting them in any way."

» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Society, » Global