Chancellor Angela Merkel has paid tribute to the courage of the Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, whose caricature of the Prophet Muhammad sparked global protests by Muslims. She also condemned the planned burning of Korans by pastor Terry Jones, saying it was "disrespectful, even repugnant."
The Secret of Freedom Is Courage'
"The consequences for the artist should act as a warning for us," said Merkel at the ceremony, which took place under tight security. She called for more tolerance. As an artist, Westergaard was entitled to produce such cartoons, she said, adding that European countries are one place where such caricatures are possible. "The secret of freedom is courage," said the chancellor.
Press freedom was one of the essential features of a liberal democracy, she said. "In these months, we Germans are remembering the overcoming of the East German Communist dictatorship and the reunification of our country 20 years ago. We still know what it means not to have freedom and therefore we should never forget how precious freedom is."
Westergaard 'Trampled on all Muslims'
The Central Council of Muslims in Germany criticized the award ceremony. "Merkel is honoring the cartoonist who in our view trampled on our prophet and trampled on all Muslims," the group's secretary-general, Aiman Mazyek, said on Wednesday, adding the caricatures unfairly labeled all Muslims as terrorists. He said the award was highly problematic, coming as it did at a time of such heated discussion. Germany is currently roiled in a debate about the integration of Muslim immigrants as a result of a controversial new book by Thilo Sarrazin, a member of the board at the Bundesbank, the country's central bank.
"It's a symbolic gesture -- but what a gesture," the newspaper wrote in an editorial. "Merkel is not indifferent to what the reaction in the Muslim world (to the award ceremony) will be. But she doesn't let that dictate her behavior. That's something not many of her fellow European leaders do. Kudos to her!" der Spiegel
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