Flemming Rose
Flemming Rose
Flemming Roseis a Danish journalist, author and since 2010 foreign affairs editor at the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. As culture editor of the same newspaper, he was principally responsible for the September 2005 publication of the cartoons that initiated the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy early the next year, and since then he has been an international advocate of the freedom of speech...
asking believer demands follow holy observe public respect secular synagogue taboos taking visit
When I visit a mosque, I show my respect by taking off my shoes. I follow the customs, just as I do in a church, synagogue or other holy place. But if a believer demands that I, as a nonbeliever, observe his taboos in the public domain, he is not asking for my respect, but for my submission. And that is incompatible with secular democracy.
asking muslims showing
When Muslims say you are not showing respect, I would say: You are not asking for my respect, you are asking for my submission.
asking attention cannot everybody follow insist paying principle public religious respect secular society special taboos
I do not think they are asking for respect in this case. They want me to follow one of their taboos in the public domain. And I think there's a very fundamental principle in secular society that you cannot insist on everybody paying special attention to your religious feelings.