The Tamil daily Makkal Osai was suspended last year for publishing an image of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette in one hand and a can of beer in the other on its front-page. The image was accompanied by the caption “If a person repents his mistakes, heaven awaits him.”
The daily's permit was suspended under the Printing Presses and Publications Act in order to 'ensure that newspapers did not publish articles or pictures which could threaten public security, harmony and morality' (The Star 2007)
The backlash was so strong that the Malaysian Indian Congress even lodged a police report against the newspaper.
This is an example of the consequences of touching on cultural sensitivities, especially in a multi-racial community like Malaysia. This also brings into question the freedom of speech issue. Should publications be allowed to print whatever they like?
Salman Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses' was, in his own words, 'a serious attempt' on satire on Islam, a revelation from the point of a secular person. (The Australian) Within a month of publication, the book had been banned in India, protesters had burned his books, and Iran's spiritual leader issued a fatwa on Rushdie.
Many people and religious organisations could not accept the content in Rushdie's work because they view it as blasphemous, makes indecent remarks about the holy Prophet's wife, and hurts their religious sentiments.(Samuel )
Today's culturally sensitive era has seen speech as a problem because it can offend as well as destroy what little harmony today's society has. Speech, therefore, has to be controlled, or restrained by tradition, especially in a diverse and multicultural society such as Malaysia, with a variety of deeply held views and religious beliefs, and censorship (and self-censorship) has to become the norm. (The Australian)
References:
Makkal Osai suspended, 2007, The Star online, viewed 10 November 2008 http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/8/25/nation/18696017&sec=nation
Malik K 2008, How the West was lost for free speech, The Australian, viewed 10 November 2008 http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24402637-17062,00.html
Samuel J nd, Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses, IndiaStar, viewed 10 November 2008 http://www.indiastar.com/jsamuel.html
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1 comment:
Well, it's hard to find a balance between freedom of expression and media regulation. If one is allowed to express his/her opinion, s/he might offend certain groups of people. But, if one's freedom of expression is regulated (supposedly for national security, protecting cultural boundaries, etc.), people will think that it is a form of freedom suppression for the government to maintain control.
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