Swedish PM stresses freedom of expression in Mohammed cartoon row

SWEDEN: Sweden’s prime minister said Tuesday he was sorry if Muslims were offended by a cartoon depicting Prophet Mohammed as a dog but stressed that freedom of expression was an “inalienable” right in Sweden.

“I regret if people have taken offence or feel offended,” Fredrik Reinfeldt said in a statement, after talks with Swedish Muslim organisations over the newspaper cartoon that has caused outrage in many Muslim countries.

“I personally would never intentionally act in a way that could be perceived by other religions as provocative or offensive.”

But Swedish society was based on the belief that “politics should not take it upon itself to judge over freedom of the press and freedom of expression, which is an inalienable part of our country and our democracy,” he said.

The publication of the cartoon in the Nerikes Allehanda local newspaper on August 18 has sparked angry reactions from Muslim countries such as Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran and Pakistan. A strict interpretation of Islam forbids the depiction of Mohammed in any form.

Reinfeldt also stressed the “mutual respect and understanding” in Swedish society.

“Sweden is a country where people of different faiths can live together side by side,” he said, adding: “The willingness to provoke should not overtake the willingness for dialogue.”

Tuesday’s meeting, which lasted more than an hour at Stockholm mosque, was called by Reinfeldt, his spokesman Oscar Haallen told AFP.

Stockholm, Wednesday, AFP