"How far should an individual be allowed to exercise his freedom of speech?"

Freedom of speech is an essential foundation of any democracy. However, while many insist on this right that any being should hold, we must not neglect the social responsibility and sensitivity that comes with it. Therefore, an individual should be allowed to exercise his freedom of speech to the extent that social respect and accountability are acutely taken into contemplation, such that the rights of others are also not undermined while he pursues his entitlement.

As we are living in a world where globalisation has stepped into the shoes of individualism, protecting the collective interests of society is undoubtedly more imperative for the democratic advancement of a society, rather than to be adamant on ensuring freedom of expression of all its citizens. We must be clear that we can no longer insist on "I am right" and that is that, because we have to look beyond "myself" and see "ourselves" in this society. For that reason, over-emphasis on individual freedom of speech will only lead to the detriment of other components of society, which the individual had failed to take into consideration or simply did not see the need to do so.

We see the price of freedom of speech in the row over Danish caricatures of Prophet Muhammad, which has turned into a verbal clash of civilizations, pitting Western freedom of speech against Muslim beliefs. In response to the clash, the Danish paper Jyllands-Posten issued a statement regretting the offense the cartoons had caused to Muslims around the world, but continued to insist that their publication was justified under freedom of speech principles. To show solidarity, several European newspapers republished the cartoons, some of them urging tough action in defense of press freedom. However, I do not fully consent with the doing of the Danish press. In our world of global information flow, there is an insuperable contradiction between traditional free speech values and public discussion about Islam. Media messages, films and art works cannot be addressed to a specific cultural group, as traditional borders of culture and nation no longer exist in our networked world. Hence, freedom of speech is not a static value. The responsibilities of the press evolve with every new social and political development around the world, thus it requires the limits of media output to be subjected constant review. The press needs to serve the ever-evolving public interest, and it needs to do so by focusing on responsibility, and not solely on freedom.

On the other hand, I deem that it is not entirely wrong for the Muslims to remonstrate, but it needs to be done wisely and proportionally for the sake of maintaining the image of Islam. Legal and political challenges are far more effective than simply burning flags or death threats which only chip away at the strong case that Muslims have against these forces of hate in Europe. What we need now is for moderate voices among Muslims worldwide to take charge and calm the debate, and for them to be met with respect in the countries. The one starting point to be shared is that none of the parties can or will accept threats. The difference of opinion has to be dealt with rationally, instead of resorting to extreme means, which will only bring about injurious consequences.

All in all, globalisation has made the world one big family where time-honoured borders and boundaries no longer exist. It is up to us whether to craft a world with its people living in peace and harmony or one with them suffering under the hands of discord and war. It all hinges on the degree of sensitivity and deference that we are willing to give up for the interest of everyone. There is freedom of speech, and we all revere that, but there is not any obligation to insult or to be gratuitously inflammatory. We must not only be obstinate on gaining, on the contrary we ought to learn how to give and accommodate to others, even if they are the minority. "No man is an island", we have to progress together. This is the only way to live to tell the tale in this world of ours.