Je Suis Charlotte? Um, Non
France is for free speech until...well, it isn't -- just a few weeks after all the marching in the wake of the slaughter for Allah at Charlie Hebdo.
"Blasphemous" artwork -- showing women's shoes on Muslim prayer mats -- was removed from a Paris exhibition after warnings of possible violence.
The answer, of course, is the long view. Not to squelch free speech, punishing the speaker because people may get violent but to do everything possible to stop the violent people from doing bodily harm and laying waste to the values of a free society.
The story by David Chazan in the Telegraph/UK:
The French-Algerian artist, Zoulikha Bouabdellah, withdrew the work from an exhibition in a northern Paris suburb with a large Muslim population after an Islamic group told local authorities it could provoke "uncontrollable, irresponsible incidents".
More from ArtNet, by Coline Milliard, with a photo of the art at the link:
Bouabdellah, who was born in Moscow and grew up in Algeria, was due to exhibit her installation Silence (2008) at a recently-opened show "Femina ou la Réappropriation des modèles" at the Pavillon Vendôme in Clichy, a suburb north of Paris.But the day before the opening on January 24, she was told by one of the show's co-curators, Christine Ollier, that the town hall had been in touch saying that a group "representing Muslims in Clichy had alerted the authorities to the possibility of a violent reaction provoked by the presence of the piece in the show."
According to Bouabdellah, who spoke to artnet News from her home in Morocco, the Clichy officials showed no support for the exhibition.
The artist explained that her piece was inspired by a group of Muslim feminists she had come across in Morocco, that it is an homage to strong women in the Arab world─and in no way blasphemous.
"[But] since we were not supported by the mayor, the guarantor of the French Republic's principles, I didn't want to take the responsibility, so we decide to remove the work," Bouabdellah said.
"Yes, it was self-censorship, I completely accept that," she continued. "It was a real moral dilemma for me, and I thought, 'I'm giving in,' but on the other hand, I didn't want the other pieces to be at risk or the show to close down."
Celebrated French performance artist Orlan took to Facebook to condemn the pressure to which Bouabdellah was subjected. "This act of self-censorship hides a more serious censorship," she wrote in an open letter published on the social media platform on Sunday.
"While I understand the reasoning [that led the artist and curators to remove the piece], I cannot support it as it opens the doors to all kinds of insidious restrictions of our freedom of speech, risking that we progressively move, consciously or unconsciously, from self-censorship to self-silencing, and from self-silencing to an inhibition provoked by fear," the letter continues.
So how many Jesus Christ dildos get pulled from the market because of Christian violence?
Yeah none.
Ppen at January 30, 2015 3:01 AM
...an Islamic group told local authorities it could provoke "uncontrollable, irresponsible incidents".
Stop. Right there.
When we have 'uncontrollable, irresponsible incidents' in most of the free world, people are detained.
People in Chicago went berserk when the Bulls won titles. We didn't stop the Bulls from playing.
Stop bending to threats like these, or just stay under your bed all day.
DrCos at January 30, 2015 4:00 AM
Giving full credit to Instapundit, hit back twice as hard. If you don't like the freedom in this country, you are welcome to leave. If you want sharia law, you can have it - in Saudi Arabia, not here. You may be a special snowflake, but so am I.
MarkD at January 30, 2015 6:06 AM
This is why Europe is fucked. They don't actually have the intestinal fortitude or spine necessary to stand up to a bully.
I'm not saying we're better at that. We're not. We're just going to be the last one circling the drain before the caliphate takes over.
Maybe we'll get lucky, and the effeminate elites will be reduced to wailing and gnashing of teeth, and then the people who live in Realville will be allowed to punch the bullies in the face.
I R A Darth Aggie at January 30, 2015 6:57 AM
Right, Ppen. Piss Christ led to pissed off Christians but nobody went and murdered anyone.
Amy Alkon at January 30, 2015 8:30 AM
"So how many Jesus Christ dildos get pulled from the market because of Christian violence?"
Jesus Christ dildos? Like, Jesus-shaped or just incredibly huge?
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at January 31, 2015 8:53 AM
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