'Freedom Of Expression Is At The Core Of Our Democracy'

Sean McCormack: I've seen a great deal of distress expressedby Muslims across the globe. The Muslims around the world have expressed thefact that they are outraged and that they take great offense at the images thatwere printed in the Danish newspaper, as well as in other newspapers around theworld.

Our response is to say that while we certainly don't agree with, support, orin some cases, we condemn the views that are aired in public that are publishedin media organizations around the world, we, at the same time, defend the rightof those individuals to express their views. For us, freedom of expression is atthe core of our democracy and it is something that we have shed blood andtreasure around the world to defend and we will continue to do so. That said,there are other aspects to democracy, our democracy -- democracies around theworld -- and that is to promote understanding, to promote respect for minorityrights, to try to appreciate the differences that may exist among us.

We believe, for example in our country, that people from different religiousbackgrounds, ethnic backgrounds, national backgrounds add to our strength as acountry. And it is important to recognize and appreciate those differences. Andit is also important to protect the rights of individuals and the media toexpress a point of view concerning various subjects. So while we share theoffense that Muslims have taken at these images, we at the same time vigorouslydefend the right of individuals to express points of view. We may -- like Isaid, we may not agree with those points of view, we may condemn those points ofview but we respect and emphasize the importance that those individuals have theright to express those points of view.

For example -- and on the particular cartoon that was published -- I know thePrime Minister of Denmark has talked about his, I know that the newspaper thatoriginally printed it has apologized, so they have addressed this particularissue. So we would urge all parties to exercise the maximum degree ofunderstanding, the maximum degree of tolerance when they talk about this issue.And we would urge dialogue, not violence. And that also those that might takeoffense at these images that have been published, when they see similar views orimages that could be perceived as anti-Semitic or anti-Catholic, that they speakout with equal vigor against those images.

Question: That the Muslims speak out with equal vigor when they see --that's what you're asking?

Sean McCormack: We would -- we believe that it is an important principlethat peoples around the world encourage dialogue, not violence; dialogue, notmisunderstanding and that when you see an image that is offensive to anotherparticular group, to speak out against that. Anti-Muslim images are asunacceptable as anti-Semitic images, as anti-Christian images or any otherreligious belief. We have to remember and respect the deeply held beliefs ofthose who have different beliefs from us. But it is important that we alsosupport the rights of individuals to express their freely held views.

Question: So basically you're just hoping that it doesn't -- I'm sorry Imisspoke when I said there was violence, I meant uproar. Your bottom line isthat both sides have the right to do exactly as they're doing and you just hopeit doesn't get worse?

Sean McCormack: Well, I --

Question: You just hope it doesn't escalate.

Sean McCormack: I gave a pretty long answer, so --

Question: You did. I'm trying to sum it up for you. (Laughter.)

Sean McCormack: Yeah. Sure.

Question: A couple of years ago, I think it was a couple of years agowhen, I think it was the Syrians and the Lebanese were introducing thisdocumentary about the Jews -- or it was the Egyptians -- this Administrationspoke out very strongly about that and called it offensive, said it was --

Sean McCormack: I just said that the images were offensive; we found themoffensive.

Question: Well, no you said that you understand that the Muslims foundthem offensive, but --

Sean McCormack: I'm saying now, we find them offensive. And we certainlyunderstand why Muslims would find these images offensive.

Yes.

Question: One word is puzzling me in this, Sean, and that's the use ofthe word "unacceptable" and "not acceptable," exactly whatthat implies. I mean, it's not quite obvious that you find the images offensive.When you say "unacceptable," it applies some sort of action againstthe people who perpetrate those images.

Sean McCormack: No. I think I made it very clear that our defense offreedom of expression and the ability of individuals and media organizations toengage in free expression is forthright and it is strong, you know. This is --our First Amendment rights, the freedom of expression, are some of the moststrongly held and dearly held views that we have here in America. And certainlynothing that I said, I would hope, would imply any diminution of that support.

Question: It's just the one word "unacceptable," I'm justwondering if that implied any action, you know. But it doesn't you say?

Sean McCormack: No.

Question: Okay.

Sean McCormack: Yes.

Question: Do you caution America media against publishing those cartoons?

Sean McCormack: That's for you and your editors to decide, and that's notfor the government. We don't own the printing presses.

Question: Sean, these cartoons first surfaced in late September and it'sfollowing this recent election with the Palestinian Authority. The EU missionwas attacked or held, in effect, by Hamas yesterday near Gaza City. And the tactof some of these European newspapers, again, are to re-publish -- thesecartoons. Is the election mood -- is this what is possibly fueling this and whatis our media response to this, a la, what Katherine Hughes may or may not doversus international State Department and government media to the Muslim world,including Indonesia, Asia, and the Middle East?

Sean McCormack: I don't think your colleagues really want me to repeat thelong answer that I gave to Teri, so I'd refer you to that answer.

Question: All right.

Sean McCormack: Yes, George.

Question: Getting back to your next question, nobody doubts the right ofnewspapers, et cetera, to print such drawings as appeared in Europe, but is itthe responsible thing to do -- or is it -- or would it be irresponsible to dowhat the European newspapers did because of the sensitivities involved?

Sean McCormack: George, we, as a Government, have made our views known onthe question of these images. We find them offensive. We understand why othersmay find them offensive. We have urged tolerance and understanding. That -- allof that said, the media organizations are going to have to make their owndecisions concerning what is printed, George. This is -- it's not for the U.S.Government to dictate what is printed.

Question: You're not dictating -- everybody knows you can't order peoplenot to --

Sean McCormack: Right.

Question: -- print this or that, but you might have on your hands thesame kind of problem that the Europeans find --

Sean McCormack: You're right, you're right.

Question: -- now. So, I just thought that there might be a word or twosaying -- you know, that -- you know, you should do your best not to incitepeople because this -- you're dealing with deeply-held beliefs.

Sean McCormack: You're right. You're right. You are dealing withdeeply-held beliefs and certainly, we have talked about the importance of urgingtolerance and appreciating differences and to respect the fact that many of --millions and millions of people around the world would find these images --these particular images offensive. But whether or not American media chooses toreproduce those images is a question for them, for them alone to answer, not forus.

Question: Change of topic?

Sean McCormack: Mm-hmm, yes.