By Roy Brown

Dear Friends,
"Dialogue" means a two-party discussion. By agreeing to dialogue it appears the Danish government have bought into the idea that there are only two parties to this dispute (over Jyllands-Posten's cartoons, ed.). Who are they? Is it the Muslims and the Christians? Or is it the Muslims and the Danish government? Or perhaps the Muslims and the wider Danish society? What about the other ethnic and religious minorities in Denmark? Surely a "conference" or a "discussion" would have been better. And would it be appropriate to suggest that the non-religious should also be represented? The problem with only including the religious is, as I am sure you are well aware, that Christian and Jewish leaders from around Europe have been joining in the Islamists' demands for "protection" for religion.

Religions don't have human rights. People do. And one of the most important safeguards of human rights for all is freedom of expression. Yes, some people might be offended by my freedom of speech, and I might be offended by theirs, but unless freedom of expression includes the right to offend it is hardly worth calling by that name.

There can be no "Muslim exception". Islam is just one religion among many. Its followers are no more and no less deserving than followers of any other faith, or of none. But Islam itself has no more right to protection from criticism than any other human institution. When it abuses the rights of women, non-believers, or anyone it should be criticised.

"Moderate" Muslim spokesmen (including many who share the extremist agenda but don't actually kill people) such as Tariq Ramadan, have been calling for dialogue in order to promote the Islamic exception. This is the idea that the world is divided between Islam and the rest. All of you non-Muslims must now enter into dialogue with us, members of the one true faith. The call for bridge building is part and parcel of the same idea. The West must build bridges to accommodate the demands of the Islamic extremists. If not, "we are not sure we will any longer be able to control the anger."

I have a suggestion. Will the Danish government in its dialogue/discussions with the Islamic leaders suggest - and I am not trying to be provocative - a program of integration and assimilation so that all immigrants will be able to read, write and speak Danish? Might they not also suggest that all members of the immigrant community learn something of Danish (and European) history and culture, including something of the values and freedoms on which European civilisation is based?

Then perhaps we can reach the happy state when a minor affront to Muslim sensibilities in Denmark isn't used to provoke rioting over half the world, the burning of embassies and churches, and the deaths of over 30 Christians in Nigeria. Why Nigeria? Well the Muslims in Northern Nigeria were offended by what they had been told about the cartoons, so they burned the churches and killed the Christians. Why? Because the cartoons were drawn by Danes and Danes are Christians aren't they?

By this logic the Danish Muslims will surely understand why, should the Christians in Poland, say, start burning mosques and killing Muslims that they will be doing so because northern Nigerians are Muslim.

Sorry for the rant, but the idea of the Danish government having to apologise for our freedom just got to me.

With best regards
Roy Brown

Roy Brown is President of The International Humanist and Ethical Union, an NGO devoted to the defence of human rights

Roy Brown's open letter was a reaction to the telegram below: Denmark to Host Conference on Religious Dialogue to Calm Cartoon Crisis COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - Denmark will host a conference next month to promote religious dialogue following the uproar over the Prophet Muhammad cartoons, the Foreign Ministry announced Thursday. The government will also give "a significant financial contribution" to a UN program aimed at overcoming prejudice between Islam and the West, and support an Islamic festival in Copenhagen, Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said in a statement. The conference on religious and cultural dialogue will take place in the Danish capital on March 10, ministry officials said. "This conference will bring together the prominent Islamic preacher Amr Khaled, two Islamic scholars from the Arab world and three Danish experts," Moeller said. He said the government was planning a range of initiatives to promote "respectful dialogue," partly drawing on advice given by Muslim countries. "In Denmark there is a genuine respect for the religious feelings of other people and we acknowledge that many Muslims felt gravely insulted by these controversial drawings," the foreign minister said. Ministry officials said they would contact Arab and international media to spread the minister's message, and posted a link of his videotaped statement on the ministry's web page.