Flemming Rose defends free speech in a globalised world

Flemming Rose, Cultural Editor of the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten when it published the controversial Muhammad cartoons in 2005, explains the importance of free speech in the modern world. He notes how free speech, previously a key feature of democratic society, has been eroded in recent years. This has happened, he believes, because of the globalisation of society – large-scale migrations have resulted in societies that are more ethnically, religiously, and culturally complex. This interaction of cultures has in turn led to a situation where people feel they have a right not to be offended, and have the right to criminalise the remarks of others. Rose goes on to state why it is so important that we arrest this decline in one of our key freedoms.