MOSCOW, June 6 (Itar-Tass) -- The international journalist community should learn the lesson of the cartoon scandal and avoid steps that may incite religiously motivated violence, said delegates to the 13th World Editors Forum in Moscow.
The delegates, who represent the Western and Islamic media, put different accents but were unanimous in the appeal for respect for religious feelings.
Joern Mikkelsen from the Danish newspaper Jyllans-Posten that published the infamous cartoons last fall said they did not have a cynical intent to insult the feelings of Muslims or incite a clash of civilizations. He said it was not because of the cartoons that their circulation increased.
In the words of Mikkelsen, the aftereffects made Danish journalists to think about the freedom of speech, which, however, cannot be achieved at all costs.
At the same time, the cartoon situation was quickly politicized, Mikkelsen said. He said their 12 cartoonists continue to receive threats and have to stay under police protection. This is impressible, the journalist said.
The gap between Muslims and Christians deepened because of the cartoon scandal, said Egyptian representative Khaled al-Balshi. He called for reaching mutual understanding between cultures and finding a key, which will prevent the escalation of such conflicts. People may express their opinion, but they should have enough knowledge of religion and culture, Nigerian editor Hakim Bello agreed.
