A reader writes to tell me that the Organization of the Islamic Conference has now condemned those pesky Danish cartoons. No surprise there (and they are within their rights to do so), but some of the wording used deserves a closer look:

“The Danish authorities have, by providing protection to the newspaper and failure to censure it in unequivocal terms, served neither the cause of freedom of expression nor advanced the goals of multiculturalism, domestically or internationally,” he said. “The Danish authorities should have categorically condemned the cartoons.”

Of course, the cartoons were no business of the Danish authorities one way or the other, but there’s another point to be made. Since the OIC was meeting in Saudi Arabia, it seems reasonable to ask what Saudi Arabia has done to advance the cause of multiculturalism within its own borders.

I think we know the answer.

The Secretary-General of the OIC, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, then went on to say this:

“Muslims strongly support exercising freedom of conscience as one of the principles that is completely in consonance with the Western concept of freedom of expression. However, it has to be exercised by taking into account respect for the values of those with whom one may disagree. Superimposing the right to revile other religions and prophets goes against the essence of freedom of expression, as no democracy, legal or political system allows the preaching of hate and insult for the sacred values and symbols of others.”

It’s striking that Ihsanoglu is pursuing an argument identical to the British government as it pursues its attempts to criminalize speech that it views as likely to incite “religious hatred”.

Once that law passes (as it seems it will), will it be legal to publish those Danish cartoons in England?