Free Speech anyone ...... ?

but you'll have to have it with a bit of - cowardly/politically correct - (delete as appropriate) self-censorship.

At least the theguardian and Huffingtom Post have the journalistic integrity to show the cartoon. BBC.co.uk report under the headline Defiant Charlie Hebdo depicts Prophet Muhammad on cover but seem to have had the web-site guest edited by a wet-lettuce. Other UK national media outlets are as equally 'reserved' as the BBC.

But to the cartoon.

Is this offensive ?  Really?  Is it?

If so I would love for somebody to tell me why. At its simplest it is a message of forgiveness and support of free speech, what is offensive about that.

There does not appear to be any distinguishing features or text that would enable anybody to attribute any identity to the cartoon character other than that reported by the media. Reports are quick to say this is the 'Prophet Mohammed', but is it ? What about the cartoon character identifies it as the Prophet Mohammed ?

Unless the text inside the paper says something different, this cartoon could just as easily be a middle Eastern gentleman, and indeed a moderate Muslim, standing up for free speech and offering forgiveness........ so I think the cartoon is simply inviting people to take offence, because they wish to take offence.

I could have this completely wrong, I am prepared to accept that as a possibility, but somebody who knows far more about this than I do is going to have to explain this to me in very simple words that I can understand.

But what, other than this, were Charlie Hebdo to do as a response? It is just a great shame that they have not been backed 100% by all western media.

I would like to think that all moderate Muslims, although they may well be offended by this cartoon (for reasons I can't begin to understand), would support the right to free speech. Surely that is the path to peace, rather than artificial indignation.

Certainly, I would hope that people everywhere of all religions, colours and creeds will find human rights abuses such as.......

• prosecution for blasphemy,
• public floggings and be-headings,
• persecution of homosexuals and transsexuals,
• 'honour killings',
• child brides,
• subjection of women,
• female genital mutilation ,

 ............ far more offensive than this cartoon.

Were Islam and moderate Muslims to denounce the behavours listed above, which are incompatible with my idea of civilised society, then there would be absolutely no need to ridicule or satirise the religion.

But now that the western media have stepped back from acting as the 'Free Press', where do they go next.