“A call for respect and calm”

by José Luis R. Zapatero , Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

With increasing worry, we witness the tensions provoked by the publication of caricatures of Prophet Mohammed in the European journals which have been considered offensive by the Muslisms. We make a call for respect and calm and we ask the voice of reason to be heard. Last year Turkey and Spain began a common work about an “alliance of civilizations” aimed at putting an end to the spiral of hate. The current events confirm the legitimacy of our diagnosis and the urgency to act.
In a globalized world, the most insignificant incident could have global consequences. It’s important to cultivate respect, tolerance and pacific coexistence. The freedom of expression is the cornerstone of our democratic systems and we won’t give it up, but there’s no freedom without responsibility. The publication of these caricatures is legal, but from the moral and political point of view we are against them.
We need to cultivate coexistence and not distrust.

José Luis R. Zapatero
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Source
International Herald Tribune (France)
The International Herald Tribune is a version of the New York Times adapted for the European public. It works in direct association with Haaretz (Israel), Kathimerini (Greece), Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany), JoongAng Daily (South Korea), Asahi Shimbun (Japan), The Daily Star (Lebanon) and El País (Spain). It also works, through its head office, in indirect association with Le Monde (France).