Free speech “under pressure from various sources”

President of the Copenhagen-based International Free Press Society Lars Hedegaard has said that free speech is ”under pressure from various sources,” including national Governments, the European Union, the UN, and Islamic radicalism. Bloggers and law-abiding citizens, it was claimed, have been arrested in Europe in recent weeks for expressing opinions that the authorities disapproved of.

In an interview with Sun TV’s Michael Cohen, Hedegaard said the Norwegian blogger Fjordman was one of those that had faced state harassment. Fjordman, whose online writings are cited throughout the manifesto of Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik, “has not encouraged any lawlessness,” says Hedigaard. Despite not breaking the law, Hedegaard told Michael Coren, ”he’s had to leave the country. He was raided by the police — they took his computer; they took his clothes; they took his books.” According to Hedegaard, Fjordman believes his life will be in danger if he returns to Norway.

“We have people living under constant police protection, not only Kurt [Westergaard], but also Pia Kjærsgaard, leader of the Danish People’s Party, deputy Nasir Kadar of the Conservative Party, a liberal, moderate Muslim — he’s under death threat. So the field for free speech is narrowing all the time. It’s a worrying development, and we have to resist it.” Westergaard was the cartoonist who drew the image of Mohammed with a bomb as turban that sparked riots and violence around the world.

Apparently drawing on the writings of Jewish-Egyptian writer Bat Ye’or, Hedegaard says the problem is, ”Our ruling class, those in control, the political class — whatever you want to call them — see an advantage in splitting the far-too homogeneous nation of Denmark by importing people who will not integrate into society, because it’s easier to rule and control a country where you are not faced with a unanimous people who share the same values.” The EU has “conducted this policy ever since 1973, ever since they entered into a compact with the Muslim countries of the Middle East, because f the fear of an oil boycott.”

Lars Hedegaard