The storm over the Danish cartoons continues unabated, and it’s always interesting to check out how the Dutch are treating the affair. The respected NRC Handelsblad did run – like many other European newspapers – one of the cartoons, but equally important: it let its own cartoonist comment on the affair. I translate:

Political cartoonist Ruben L. Oppenheimer, working for NRC Handelsblad and a few regional papers, says he would certainly have the courage to draw a depiction of the prophet Muhammad. “from family I sometimes hear, ‘why would you provoke?’ Especially after Theo van Gogh was murdered. But I can’t do anything with that. If I would listen to it, I might as well stop. If I can’t draw what I want, I lose my right to exist”

“Maybe I will do something with it tomorrow” says Oppenheimer. But in general I hear, ‘do something else, let it be’, from editors. I do notice that in society at large and in the press in particular fear governs. I mean the fear to insult, to disrupt, to hurt ever since the attacks in America, ever since Van Gogh. I detect a certain pressure. They say ‘don’t provoke too much’. I however do not let that influence me”

By giving in to fear, the nature of the debate changes inevitably and one can ask the question to what extent the Dutch have already experienced a different discussion following the Van Gogh murder. Judging from Oppenheimer’s comments the mainstream media have already sanitized the debate considerably, although it would be hard to determine the extent to which they have. More later.