The General Director of the Evangelical Alliance, Rev Joel Edwards will look to respond to the outcry from Muslims across the world to the printing of Danish cartoons illustrating the Prophet Mohammed, in the third of his Winchester Lectures at lunchtime Feb. 8th, 2006.
Rev Edwards will look closely at the public and media reactions to the recent demonstration, as well as the banners used in protests calling for those who “disrespect Islam to be punished”.“Both sides of the debate needed to take seriously the notion of respect. So, editors who recklessly attack a religion which has no iconography are guilty of disrespect, as are violent extremists,” said Rev Edwards.
The talks come as part of the Evangelical Alliance’s Respect campaign, and Joel Edwards has made sure to make a direct address to how the language people use and the motivation behind words conveys respect or disrespect depending on the listener.
In the aftermath of recent events, as well as the passing of the re-drafted Racial and Religious Hatred Bill, and the victory for the BNP in the courts, Joel Edwards looked to draw from his deep Christian convictions to ask where the line must be drawn between free speech and respect for our common humanity.
