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PACE President on controversy over caricatures:‘Rights come with responsibilities – but violence is neverever justified’Strasbourg, 09.02.2006 – Referring to the controversy and violent response to Danishcaricatures in several countries worldwide, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly(PACE) President René van der Linden said today that there cannot be a democraticsociety without the fundamental right to freedom of expression and information, butunderlined that freedom of thought, conscience and religion constitutes one of theessential freedoms of individuals.Mr van der Linden, who is paying an official visit to Greece at the invitation of theSpeaker of Parliament Anna Benaki, said: “Democratic pluralism and tolerance requirethat the religion and beliefs of individuals are fully respected. Rights come withresponsibilities. In a globalised world where information travels so fast, the mediashould be aware of its impact on millions and millions of people. Everywhere, theyshould use their power to cultivate peace and understanding, as well as respect forwhat other cultures and religions hold most sacred,” the President said.“We must not abuse our liberties with such insensitivity that tolerance of free speechbecomes intolerance of diversity. These events have made it painfully clear that there isa lack of common understanding of the basic values enshrined in the Council ofEurope, a lack of understanding of cultures and religions other than one’s own. Thereare prejudices and misunderstandings, but these can never ever justify violence. Iexpress my full solidarity with the Danish people and other fellow-Europeans who arebeing subjected to totally unacceptable attacks", he stated.“It is most important to exchange experiences and information. We need to build on acontinuous dialogue and learn to appreciate the diverse cultures and religions aroundus. The Assembly brings together politicians of every creed and culture in Europe. It isthereby able to act as an important forum for intercultural and inter-religious dialogue.We are only at the very beginning of such a dialogue and it is my firm intention todevelop to the fullest extent the Council of Europe’s great potential in this field,” heconcluded.During his official visit, Mr van der Linden met the President of the Republic, theSpeaker of the Parliament, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Thisafternoon, he will address a joint meeting of the Greek Parliament’s Defence andForeign Affairs, European Affairs and Justice Committees.Speech

Press contact:

Francesc Ferrer, PACE Communication Unit, mobile: +33 6 30 49 68 22