814437.En Pe 441.663

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WRITTEN QUESTION E-3155/10 by Lorenzo Fontana (EFD) to the Commission Subject: Measures to combat the proliferation of messages inciting religious hatred on the internet Following the broadcasting of an episode of the popular 'South Park' cartoon series in which the Prophet Mohammed was portrayed as a grizzly bear, the leader of the Revolution Muslim organisation, in a message published on its US website, wrote that Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the authors of the series, could 'wind up like Theo Van Gogh'. This message could be interpreted in several ways. However, in the margins of the message itself, the home addresses of the two authors were specifically published, together with the address of their offices in California and the New York head office of the TV network which broadcasts the series. The same site, known for its content inciting hatred of non-Muslims has, in the past, published a video expressing joy over the death of US journalist Daniel Pearl, who was abducted and beheaded by Islamic fundamentalists in Pakistan. The site has also published videos by the Anglo-Jamaican imam, Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal, known for his preaching of hatred and his repeated calls to kill non- Muslims. In the past, the 'South Park' cartoon series has broadcast similar episodes in which other religions have been desecrated, in particular the Catholic religion, and the Christian community has on several occasions criticised its content, without resorting to violent or unseemly reactions. Moreover, many Christian communities in countries with an Islamic majority have recently been subjected to countless episodes of religious intolerance. In the light of the above, will the Commission adopt measures to combat the proliferation of websites and/or other means of communication which incite religious hatred and religious discrimination? If so, how does it intend to proceed? Will the Commission make representations to Muslim organisations to ask them to tone down their debates on this specific issue and to recognise both the right of criticism and freedom of expression? 814437.EN PE 441.663.

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