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The Right to Protection of Religious Feelings Rex Tauati Ahdar* Introduction Do religious people have a legal right to have their feelings protected? When publications, films, radio and television broadcasts, artwork and so on, deeply offend and upset the religious sensibilities of devout citizens, should the state intervene? Should insulting religious material be banned? This question was, of course, acutely raised, but not necessarily answered, on the world stage with the furore over the Danish newspaper editorial cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad in a highly unflattering light.' In New Zealand, a controversy over a satirical television programme generated similar feelings of outrage and indignation on the part of certain believers - fortunately without any violence erupting - and this event provides the impetus for this article. In February 2006, Canwest TV Works Ltd screened "Bloody Mary", an episode in the American Soufl~Park satirical cartoon series, on one of its television channels. In brief, the episode featured a statue of the Virgin Mary spraying menstrual blood on a cardinal and the Pope. Many complaints ensued, including one from the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference that charged that the show was deeply insulting and that it demeaned icons and practices venerated by Catholics. It said great pain and offence had been caused not only to the Catholic community, but also to members of other Christian denominations, Muslims and many non-Christians. In that last respect it is interesting that nonc other than the Prime Minister, Helen Clark, a self-confessed agnostic, said that, as a woman, she was offended: "I personally find it quite revolting."' The numerous complaints to CanWest did not lead it to change its mind and, indeed, it brought forward the scheduled date of screening by three months.
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