Abu Ghraib and the Mohammed cartoons

Yet more material offensive to Islam has been published - by SBS. In this case the publication is of photos from Abu Ghraib jail and shows Islamic prisoners being physically and sexually abused. You can see the photos by clicking here.

I can't see how these could be less offensive, although not for exactly the same reasons, as cartoons actually depicting the prophet Mohammed, but the only person so far that I have heard say they were too offensive to be published is Pentagon spokesman Brian Whitman. He is quoted as saying that the release of additional images of prisoner abuse was harmful and "could only further inflame and possibly incite unnecessary violence in the world."

I have no problems with SBS showing the photos, although I'd be disturbed if any of my younger children were accessing them, but it's the reaction to their publication that fascinates me. It suggests that the objections to the Mohammed cartoons and the refusal by many media outlets to publish them, were an expression of an ideological position on the proper way to treat Islam, rather than anything to do with free speech itself.

When the images invoke deserved criticism of the US, causing offence doesn't appear to be an issue.