Canadian PM Justin Trudeau shares his two cents on blasphemous cartoons

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shared his two cents on blasphemous cartoons while distancing himself from the position of French President Emmanuel Macron, pleaded for a careful use of freedom of speech.

Trudeau defended freedom speech on Friday, but added that it was “not without limits” and should not “arbitrarily and needlessly hurt” certain communities.

In response to a question about the right to show caricatures deemed blasphemous, as France’s Charlie Hebdo magazine did, Trudeau said, “We will always defend freedom of expression,” adding that “but freedom of expression is not without limits”.

The Canadian Prime Minister further urged to act with respect for others.

“We owe it to ourselves to act with respect for others and to seek not to arbitrarily or unnecessarily injure those with whom we are sharing a society and a planet.”

“We do not have the right for example to shout fire in a movie theatre crowded with people, there are always limits,” he added.

Arguing the comments of French President Emmanuel Macron, Trudeau pleaded for a careful use of free speech.

“In a pluralist, diverse and respectful society like ours, we owe it to ourselves to be aware of the impact of our words, of our actions on others, particularly these communities and populations who still experience a great deal of discrimination,” he said.

Further, he said society is ready for a public debate on these issues, “to have these complex conversations in a responsible way”.