Publishing Muhammad cartoons would have been too risky, says Amol Rajan

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jan/08/charlie-hebdo-muhammad-cartoons-independent-amol-rajan

The editor of The Independent newspaper has defended the fact that he did not publish Charlie Hebdo's cartoons caricaturing the prophet Muhammad and described doing so as “too much of a risk”. Rajan said that although he did of course want to print the cartoons and did not want to feel a sense of self-censorship, at the same time he felt that it would of been too much of a risk to the newspaper and it's staff to do so. He also added that this was part of a decision not "to be taken over by events"

• Danish newspaper Berlingske and German newspaper BZ were among very few newspapers to publish the controversial cartoons.
• A Danish newspaper drew death threats and incited protests by publishing cartoons satirising the prophet Muhammad in 2005.

My view on this story is that it is obviously a very difficult decision to make as an editor, as although you want to be fully granted freedom of speech, it could backfire drastically by offending the audience and outraging them enough that you could endanger both you and your staff members. It is sad to know that even in this present day and age, even though we are at the height of freedom of speech so far, we are still having to restrict ourselves. If we are granted freedom of speech, then we must be granted freedom to offend as well.