Brussels, 22/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - Against the backdrop of the crisis surrounding the cartoons of Muhammad published in Denmark, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) held a round-table on 20 February in Brussels on the theme of anti-terrorist legislation and its impact on freedom of expression, in the presence of the European Commissioner for Liberty, Security and Justice Franco Frattini. “The freedom of press, of expression and speech, including the right to critique, constitutes one of they key pillars upon which the EU is founded and is non-negotiable”, insisted the Commissioner, who declared himself to have neither the “legal powers” to suppress the cartoons, not the “political intention” to do so. Those who exercise the right to freedom of expression must demonstrate responsibility, but freedom of expression concerns only the individual, without implicating their government or country, he continued. “In my view, anyone publishing or re-publishing should take account of the political and international context. (…) if we want dialogue, we must (…) try to understand others”, he said, adding: “re-publishing the cartoons was not reasonable (in countries other than Denmark: NDLR). It was certainly legal, but unwise, given that it risked antagonising (…) a minority of violent extremists”. In response to a journalist's question, Mr Frattini admitted: “If I had been editor-in-chief, I would have refused to publish the cartoons”. French Green MEP Hélène Flautre, the president of the European Parliament's sub-committee on human rights, believes that we should not call on the responsibility of journalists to resolve a matter “which relates to general policy”. Tony Bunyan, the director of the NGO Statewatch, was indignant, like the MEP, about the an “very broad” anti-terrorist laws being applied in the majority of EU Member States. The journalist Shada Islam, who is of Pakistani origin and has lived in Brussels for 25 years, believes that “this crisis is not a question of religion, but rather of cultural diversity”, and wondered whether Europe is “ready to become a truly multi-cultural society”. In September 2005, the European Commission published a communication on preventing violence and the radicalisation and recruitment of terrorists which attempted to reconcile freedom of expression and respect for religious beliefs, proposing, for example, to strengthen dialogue between media representatives and religious leaders. “We need both a strong EU stand against violence and extremism and in favour of mutual understanding and transparent dialogue”, Commissioner Frattini commented.