Utøya survivor strongly defends freedom of speech, press freedom
In an opinion piece in Aftenposten, Utøya survivor, Bjørn Ihler, delivers a strong defense of freedom of speech and press freedom, and argues that the 7/22 victim support group promotes a form of censorship that is not supported by all the victims of the 7/22 attacks.
Ihler criticizes the support group for frequently going to the media and requesting that the press not write about leaked material from the police investigation. Ihler says than rather than to criticize the press for doing its job, critique of leaked information from the police investigation should be directed towards those responsible for the leaks.
“The mandate of the support group is to support those affected by the events on 7/22. To censor the media is, as I see it, not within this [mandate]. Believe me, I know how it feels to have to face the front pages of the newspapers, I was actually there too. But for me the interests of society stands before my own. The society needs more openness. Particulary in a case like this, where not just we who are directly involved, but society as a whole was under attack,” Ihler writes.
Ihler, who himself studies and works with theater, also reacts that spokespersons for survivors are against the performance of a play in Denmark based on Breivik’s manifest. In Ihler’s opinion, art should be free, and it is misguided to attempt to prevent the theater to perform what they wish. Ihler says that the theater wishes to point to the madness in the manifest in order to prevent something similar from happening again.
According to Ihler, those directly affected by 7/22 and the nation as a whole are at fork in the road, and many are already heading in the wrong direction, away from democracy and openess. Ihler writes that if one truly wants more openness and democracy, one has to embrace these values fully. If one, on the other hand, wishes to censor the media, theater and the arts, one should say so.
Ihler writes that, even if he were to leave the 7/22 support group, the public would probably still perceive someone speaking on behalf of the group as representating all of the victims. So at the very least, it should be made clear that not everyone affected by 7/22 shares the same views, he says.
The leader of the 7/22 support group, Trond Henry Blattmann, was formerly leader of the Vest-Agder Labor Party and was political advisor for the Labor coalition government from 2009 to 2011.
“It is completely impossible for all members to be in agreement, the world is not so simple. The support group does not wish to be closed, but we have clear views about what we think about the publication of leaks and photos,” said Blattmann in response to Ihler in an interview with Aftenposten.
Google translation:
If you wish, as others apparently want to censor the media, theaters and art, you could say that. But they can not put it on my behalf….
Original article: Min frustrasjon
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Google translation:
“We disagree with the filming in court”
Trond Blatt Mann believes the boundaries being pushed on all the time. The head of the national support group does not agree with Bjorn Ihler that group stands for closed….
Original article: - Vi er uenige i filmingen i retten
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Related post: Leader of 7/22 support group negative to Breivik interview
Related post: Justice Department considers law change that will make Breivik book illegal
Written by Admin1
February 8, 2012 at 8:00 am
