The Paris edition of 20 Minutes printed responses from French newspaper and broadcast editors about their editorial decisions concerning the Mohammed cartoons originally printed in the Danish paper Jyllands Posten.

Jean-Claude Dassier, general director of broadcast station LCI: "On Monday, we broadcast three of the cartoons that we considered the least inflammatory. On television, it's difficult to report on such a subject without images."

Yves Thréard, deputy director to the editor, Le Figaro: After two days of debate, we decided not to publish the cartoons. We won't cover the subject any less. We described in detail the drawings but we didn't feel our readers needed to see them: this wouldn't advance the debate on press freedom."

Arlette Chabot, director of information, broadcaster France 2: We showed the caricatures on Wednesday. But we didn't focus on Islam. And we treated the problem from a multi-confessional angle: all religious people react when their faith is satirized. For example, the indignation of Catholics from Benetton advertisements (which showed a preist and a nun kissing). These debates truly question liberty of expression."

Eric Fottorino, delegate director to the editor, Le Monde: A selection of the cartoons will be printed on Saturday. This decision was made before their publication in the daily France Soir. Our editorial line is simple: in this country there is no state religion; freedom of opinion must thus be respected."

Source: 20 Minutes (print edition)

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