The Guardian reports that, more European newspapers have taken a stand for freedom of speech by reprinting the cartoons at the center of the Jyllands-Posten controversy - although not all of them published the cartoons online.

Swiss daily, Le Temps printed a selection of the drawings and - in an editorial - Patricia Briel argued that “freedom of the press and freedom of speech are fundamental achievements made by democratic societies, and the latter do not have to bow in the face of demands that endanger these hard-won principles.

One can certainly regret that these caricatures have offended Muslims, because it is legitimate to want respect for religions. But it would be dangerous [if], in its name, one limits the liberties that we cherish.

Another Swiss paper, La Tribune de Genève, also ran a selection of the cartoons in its print edition but, like Le Temps, didn’t reproduce them online.

More courageously, Germany’s Die Welt - who on Wednesday carried a selection of drawings - illustrated an online article with the turban-bomb cartoon (right).

Spain’s El Mundo printed a picture of the page that Norwgian magazine, Magazinet, published in January (see below).

The Guardian also reports that earlier this week hackers attacked the Jyllands-Posten website and quotes France Soir’s journalists defence of yesterday’s decision to publish the cartoons which led to today’s sacking of the paper’s editor.

Imagine a society that added up all the prohibitions of different religions. What would remain of the freedom to think, to speak and even to come and go? We know societies like that all too well. The Iran of the mullahs, for example. But yesterday, it was the France of the Inquisitions, the burning stakes and the Saint Bartholomew’s Day (a 16th century massacre of Protestants)

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