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This is the global news and analysis blog of Why Democracy House, part of the largest factual multimedia event in the world: Ten new documentaries about democracy broadcast worldwide between Oct. 8 and 18.

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Question of the Day: Is God Democratic?

posted by Yudhvir Ranchod at 8h43 GMT on Oct 10

Today's question raises a controversial topic that has a significant relevance for the current state global politics. The role of religion within politics has divided statesmen and citizens for centuries. Religion within state structures has varied across the world, leaving the debate on religion's applicability in ruling structures open-ended.

The recent use of religious extremism in the form of terrorism has contributed the mistrust between secularist governments and religious figures. The featured movie, Bloody Cartoons, explores this topic as well as the debate on the right to freedom of expression.

Since the furore of the Danish cartoons it is clear that not everyone agrees with the idea of limitless freedom. The director films in Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Qatar, France, Turkey and Denmark, talking to some of the people that played key roles during the cartoon crisis. Bloody Cartoons is a documentary about how and why 12 drawings in a Danish provincial paper could whirl a small country into a confrontation with Muslims all over the world.

In The News

The BBC explores the crises that followed the publishing of the cartoons and asks key questions about the events.
Roughly a year after the Danish cartoons were published, Al Jazeera reported that Swedish cartoons representing the Prophet Mohammed as a dog once again sparked protests in many countries.
The Biblelen Blog provides an interesting account of the events that centred around the cartoons and contextualises other cartoons that have caused controversies.

For more clips from this movie and from the other Why Democracy? films, check out www.youtube.com/whydemocracy