A/HRC/4/27 page 10 effort, though indeed questionable, to address in a frank, direct manner, the problem of self-censorship while dealing with the Muslim community and with the relations between native Danes and migrants. 35. According to Muslim sources, with whom the Special Rapporteur met while in Denmark, the drawings were part of incessant provocations against them and their religion. This strategy could have been seen as a systematic denigration of Muslims with the view of reaffirming the supremacy of Danish values and of contrasting integration efforts. As a result, Muslims in Denmark reportedly decided to adopt a very low profile in public life, an attitude that was defined as self-censorship, as they thought that they could easily have become target of harsh criticism even without any specific reason. 36. Taking into account the general orientation of the opinions gathered, the Special Rapporteur felt that the unmitigated reaction, in many Muslim countries, to the contents of the drawings apparently took Denmark, the Danish people, the editors and the artists involved, by total surprise: in their opinion, the reaction was overwhelmingly disproportionate to the damage inflicted. A renewed, intense debate on the issue of the “Danish Cartoons” commenced between the media and religious groups as well as among ordinary citizens. This debate, in a country with a very long democratic tradition and in which freedom of speech is almost a dogma, was very articulate and polarized but - the Special Rapporteur wishes to underline this point - did not lead to physical violence. 37. The outcomes of this heated debate were of various nature and significance: Danes felt an increased sense of unity around the constituent values of the nation and, in the first place, freedom of expression. Nevertheless, they also felt that the country has so far been living in a sort of isolation, which guarantees reasonable wealth and freedom to all its citizens, but does not promote understanding of the increasing interdependence among peoples and cultures. Time will tell if the “Danish Cartoons Affair” has brought some benefit to the Danish society in reinforcing the concepts of respect and tolerance through a non-violent confrontation of ideas and opinions.2 2 A number of mandate-holders have addressed the phenomenon of defamation of religion and incitement to religious hatred in the context of their regular activities. Since 2002, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance is mandated to examine the situation of Muslims and Arab peoples in various parts of the world in the aftermath of the events of 11 September 2001, which includes the question of defamation of religion (see E/CN.4/2006/17). Moreover, cases or situations that relate to defamation of religion have also made the object of communications sent to Governments by some mandate-holders (see, inter alia, E/CN.4/2006/5/Add.1).