preservation of freedom of speech

I know there is a petition on this website in order to ban the images of Muhammad published in various European newspapers, the forefront of these being the Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten, there has been an outcry towards this image with large numbers of radical Muslims performing violent protests, this petition is against these radical Muslims who feel they have the right to suppress freedom of speech purely on the basis that they feel their belief is the only true one.

I know in the opposing petition a case in point is General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966, and I will even use their quote of "Any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law." however the picture of Muhammad, insulting as they were, were not glorifying or condoning acts of violence or hatred towards followers of Islam only having a quick joke at their behalf, wrong as it was they still have a right to say it.

There is an resolution predating the aforementioned which establishes the most basic of human rights, it is established in the preamble of resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948, this has become known as the universal declaration of human rights, in which it says "Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people" and then later in the same declaration article 19 states everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information through any media regardless of frontiers this is in the same declaration that bans slavery and cruel and unusual punishments .

Now the point of this petition is not to stop the protests, in fact I am in favour of freedom of speech and defend their right to speak out against the incredibly offensive cartoon, but deliberately attempting to suppress freedom of speech using force and violence is unacceptable and should not be allowed to continue, it is against human rights, in encourages religious hate and encourages an unrealistic steriotype of muslims. in a strange way this is a petition to keep things the same, a petition to allow freedom of expression and to allow these people to express a viewpoint without fear of oppression and so please sign if you believe in freedom of speech.