While an online film deriding the prophet Mohammed ignited global debate around the intersection of freedom of expression and religious tolerance, it was a statement by a veteran radio broadcaster that appeared to push the limits of acceptable public comment in Australia.
It comes in a year when some fear freedom of speech is under threat in Australia, as the government proposes major changes to federal anti-discrimination laws.
LISTEN: Kristina Kukolja reports.
[sbspodcast id="246971"]
"Can I just say this, there are days when you just have to concede and man up and say you've got it wrong and on this instance these are remarks which I shouldn't have repeated. To repeat them was wrong, to even offer any impression that I might seek to diminish the grief a daughter would feel for her father, independently of who that daughter might be, is unacceptable... What is relevant is it may have sought to diminish the grief that a daughter felf for her father. That is unacceptable. I was taught as a young kid by my father that if you're going to eat crow, you should eat it while it's hot."
Alan Jones, .... seemingly apologetic ... apparently remorseful ... and supposedly ready, as he put it, to eat his words.
During his career, the Sydney commercial radio ratings king has uttered many a comment that's landed him in hot water.
But this time, some say, he may have gone too far.
Speaking at a Sydney University function for young Liberals, he declared that Prime Minister Julia Gillard's father had died of shame over his daughter's actions.
A journalist attended the event and secretly recorded his words.
"Every person in the caucus of the Labor Party knows the Julia Gillard is a liar. Everybody. I'll cover that in a moment. The old man died a few weeks ago of shame, particularly as his daughter told lies every time she's in parliament. Hang on, this is where we're weak. This is where we're weak. And I've said to people in Canberra, can you believe that the federal party have gone because they've been brainwashed by the media and they say back off, she's a woman, go easy."
Alan Jones' remarks, as the Prime Minister was on leave to mourn her father's death, sparked what's been described as an unprecedented public backlash.
More than 80,000 people signed an online petition calling for radio station 2GB to sack Jones, as corporate advertisers withdrew their support from his morning program.
Woolworths and Coles were among the dozens of high-profile companies to suspend or cancel advertising, and Mercedes Benz demanded that the radio presenter return his sponsored car.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority ordered Jones to undergo factual accuracy classes.
Former Greens leader Bob Brown was among those demanding that he be dismissed.
"He's a misogynist, nasty, hateful character. He has no place in the public arena after this particularly nasty commentary of his. And his sponsors should look at whether they should keep funding such a deeply nasty, hateful and gangrenous lot of statements as those coming out from Alan Jones."
Alan Jones' supporters say the man known for giving the Prime inister the nickname 'Ju-liar' is being targetted by the political Left.
They say the public and political responses to the incident are evidence that freedom of expression is under threat in Australia.
But some of those who have been at the receiving end of his words argue they are dangerous.
The New South Wales Administrative Decisions Tribunal ruled in 2009 that comments made by Jones about members of the Lebanese community in 2005 incited hatred, serious contempt and severe ridicule.
Earlier in the year he failed to have the Tribunal's ruling dismissed, and has been ordered to apologise on-air.
The case was taken against him by Sydney-based Lebanese-born Muslim Keysar Trad.
"There were comments made over the course of four days which went as far as calling for outright violence against people of a Lebanese background. The comment that the media seemed to be most concerned about was the calling of young people vermin and rapists and pillagers. In that week, on another day, he said the comment, it's time to take the gloves off and make life a collective hell for those, and then he used an expletive. It was just a whole week of barrage of abuse against Lebanese Australians, Muslim Australians, and this is the way he was carrying on and it seemed he could do or say what he wants."
President of the Lebanese Muslim Association Samir Dandan says there's concern within the Muslim community about the influence Jones is seen to wield over the air waves in Australia's biggest city.
"We've been on the receiving end of Mr Alan Jones' comments many times in the past, whether it's to do with the Cronulla riots, or Halal meat, whether it is to do with any issues. Mr Alan Jones is very well known within our community. Some of the members of our community have actually taken him to court. This is a discussion that is continuously taking place about who is Mr Alan Jones, the extent of his reach, who actually listens to him, the demographic and how much danger does he pose on the public opinion of his country."
Internationally, an amateur American-made film sparked a wave of protests across the Muslim world, as it raised questions about the intersection between freedom of speech laws and religious tolerance.
The focus of attention: 'The Innocence of Muslims', depicting the prophet Mohammed as a womaniser and child molester.
Within days of its release on the video sharing site YouTube, more than 20 countries across the Middle East, north Africa and Asia saw protesters take to the streets expressing their outrage.
Dozens of people were reportedly killed in incidents against US and other western targets.
In Sydney too, hundreds of people rallied to voice their anger.
This man explains why the film caused such a response among followers of the Islamic faith.
"Mate, you're attacking someone that's more beloved than myself, more beloved than our fathers, our mothers, our own children. There has to be anger. If you attack the prophets you're attacking, literally, our way of life, you're attacking Islam and we won't be silent."
US President Barack Obama described the film as crude and disgusting, but said it was no excuse for attacks against his country.
And while international condemnation centred predominantly on reactions to the film, Turkey criticised western nations for not taking steps to prevent insults to Islamic religious values.
Some Muslim countries even called for a ban of online access to the film and its removal from the Internet.
In Pakistan a government official offered a bounty for the death of its maker.
"I'll pay one hundred thousand dollars to whoever does it. And if someone else commits such an act, I'll pay a hundred thousand dollars to whoever kills that person."
The leaders of several Islamic nations appealed to the United Nations General Assembly for restrictions on freedom of expression.
Through an interpreter, Algeria's Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci called for the UN to take the lead in efforts to prevent denigrating attacks on Islam.
"Algeria proposes an initiative under the auspices of the United Nations to identify ways and means to prevent and to organise a response and we cannot forget that the adequate and responsible use of the freedom of expression should also give our world a more human and brotherly face."
As 2012 drew to a close, passions surrounding the film appeared to have abated, although the dust hadn't quite settled.
An Egyptian court sentenced a man to three years in prison for posting parts of the film online.
And there was an alert issued in Europe, ahead of the anticipated release of another provocative film on Islam.
Share
