Fear of criticising Islam has given Britain self-imposed blasphemy law, warns former archbishop Carey

• Former Archbishop of Canterbury says Britain fears criticising Islam
• Lord Carey said this had led to a self-imposed 'blasphemy law in the UK
• He said the Press should be encouraged to print controversial material
• Muslims are more offended by violence in name of Islam, Lord Carey said 
• Comments come days after Charlie Hebdo massacre by Islamic extremists 
• Terrorists killed 12 in attack, including eight journalists and cartoonists

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Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey said Britain's fear of Islam has led to a self-imposed 'blasphemy law'

Britain's fear of criticising Islam has led to a self-imposed 'blasphemy law', the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has warned.

Lord Carey's comments come days after the brutal slaughter of journalists at the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine, which printed cartoons mocking  Mohammed.

He added that the Press should be encouraged to print controversial material, even if Muslims find it offensive. 

Writing in the Sunday Times, the former Archbishop said: 'A de facto blasphemy law is operating in Britain today. 

The fact is that publishers and newspapers live in fear of criticising Islam.'

He said that blasphemy laws were 'unjust and outdated', urging Muslim scholars to make it clear to followers that Islamic laws on insulting the religion do not apply to non-believers.

Lord Carey added that the media should be encouraged to publish controversial material, regardless of whether it will upset Muslims. 

'We need not worry about taking the vast majority of Muslims with us.

 They are much more offended by violence committed in their name than by cartoons or images of their prophet,' he said.

His view was backed up by Chancellor George Osborne, who said: 'Magazines should publish what they want ... without fearing that armed gunmen are going to come through the door and kill them.'

Author Salman Rushdie, whose book 'The Satanic Verses' prompted Iranian clergy to issue a death fatwa on him, also condemned the attack on Charlie Hebdo as an assault on free speech.

He said earlier this week: 'I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all must, to defend the art of satire, which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny, dishonesty and stupidity.'

The brutal attack by terrorists Cherif and Said Kouachi killed 12, including eight journalists and a Muslim policeman.

They raided the building on Wednesday morning, calling out names of cartoonists before shooting them dead and spraying bullets around the newsroom.

The brothers then escaped before storming a printworks at an industrial site in the town of Dammartin-en-Goele, north of Paris.

After a tense stand-off with soldiers and armed police, the Kouachi brothers were gunned down in a hail of gunfire.

They are believed to have launched their attack on the satirical magazine's office because it has printed cartoons of the prophet Mohammed in the past.

A German newspaper which reprinted the cartoons was attacked overnight by vandals who set fire to files in a cellar below its offices and threw rocks at windows.

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