WATCH: Julia Hartley-Brewer: Newspapers ‘Bottled It’ By Not Showing Charlie Hebdo Cartoons

Broadcaster and columnist Julia Hartley-Brewer gave an impassioned defence of freedom of expression on BBC Question Time last night.

Criticising the decision by British newspapers not to print the Charlie Hebdo cartoons depicting Mohammed, she accused them of “bottling it” and slammed the terrorists for scaring people into submission.

“The only reason I’m not wearing a t-shirt today with the prophet Mohammed in a cartoon on it is because I don’t want to be killed. I’ve got a daughter and I want to stay alive for her and I’m scared, and the reason why all the newspaper editors didn’t [print the cartoons] is because they’re scared they’ll be murdered, their staff will be murdered and their families will be murdered.

“This isn’t about respect for religion, this is about fear of religious fundamentalists and we need to stop letting that fear affect us…”