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Freedom of Speech under attack

Yuri | 31.01.2006 13:22

Denmark and Norway are under attack from the Moslem world because of a series of anti-Mohammed cartoons. Palestinian terrorists threatened physical attack unless they apologize.

Muslim interests around the world have been in an uproar against a series of anti-Mohammed cartoons that appeared in Danish and Norwegian newspapers. In Iraq, Muslim forces finally made good on their threats today, detonating a bomb against a joint Danish-Iraqi military patrol. No one was reported hurt.

In Gaza City as well, five terrorists stormed the European Union headquarters this morning, closing the office down in protest of the cartoon series. At the same time, ten terrorists armed with assault rifles and grenade launchers stood outside, firing into the air and warning Danes and Norwegians not to visit Gaza until their governments apologize.

"We warn the citizens of the above-mentioned governments against not taking this warning seriously," one of the gunmen read from a statement, "because our groups are ready to implement it across the Gaza Strip."

The 12 controversial drawings were originally published last September in the independent Jyllands-Posten newspaper, and afterwards in a Norwegian paper. They included one of Mohammed waving off suicide bombers on their way to heaven, saying, "Stop! We have run out of virgins!" Another one portrays Mohammed wearing a turban shaped as a bomb with a burning fuse.

The Danish Prime Minister, Anders Rasmussen, has refused to apologize, defending his country's freedom of press and even refusing to meet with a delegation of eleven ambassadors from Moslem countries who demanded a meeting to discuss the perceived offense.

Saudi Arabia has enacted a boycott of Danish goods, and calls for the same have been heard in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria and Yemen.

Libya announced Sunday the closure of its embassy in Denmark to protest the caricatures of Islam's prophet. A Libyan Foreign Ministry statement said other measures would be taken, but did not elaborate.

Several Kuwaiti MPs have called on Danish and European institutions to take legal action against the cartoonist and the Danish newspaper that originally published his caricatures.

PA Arabs in Samaria burnt and trampled the Danish flag yesterday [pictured above], in solidarity with the protest.

One Arab leader expressed a different point of view. Following the Danish prime minister's refusal to apologize, Afghani president Hamid Karzai, who was visiting Denmark, said he was satisfied with the newspaper's explanation and the Danish government's view. "Prime Minister Rasmussen explained Denmark's position on [the drawings], which was very satisfactory to me as a Moslem," Karzai said.

A recent poll conducted in Copenhagen found that the Danes refuse to give in to the Moslem pressure. The Epinion Research Institute in Denmark reported that 79% of respondents feel that Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen should not apologize on Denmark’s behalf, while only 18% said he should.

Yuri

Comments

Hide the following 11 comments

Sounds funny

31.01.2006 13:31

Can somebody post the cartoons here?

art


Illegal in the UK

31.01.2006 14:22

It would be very dangerous to post those pictures here it would be illegal under United Kingdom laws to protect religion preaching (unique in Europe).
Criticism of religion is already outlowed or will be soon.

More info in  http://www.whatsnext.org.uk

free


an irishman speaks

31.01.2006 16:56

If that had been a stereotypical image of an irishman juggling shamrocks and bombs then I'd have been equally offended as the muslims. This is a very offensive image as it tars all muslims with the same brush, ie as being jihad supporting terrorists.

This goes beyond parody, in the same why that nazi images of jews were offensive, and so on. Parody can take the piss, but it works when it is based on realistic positions of an individual or a well defined group - not when it tars an entire people with widely differing views.

As far as I'm concerned this is a racist image.

Ciaran MhicCoffaigh


Link, Please

31.01.2006 18:37

What is the source of this article?

Source?


Here they are

31.01.2006 19:59


The cartoons. (Source:  http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/698)

Rob


Support the boycott

31.01.2006 21:08

Well, it didn't do Rushdies book sales any harm, I bet KW is in a posh hotel with his bodyguards and drinking fine wine, gratis. Peter Mandelson, Blairs glove-puppet is trying to make this a Europe-wide issue.

For some reason Islam doesn't like images of their main guy, just like Jews don't like writing his name, and Christians don't shut up about about him but really abhor dinosaurs. You might not respect that but theres no great need to mock it. If you do mock it, you should mock all religion, not just one - that's impplying the others are better.

Of course it's the fault of religious people that they're feelings are so easily hurt, but I can see 'wise-cracking' mocking and racist right-wing cartoons can cause offence when we are wiping out hundreds of thousands of Muslims. Defending these cartoons are sort of like defending a German comedians right to mock judaism during the Holocaust. Look at these cartoons in context. GI's pissing on the Koran.

I think we should all boycott Danish and Norwegian goods, the Danes are dead right-wing and the Norwegians kill whales, both have troops in Iraq. Remember the Danes sent a snow plough with their troop contingent - the Danes were seriously misinformed about Iraq.

Besides, a non-muslim boycott of Danish goods could have a greater effect as I suspect 99% of their exports is bacon and other pig meat unlikely to lose many sales to Islam.

Oh, Lego of course. A whole generation of Islamic kids are going to be deprived of high quality building blocks. The bright yellow cluster bombs we are dropping instead are a poor substitute.

Danny


Different strokes

01.02.2006 11:15

The thing is, when Christians get offended they just huff and puff a bit, and in the US maybe organise a little bocott or something.


In the middle east they start burning flags and threatening jihad, which is a bit disproportionate if you ask me.

I don't start screaming for an apology every time a muslim does something that upsets me, after all.

Coffee cup


see the context

01.02.2006 15:47

yes but people don't keep bombing and invading your country on the pretext of liberating you from your religion!

type


Oppose legocracy

01.02.2006 20:22


Following the attack on Legoland that collapsed the World Trade Centers twin towers
(  http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/31 ,  http://www.ken-tucky.com/LEGO/WORKS/IMAGE/0131f.jpg )

Legoland launched its bloody invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq
(  http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~masa0224/Dsc00233.jpg )

leading to the privatisation of Iraqi assets
(  http://www.bergsby.com/taani/legoland/DSCN2338.JPG ).

This is not the first time Legoland has strayed into genocide - lest we forget Legolands countless concentration camp victims during its Nazi past.
(  http://www.othervoices.org/2.1/feinstein/auschwitz.html )


Danny


cartoons

05.02.2006 15:19

well dan Danish baicon it is very goot

nuta


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