US sides with Muslims in cartoon dispute

Yahoo! News ^ | 02/03/06 | Yahoo! News

[thesharkboy]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington on Friday condemned caricatures in European newspapers of Islam's Prophet Mohammad, siding with Muslims who are outraged that the publications put press freedom over respect for religion.

"These cartoons are indeed offensive to the belief of Muslims," State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper said in answer to a question.

"We all fully recognize and respect freedom of the press and expression but it must be coupled with press responsibility. Inciting religious or ethnic hatreds in this manner is not acceptable."

[isrul]

". Why make fun of someone's belief system, when it's so much more to the point to satirize their bad behavior?" Are you saying that the belief system is separate from the behavior? The belief system not only condones such behavior, but demands it.

[immigration lady]

This just pissed me off to no end. I sent an e-mail to the white house and to the Dept. of State. In addition, I'm writing a formal complaint letter demanding an apology to the US citizens. By God, if the State Dept. can apologize to the anti-American, betrayer, traitor, evil enemy of the state, Cindy Shameham, they can certainly apologize to the American people for siding with the enemy that is trying to kill us and is killing our gallant men and women. The State Dept. doesn't speak for me. For once, I like the French and the Dutch and the Germans (did I really say that?).

Does anyone know how to draw Puffy Prophet Muhammed wearing a turban with the Nazi Swastika on it? He could be riding an ass into hell

[Eurotwit]

Well, in Europe, freedom of speech is under a severe attack.

It has been for several years. I suspect the situation is vastly different in Europe in this matter, than it is in the United States.

BTW: I am watching just now on the BBC another State Department spokesman, McCormic something, who made a whole lot more sense, than what was printed here.

He gave a strong defense of freedom of speech. Talked about the blood that has been shed to earn this right. No outright condemnation of the Danish cartoons. More a general statement that there are sometimes things that we disagree with, and occasionaly somthings we condemn, but that freedom of speech protects the right of people to voice such views.

Good on him.

Have a nice weekend.

Cheers.

[penelopesire]

HOW ABOUT ASKING THE ARAB WORLD THAT QUESTION!!

[Convert from ECUSA]

Immigration lady,

You're someone after my own heart! I wish someone like you would run in 2008 and win! Good people like you would know how to clean up Babylon-on-the-Potomac but fast! Bless you.

[My Favorite Headache]

Ahhh yes...walking on egg shells again. The good ole USA...we have become a nation of knee droppers to Islam in so many ways. Thank God we can still depend on our military to do the job that needs to be done. Because Lord knows our policy makers are the one's who will get us killed with this bullshit.

Sick of it. Sick of it. Sick of it.

How many cartoons and editorial slams against Christians and the Pope have come over the last century alone? I don't see Christians holding violent protests with thousands at a time chanting death to this paper or death to this country. Why have we become a nation of wimps on so many levels? How did we sink so low so quick?

Was it the Clinton era style of appeasement?

Whatever it was...it has certainly got to stop.

[My Favorite Headache]

There is a picture/video from that same crowd that has a Muslim holding a sign reading "Coming Soon: The Extermination of Europe". Can you or someone else dig that up?

[alarm rider]

The State Department has been wussy since before WWII. No Secretary of State, nor President has ever cleaned it up.

What should happen is this: demand a resignation from every career employee. They have a sort of union however, and they are government employees, so it will never happen.

It needs to be cleaned out, but it ain't going to happen.

[Windsong]

Yahoo news. Now theres an unbiased opinion source.

[America's Resolve]

Do these pri*** EVER ask the American people what they think before they start spouting off???

Well, here's what I think of it MR. COOPER!

Neither myself, my family nor the United States of America are subject to the whims of Islam! I'll draw all the stinking pictures of their stinkin "prophet" that I want to.

Farkin govt!

[george wythe]

The State Department is full of nothing but spineless, appeasing crapweasels.

Nothing left to say.

Both the CIA and the State Department are full of Americans of dubious loyalty.

[Barney Gumble]

I would have drawn a cartoon of a cartoonist drawing a cartoon of Mohmamed, with Muslims running towards him with sabres raised (dripping with blood), screaming "You asshole, Islam is a religion of peace"

[cgk]

HOW ABOUT ASKING THE ARAB WORLD THAT QUESTION!!

It's been asked - by many, and including Michelle Malkin who also linked the site, which may explain why the bandwidth limit has been exceeded to view the cartoons.

[cgk]

Tried - the cached version has the images x'ed out. I'll keep hunting.

[Barney Gumble]

That's a funny picture!

[Sabramerican]

What would you expect from a wholly owned subsidiary of the House of Saud where the SOS would say:

"We in America know the benevolence that is at the heart of Islam. We've seen it in many ways. "

Oh yeah, Rice for President.

[dmanLA]

Get your State Dept. under control Condi.

---

Maybe she agrees...

[SJackson]

[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 27, 2004]	Sharon eats Palestinian children. [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 22, 2004]
Jew is Satan. Pope says: “Peace on Earth” Satan-Jew: “Colonies on Earth” [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida March 22, 2000]	On old man: "the 20th century" On young man: "the 21st century" Above dwarf Jew with Star of David: “The Disease of the Century” [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida Dec. 28, 1999]
The U.S. using Israel to hold up the Arab World	Star of David and Kippa (skullcap) on the Rat. Text on the cheese: “Arab Homeland” Text on the knife: “USA” [Al - Hayat Al-Jadida Aug. 20, 2001]
Donkey with Talit [Jewish prayer shawl] marched through streets of Ramallah. [Note - PA religious leaders and PA school books [published in 2000] compare Jews to donkeys.	Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (PA), June 12, 2003--the day after the No. 14 bus suicide bombing in Jerusalem
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (PA), June 24, 2003	Al-Quds (PA), July 22, 2003
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (PA), June 17, 2003	Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (PA), June 23, 2003

"Oh my dears, oh lion cubs [boys] of Palestine, oh, flowers [girls] of Palestine, oh, future of Palestine, oh power and splendor of Palestine.

"From you [came] the world hero, Fares 'Ouda. He is the symbol of the Palestinian people, who stands in heroism, pride, and willpower with the Palestinian stone facing the Israeli tank.

"This is the people of heroes that does not fear the tank, and does not fear the airplane, and does not fear the missile, and they cling to their place until Judgment Day. The Prophet [Muhammad] said: 'A group from among you will remain… standing on guard against your enemies. Their enemies will not triumph over them, and they will triumph, with Allah's help.'

"Thus it was said to the Messenger [Muhammad]: 'Where are they [the members of that group]? 'Who are they [the members of that group]?' [The Prophet Muhammad said]: '[They are] from Jerusalem its environs, from Jerusalem and its environs. And they stand [against their enemies] until Judgment Day, and every Shahid among them [is worth] 40 Shahids among you.'

"To whom did [the Prophet] say this? To his companions! He said to them: 'One Shahid from those [fighting for Jerusalem] is equal in value to 40 Shahids from [his companions]. This is the privilege Allah has given to you, oh boys and girls of Palestine…"
Yasser Arafat's Speech Marking International Day of the Child 2003, to Children of Palestinian Prisoners and Detainees Held by Israel, The Muqata'a, Ramallah .

[null and void]

If the entire Muslim world can be brought to its knees by 12 cartoons, what would happen if you gave them a comic book? Mushroom clouds in Mecca?

A bit long for a tagline...

[TASMANIANRED]

Same old foggy bottom.