Pakistan bans latest issue of Newsweek (contains material 'offensive to Islam')

Bakersfield Californian ^ | 11/26/04 | Munir Ahmad - AP

[NormsRevenge]

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistani authorities have banned an issue of Newsweek magazine for publishing material they said was offensive to Islam, local media reported Friday.

A government official in Islamabad had ordered the "forfeiture of all copies of the weekly Newsweek of November 22," the state-run agency Associated Press of Pakistan reported, quoting Tariq Mahmood Bajwa, a government official in the capital, Islamabad.

The edition published "objectionable remarks which (were) tantamount to desecration of the Quran," Islam's holy book, the agency said. The report said authorities were considering legal action against the magazine but gave no details.

The action didn't come before nearly all the copies of the Nov. 22 issue had already been sold, said a security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Newsweek spokeswoman Jan Angilella said the magazine had no comment on the matter.

The Nov. 22 issue of the magazine carried a story about the slaying in the Netherlands of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh and religious and ethnic divisions in Europe under the headline "Clash of Civilizations."

A Dutch-Moroccan alleged Islamic extremist suspect was arrested in Van Gogh's slaying.

The News, Pakistan's largest circulation English language newspaper, said Friday the banned Newsweek edition included an image taken from Van Gogh's film about Islam's treatment of women that showed verses from the Quran written on the body of a semi-naked woman.

Islam requires modesty from women, who cover their bodies to varying degrees in public depending on the strictness of their society's interpretation of Quran. At least 97 percent of Pakistan's 150 million people are Muslims.

Under Pakistan's blasphemy law, anyone convicted of insulting Islam, its Prophet Mohammed or the Quran can be sentenced to death.

The News said the article was "blasphemous and highly provocative."

Pakistani authorities have banned Newsweek once before, in July 2003 for an article they said was insulting to the Quran.

[sully777]

"Islam is a religion of peace" -- President Bush (stated 400,000 times).

[CasearianDaoist]

My goodness, they publish material offense to America in every issue. Maybe they are on to something...

[Phosgood]

These are the people who are going to help us catch Bin Ladin?

[Prime Choice]

Islam requires modesty from slavery and a life of torment for women...

There. Fixed it.

No matter how thin you slice it, Islam ain't nothing but Nazism repackaged as a religion.

[Prime Choice]

[Fiddlstix]

No matter how thin you slice it, Islam ain't nothing but Nazism repackaged as a religion.

Bingo!

[Gibtx]

islam is a blood cult..... nothing more nothing less.... so what are we going to do about it ..... i think we need some legislation .... against the ACLU to start with..... then some against the blood cult....

[tkathy]

Ridicule is a potent weapon against these mental midgets. The more ridicule the better.

[Army Air Corps]

Islam is always insulted when women are treated as human beings instead of chattel.

[baltodog]

"The report said authorities were considering legal action against the magazine but gave no details."

MEMO TO ALL NEWSWEEK STAFF IN PAKISTAN:
GET THE HELL OUTTA' DODGE.

[OldFriend]

Must be objecting to the pictures of the Johns kissing!

[TexasGreg]

How interesting ... if they're so upset about THAT they'd better not read many of the remarks posted on this board an on this thread. :) hehehe

[EGPWS]

Pakistani authorities have banned an issue of Newsweek magazine...

If we are blessed enough, this trend will spread.

[Joe Miner]

Newsweek Article

No picture though.

[EGPWS]

i think we need some legislation .... against the ACLU to start with.....

It's long over due.

[processing please hold]

This is an article I have on islam, the culture of abuse and death. It's a sobering read.http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1277756/posts

[woofer]

Man, this takes me back to my Saudi daze. Nothing like getting the International Edition of Newsweak and Times with half the pages ripped out and every other picture gone over with a black magic marker.

Now you all know how I learned to read between the lines so good.

[sully777]

"Islam is a religion of peace" -- President Bush (stated 400,000 times).

---

On the other hand, Bush's words reassure and disarm a large segment of the world's population that may take exception to our "War on Terror" as an actual "War on Islam." While I disagree with President Bush's statements that Islam is technically peaceful and tolerant; nevetheless, the President is drawing a line of distinction that is exceptionally smart. Most islamists read the koran like most christians read the Bible. As a wise man once said, a christian that doesn't read his Bible is more apt to be violent while a moslem that doesn't read his koran is more apt to be peaceful. Why make moslems read their koran? Bush is a genius!

My dad once told me the key to fighting a group of guys that gang up on you is to go after the leader. Dad said most of the guys don't want to fight. President Bush is beating up the leaders. Israel is killing the leaders of Hamas, not the underlings thus Hamas is effectively castrated. Most "normal work-a-day islamists don't want a fight. Why give them a reason to fight after you beat up the real problem? Dad also said that the key to fighting a group is to use their number advantage and turn it into a disadvantage. The British called this strategy divide and conquer. BTW, my dad won the fights after he learned that lesson. After a while, dad didn't have to fight anymore. Who wants to fight a guy that wins when four or five guys gang up on him?

[Gibtx]

worked for the indians as well... kill the chief .... worked with the Nazi as well... they were so structured that it was hard for anyone to do anything if you killed the leaders..

so we will just have to keep killing them... over time