Posted on 11/04/2005 7:54:39 AM PST by Pikamax
Muslims march over cartoons of the Prophet By Kate Connolly in Berlin (Filed: 04/11/2005)
A Danish experiment in testing "the limits of freedom of speech" has backfired - or succeeded spectacularly - after newspaper cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed provoked an outcry.
Thousands of Muslims have taken to the streets in protest at the caricatures, the newspaper that published them has received death threats and two of its cartoonists have been forced into hiding.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen called the cartoons a 'necessary provocation' Jyllands-Posten, Denmark's leading daily, defied Islam's ban on images of the Prophet by printing cartoons by 12 different artists.
In one he is depicted as a sabre-wielding terrorist accompanied by women in burqas, in another his turban appears to be a bomb and in a third he is portrayed as a schoolboy by a blackboard.
The ambassadors of 11 Muslim countries called on Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the prime minister, to take "necessary steps" against the "defamation of Islam".
But Mr Rasmussen, the head of a centre-Right minority coalition dependent for its survival on support from an anti-foreigner party, called the cartoons a "necessary provocation" and refused to act.
"I will never accept that respect for a religious stance leads to the curtailment of criticism, humour and satire in the press," he said.
The Danish debate over how to integrate Muslims has raged for years, with nursery school menus and women-only opening hours for swimming pools particular battlegrounds. But the cartoons satirising the Prophet have injected a dangerous new element into the controversy.
"This is a pubescent demonstration of freedom of expression that consciously and totally without reason has trampled over the feelings of many people," said Uffe Ellemann Jensen, a former foreign minister and member of Mr Rasmussen's party.
Carsten Juste, the editor of Jyllands-Posten, spurned demands that he apologise, saying he "would not dream" of saying sorry.
"To demand that we take religious feelings into consideration is irreconcilable with western democracy and freedom of expression," he said. "This doesn't mean that we want to insult any Muslims."
Juste commissioned the cartoons after learning of the difficulties a children's writer, Kare Bluitgen, had in finding an illustrator for his book on the Koran and the Prophet's life. Bluitgen said all the artists he approached feared the wrath of Muslims if they drew images of Mohammed.
Many cited the murder of the Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh by an Islamist as a reason for refusal.
Juste said he wanted to counter growing "self censorship" and see how many cartoonists would be "bold enough" to draw the Prophet.
One artist, Franz Füchsel, said he intended no offence. "But I live in 2005, not 905 and I use my quill in the way that Danish law allows me."
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Dutch MP famous for her criticism of Islam and author of the screenplay for Mr Van Gogh's film Submission, supported the paper. "It's necessary to taunt Muslims on their relationship with Mohammed," she said.
"Otherwise we will never have the dialogue we need to establish with Muslims on the most central question: 'Do you really feel that every Muslim in 2005 should follow the way of life the Prophet had 1,400 years ago, as the Koran dictates?' "
Amputations and beheadings are reserved for after Friday prayers.
Can we get a copy of the cartoon? Oh, nevermind. We'll probably hear later that they used it at Abu Ghraib to 'torture' some poor terrorist suspect.
The Religion of Insecurity.
These Muslims need to be in a country that doesn't tolerate freedom of the press. They would feel more comfortable there. And the Danes would probably feel more comfortable if they were there.
2. To the Muslims who come to "free speech" countries:
a. GET OVER IT.
b. GET USED TO IT.
c. TOUGH SHIT.
d. If you don't like it, GO BACK to wherever you came from.
e. Gee, how does it feel to be smeared? What goes around......
f. If you are born in the country and still a touchy, too sensitive Muslim, TOUGH SHIT and see a. and b.
g. TOUGH SHIT....uh oh, I'm repeating myself.
I'm glad to see that the cartoonists are not backing down.
I've said it before and I'll say it again..methinks these muslims live in a democracy and freedom of speech is inherent. they want everyone to be tolerant of them, but express no tolerance for anyone else. once again, they move to a country to escape whatever it is they're running from, but refuse to be assimilated into their new country and fully expect those around them to become like them..
The last few lines of the article get straight to the heart of the matter. How can we hope to bring Muslims into the real world of today if they refuse to even discuss adaptation?
Time for mass deportions from Europe or fight the Crusade in the hood!!
So would the Germans, French, Scandinavians, Dutch, etc.
The American-born or nationalized Muslims here, by and large, do accept free speech, except, of course, the Nation of Islam folks. THEY are the American-born Muslims with the giant chip-on-shoulder.
See Calypso Louie. Bwahaha. (Thankew Rushbo for your nicknaming..)
Immigrant muslims are used to being at the top of the society. They see no double standard because they come from a society that puts muslims at a higher level under law than Jews-Christians and "everybody else" )Hindus, Buddhists, atheists...).
Sounds like we should have gone to war against Egypt because a publication there publishied internet porn photos as "evidence" of Iraqi prisoner abuse.
This is NOT an issue for ambassadors to deal with. If it IS then there is no reason to recognize these Muslim countries as they impose their Islamic laws on other nations. Damn Islamonazis. There are other people in this world. Freedom of religion must be acknowledged AND they must be tolerant of people who convert away from the cultist faith.
You know what? I was offended by two buildings in my country being knocked down and 3000 of my people killed!
If a cartoon of your war monger prophet is the worst that happens to you, boo friggin' hoo!
The deadly sin is not in how Mohammed was depicted but that someone "dared illustrate him at all".
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.