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'This is not just about cartoons, but standing up for our values'
TIMES ONLINE ^ | 01/31/06 | Anthony Browne

Posted on 01/31/2006 4:09:12 PM PST by Pikamax

'This is not just about cartoons, but standing up for our values' From Anthony Browne, in Copenhagen

THE Danish editor who brought the fury of the Muslim world on his country by printing pictures of the Prophet Muhammad defiantly declared yesterday: “We do not apologise for printing the cartoons. It was our right to do so.”

As protests continued for a second day in Gaza with shouts of “Death to Denmark”, Flemming Rose, the culture editor of the centre-right daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten, sat in his book-lined office declaring his surprise at the reaction.

He said that he had to stand his ground because, as in the Salman Rushdie affair, freedom of speech was being threatened. “There is a lot at stake. It would be very naive to think this is only about Jyllands-Posten and 12 cartoons and apologising or not apologising.

“This is about standing for fundamental values that have been the (foundation) for the development of Western democracies over several hundred years, and we are now in a situation where those values are being challenged,” he said.

“I think some of the Muslims who have reacted very strongly to these cartoons are being driven by totalitarian and authoritarian impulses, and the nature of these impulses is that if you give in once they will just put forward new requirements.”

The row has been simmering since the newspaper published the cartoons in September, but finally exploded on Friday when a Saudi Arabian imam denounced them in a sermon broadcast across the Middle East. Showing any depiction of Muhammad is deemed blasphemous by most of Islam, and these were seen as particularly offensive, with one portraying the Prophet wearing a turban in the shape of a bomb.

Saudi Arabia and Libya have withdrawn their ambassadors to Denmark, which issued safety warnings to its citizens travelling in Muslim countries after threats by militant Islamic groups and a boycott of Danish goods. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Danish Prime Minister, has rejected calls for an apology on the ground that Denmark has a free press.

A poll over the weekend showed that 80 per cent of Danes thought that the Government should not apologise and 62 per cent thought that the newspaper should not apologise. Jyllands-Posten tried to calm tempers on Monday by apologising for any offence caused, but stood firm on its decision to print the pictures.

Mr Rose, 47, who commissioned the cartoons after a biographer of Muhammad complained that no cartoonist would illustrate his book, said that they were not deliberately offensive.

“Because in Denmark, as in Britain, we have a tradition of satire, some cartoonists made satirical cartoons, as they do when dealing with Jesus Christ or senior politicians.”

When the cartoons were printed in September, the paper’s staff faced death threats, forcing it to hire security guards. Even yesterday the offices were evacuated after a bomb scare.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: childkillers; cuthroats; denmark; headchoppers; ignorancepeddlers; religionofpeace; throatslahsers; wifebeaters
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To: Alouette
Hey, good job. While I was searching for a link, you were posting the images themselves.
21 posted on 01/31/2006 4:48:10 PM PST by Max in Utah (By their fruits you shall know them.)
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To: Pikamax
“I think some of the Muslims who have reacted very strongly to these cartoons are being driven by totalitarian and authoritarian impulses, and the nature of these impulses is that if you give in once they will just put forward new requirements.”

Wow, that sums it up, and not just for Muslims in Denmark.

22 posted on 01/31/2006 4:48:37 PM PST by Plutarch
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To: Max in Utah

That's not all, I have them saved to my hard drive AND backed up to CD AND printed on paper.


23 posted on 01/31/2006 4:50:41 PM PST by Alouette (Please pray for Israel: Psalms of the Day: 10-17)
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To: Pikamax

If these morons demand public respect for their "pedophile prophet", they can go live where the law requires that, i.e. muslim countries, and leave civilized Western countries alone.

I'd like to eat a Danish in solidarity, but I'm really more a donut kind of guy.


24 posted on 01/31/2006 4:50:50 PM PST by Emmett McCarthy
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To: Pikamax

The west needs to stand together against these 7th century barbarians.


25 posted on 01/31/2006 4:52:31 PM PST by MARKUSPRIME
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To: Pikamax

They're all just like fire ants.

Pour gasoline on them, light a match.


26 posted on 01/31/2006 4:56:56 PM PST by Humidston (Two words: TERM LIMITS!)
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To: The Fop
Europe has a long history of cursing the Jews. I can't help thinking that their current "Muslim problem" is their punishment.

I think you have it backwards.

Taking over Europe is the Mulims' punishment for their cursing...and killing...of the Jews.

27 posted on 01/31/2006 4:58:36 PM PST by ApplegateRanch (Mad-Mo! Allah bin Satan commands ye: Bow to him 5 times/day: Head down, @ss-up, and fart at Heaven!)
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To: ApplegateRanch

Hey, they're both cursed. Let 'em all kill each other.


28 posted on 01/31/2006 5:02:07 PM PST by The Fop (They attacked 2 of America's main arteries, so we invaded the heart of Arabia. It's that simple)
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To: The Fop
Let 'em all kill each other.

Good idea. Saves us the trouble.

29 posted on 01/31/2006 5:04:11 PM PST by ApplegateRanch (Mad-Mo! Allah bin Satan commands ye: Bow to him 5 times/day: Head down, @ss-up, and fart at Heaven!)
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To: Alouette
That's not all, I have them saved to my hard drive AND backed up to CD AND printed on paper.

Well...okay, then... you got that handled. Good.

I'll just go drink the Danish beer then.

:)

30 posted on 01/31/2006 5:06:41 PM PST by Max in Utah (By their fruits you shall know them.)
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To: Pikamax

"“I think some of the Muslims who have reacted very strongly to these cartoons are being driven by totalitarian and authoritarian impulses, and the nature of these impulses is that if you give in once they will just put forward new requirements.” "

why won't our public officials make pubilc statements of this very obvious concept?


31 posted on 01/31/2006 5:12:15 PM PST by WoofDog123
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To: Pikamax

archiving


32 posted on 01/31/2006 5:20:13 PM PST by tje
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To: Pikamax

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1569008/posts


33 posted on 01/31/2006 5:26:53 PM PST by BenLurkin (O beautiful for patriot dream - that sees beyond the years)
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To: Max in Utah

Faxe is pretty good, if you dont mind 10% alcohol beer!


34 posted on 01/31/2006 6:20:29 PM PST by Windsong (Jesus Saves, but Buddha makes incremental backups)
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To: Windsong
Faxe... is that pronounced "faze?" :)

Selection is pretty limited in Utah... you have to go to the state liquor store if you want anything other than 3.2% beer. At least you can get Carlsberg.

Next time I go to Oregon I'm going to look for Faxe.

35 posted on 01/31/2006 7:41:13 PM PST by Max in Utah (By their fruits you shall know them.)
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