French daily prints anti-Islam cartoons

Al Jazeera ^ | Feb 1, 2006 | Staff

[AdmSmith]

A French newspaper has reproduced a controversial set of caricatures, originally published in Denmark and decried in the Muslim world as blasphemous to the prophet Mohammed.

The Paris daily France Soir, on Wednesday, printed the dozen cartoons, explaining that it chose to do so to illustrate the polemic sparked by their original publication, in the Danish Jyllands-Posten paper last September.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Danish prime minister, had expressed alarm on Tuesday at the wave of anger in the Muslim world prompted by the caricatures.

"We are up against uncontrollable forces. It will take a huge effort to calm things down," he told Danish media after the offices of the paper which first published the controversial cartoons were evacuated following a bomb scare.

The bomb threat came as Muslim anger over the 12 cartoons, said to depict the Prophet Muhammad, boiled over into a diplomatic crisis threatening Danish trade relations with the Muslim world.

Rasmussen said that his government considered the growing dispute "extremely serious."

The French paper said it had decided to reprint them "not from an appetite for gratuitous provocation, but because they constitute the subject of a controversy on a global scale which has done nothing to maintain balance and mutual limits in democracy, respect of religious beliefs and freedom of expression".

According to France-Soir, "these 12 drawings could appear anodyne," but their publication, "which has tested the limits of the freedom of expression in Denmark has engendered a wave of indignation at anger in the Muslim world."

[AdmSmith]

Thank you France (Is it real, did I say this? Yes.)

[AdmSmith]

If all civilized countries publish this as Denmark, Norway, and now France did, we will defuse the Islamists.

[mewzilla]

I think I've seen one of these, the one with the bomb for a turban.

The cartoon struck me as anti-Islamist, not anti-Islam.

[50sDad]

OK, does Freedom of Speech allow you to yell "Jihad" in a crowded theater?

Normally I'd say, if it were America, "How can they hate us more? Print 'em!" But in Islamo-France? Land of the Head Scarf? Man, this is gutsy, and doubly so for the French!

[D.P.Roberts]

Well, it's not like they were shooting back at Germans or anything, but, yes, congrats to the French for an act of courage.

[ncountylee]

Hope more country's press will follow. Nice moose slap down.

[BTCM]

I too am having a hard time believing France published these cartoons---you go girl! Now, if we could only get the New York Slimes and their socialist brethren to follow suit.

[JLS]

Good news, BTW, FRANCE did not publish them. A newspaper in France did. I bet it is privately owned.

[GermanBusiness]

It wouldn't be "gutsy" if every newspaper, presumably liberal, exercised their free speech and took the heat off Denmark.

I have to visit Denmark next week. I don't want to die there because the rest of the free world was too chicken to come to their rescue by simply printing the cartoons themselves.

Also: Where are the announcements by the US government that they will buy Danish milk products? Are we going to let that big Danish milk company go bust? I will ask this evening at my grocery store what products are Danish.

[printhead]

So it threatens trade relations with the muslim world. What would the Danes trade with the muslims? Ham?

[Mercat]

So it threatens trade relations with the muslim world. What would the Danes trade with the muslims? Ham?

Legos?

[Mercat]

http://www.thebricktestament.com/

I hope that this site doesn't offend anyone but I couldn't find a Brick Koran.

[AdmSmith]

Correct, it is a private newspaper, and here is the interesting part:

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9035104

daily newspaper published in Paris. Formerly titled Defense de la France ("Defense of France"), it was founded as an underground paper during the German occupation of France in World War II, and after the war it emerged as a journal of mass appeal. Renamed France-Soir, the newspaper ranked among the country's—and the European continent's-leaders in circulation, reaching 1.5 million in 1955. Circulation fell thereafter, however, dropping below 90,000 in the early 21st century.

Led by a succession of owners over the years, the paper has attempted to attract readers by emphasizing sensational news rather than in-depth analysis or editorial commentary on political developments. Aggressive and imaginative in gathering and reporting news, France-Soir features lively headlines and many photographs. A majority interest in the newspaper was purchased by Egyptian entrepreneur Ramy Lakah in November 2004.

[Mercat]

http://www.ecop.info/e-news/e-news-03-12.htm

This website advocates that we boycott Legos made in Denmark because somehow that Saves the Whales. I couldn't get through all their stupid disclaimers etc to find out why. But they say, "STEP UP THE BOYCOTT AGAINST DENMARK ! DON'T BUY "LEGO" TOYS
FOR YOUR KIDS ! (see: http://www.ecop.info)"

[diverteach]

BREAKING NEWS..............French muzzies to start making curbside car torches again after sundown.

[AdmSmith]

If all civilized countries publish this as Denmark, Norway, and now France did, we will defuse the Islamists as a particular threat to Denmark.

i.e. the situation will be the same as it was prior to the publication.

[Cap Huff]

I don't know about defusing them . . .

It is interesting that in different ways, this caricature issue and the election sweep of Hamas may be clarifying, defining moments.

[edpc]

NBC's "Book of Daniel" was pulled after decent people objected to it's content, tuned out, and swayed potential show sponsors. Islamonuts see a few cartoons and launch bomb threats. What a contrast.

[SusaninOhio]

I don't know about defuse, but if the tops of all their heads blow off, that would be a start.

[JLS]

Now that informaton about ownership is interesting, puzzling and will be something to follow.