Posted on 02/02/2006 3:02:20 PM PST by Cornpone
PARIS: Newspapers in France, Germany, Spain and Italy have reprinted Danish caricatures of the prophet Mohammed, saying press freedom is more important than protests and boycotts that the cartoons have sparked across the Muslim world.
The Danish embassy in Damascus was evacuated after a bomb threat that turned out to be a hoax and Syria recalled its ambassador from Denmark in protest at the cartoons, one of which shows Mohammed wearing a turban shaped like a bomb.
In Copenhagen, police met Islamic leaders to try to calm reactions there, and in the city of Aarhus, the offices of the Jyllands-Posten newspaper that first published the caricatures last September were briefly evacuated after a bomb threat.
Two large Danish companies reported their sales falling in the Middle East after protests against the cartoons in the Arab world and calls for boycotts.
Muslims consider images of prophets distasteful and caricatures blasphemous.
"Enough lessons from these reactionary bigots!" France Soir editor Serge Faubert wrote in a commentary explaining why his newspaper had printed the cartoons.
"Just because the Koran bans images of Mohammed doesn't mean non-Muslims have to submit to this."
The newspaper's front page carried the headline "Yes, We Have the Right to Caricature God" and a cartoon of Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim and Christian gods floating on a cloud. Inside, the paper reran the drawings.
Dalil Boubakeur, head of the French Muslim Council, denounced the publication of the drawings as "a genuine provocation towards France's millions of Muslims".
"The principle of freedom of the press, which the French authorities defend around the world, will not be questioned," French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy told a news conference in Ankara, adding that the principle must, however, be exercised with a spirit of tolerance.
Germany's Die Welt newspaper reprinted the cartoons, arguing that a "right to blasphemy" was anchored in democratic freedoms.
But Burhan Kesici, a leader of Germany's Turkish community, said they reduced Islam "to two or three terrorists".
Some of the cartoons were also published by Italy's Corriere della Serra and La Stampa, and two Spanish newspapers, ABC and El Periodico.
Jyllands-Posten has apologised for any hurt the caricatures may have caused, but police said the paper's offices in Aarhus were evacuated on Wednesday night for the second time in two days after a bomb threat.
Thousands of Palestinians protested against Denmark this week, and Arab ministers called for punishment of Jyllands-Posten.
Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador from Copenhagen and Libya has closed its embassy. Qatar condemned the cartoons.
Anyone got a link to the picture so I can send it out to everyone I know? frigging rag heads out to be made to look at it 24 hrs a day 7 days a week 365 days a year for eternity.
Why is the media continually calling ole Mo a "prophet"? Isn't journalism supposed to be impartial and not use clearly hypothethical statements? I don't read Jesus being referred to as "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" by the mainstream media.
yeah, here's a redo of that editorial cartoon. A stab at thee islamic terrorists!
http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.com/2006/02/mohammed-and-his-thousand-papercuts.html
Thanks to thin-skinned muslims these cartoon are getting world-wide play.
Good point! :)
muslims have finally found an issue which they will not get europe to cave on, at least in part because it involves the media that has been apologizing for them and in part because it is an attempt to dictate to all europeans what they may not do.
I see the major US media companies are rushing to publish these fotos as well (not)
Sorry.
But hey, that's my first pulled post!
Denmark and France do not have the cajones to deal with the Islamics extremists
Glad to know we can always count on the muzzies to pour gasoline on their own pyre...idiots.
Congratulations! You never forget your first one.
Beautiful...absolutely beautiful. I think it would look great in my daughter's room under a blacklight...on second thought...I'm trying to protect my daughter from garbage like Islam.
I am offended by the offensive behavior of the offended Muslims' reaction towards the offensive cartoons of the old offensive pedophile.
"pop a vein"?
I figure they will get so hot, all their bomb vests will ignite at once.
Sounds like ole Jaques needs to go back to the cultural diversity appreciation class. He is being a bad dhimmi, and will pay dearly. Only Americans are allowed to be so culturally insensiteve.
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