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.
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"Islam seems like a very nice religion and I really like it's practitioners,
but it's not exactly my cup of tea."
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....."Death to the Jew, Ziggy!"
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"Annihilate Ziggy!
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"May the infidel Ziggy's left ear wither and fall to the ground and be trampled by goats!!"
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"Who the hell is Ziggy!??"
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"Tim, this is a Republican scandal. For Ziggy, whom I believe knows who President
Bush is, and who has not given one dime to the DNC, to use those words, 'not
my cup of tea' is really beyond the pale. We haven't scene anything like this in
Washington since the dark days of President Nixon...
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Gosh, lets get out of the way of all of those considerate Muslims.
"Just because the Koran bans images of Mohammed doesn't mean non-Muslims have to submit to this."
Yes, Serge, it means exactly that. You submit or muzzies chop off your heads. Europe needs to take a stand now or there not only won't be any newspapers, there won't be anyone left who can read them in French or any other Euro language.
To take over the West.
And they will use PC and idiot liberals to do it.
Thanks for the link.
Here's an idea!
Print cartoons. Take to copy store. Print a bunch.
Leave everywhere you can. Millions of us. Tons of
copystores-they'll implode!
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