Posted on 02/04/2006 1:45:49 PM PST by lizol
Anger over cartoons spreads in Europe AP
Gaza City: Rage against caricatures of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) poured out across the Muslim world on Saturday, with aggrieved believers calling for the execution of those involved, storming European buildings, and setting European flags afire.
The cartoons, first printed in Denmark, and then published elsewhere in Europe, have touched a raw nerve, in part because Islamic law is interpreted to forbid any depictions of the Prophet.
Muslims in Europe have reacted less passionately than their counterparts in the Mideast and Southeast Asia, but on Saturday, anger in Europe swelled, too, with demonstrators clashing with police in Copenhagen and gathering outside the Danish Embassy in London.
A South African court, meanwhile, barred newspapers from reprinting the pictures
In Munich, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she understood Muslims' hurt, but denounced violent reactions.
"I can understand that religious feelings of Muslims have been injured and violated," Merkel said at an international security conference, " but I also have to make clear that I feel it is unacceptable to see this as legitimising use of violence."
A leader of the Hamas group, which recently swept Palestinian parliamentary elections, told an Italian newspaper yesterday that the cartoons were an "unforgivable insult" that should be punished by death.
"We should have killed all those who offend the Prophet and instead here we are, protesting peacefully," Mahmoud Zahar, a top leader of the militant group that won the Jan. 25 Palestinian elections, told Italian daily Il Giornale.
"We should have killed them, we should have required just punishment for those who respect neither religion nor its holiest symbols," Zahar was quoted as saying.
Hundreds of Palestinians turned out for protests yesterday. In Gaza City, demonstrators hurled stones at a European Commission building and stormed a German government cultural centre, smashing windows and doors.
Protesters also burned German and Danish flags, and called for a boycott of Danish products. In the West Bank town of Hebron, about 50 Palestinians marched to the headquarters of the international observer mission, burned a Danish flag, and demanded a boycott.
At least 500 Israeli Arabs gathered peacefully in Nazareth for the first protest against the caricatures on Israeli soil.
Angry demonstrators took to the streets in Denmark and Britain yesterday, a sign that European Muslims' emotions have heated up.
Poland's prime minister, Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, criticised a Polish newspaper for reprinting the images.
In Copenhagen, young Muslims clashed with police after they were stopped from boarding a train to go to a demonstration north of the Danish capital.
I got it..."Brokeback Mosque". Can you imagine the outrage?
For those who were disheartened to hear the State Department's official position regarding the Islamic cartoon matter, the press has misrepresented their official position (no surprise).
The statement in its entirety can be read here:
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1571906/posts
We should flood the media with wave after wave of the
most "offensive" anti-Muzzie cartoons possible. Then
maybe they'll all die of apoplexy. Just a thought.
Thanks to prairiebreeze for this:
Please take a look at some further analysis about the State Dept statement.
Right Wing Nuthouse calls it more of an example of laziness and poor writing ability on the media's part. For instance he says:
So just where did the State Department get it wrong? They stand up for free speech. They recognize that the cartoons offended Muslims. They tell the idiots in the Middle East to look to their own portrayals of Jews and Christians before going off half cocked about the Mohamed cartoons. And they call upon everyone to settle down.
But all we got from press reports was the fact that the State Department seems to be condemning the Danes and other European publications for running the offending cartoons and an obligatory nod to the First Amendment.
Also on this Little Green Footballs link Charles posts the transcript from the actual briefing of Scott McCormack at State Dept. He gives a MUCH fuller explanation to the State Dept's stance on the situation with Denmark than was initially reported by the press. AND, btw, reported word for word by three different reporters.
It is quite entertaining over there. They have a large contingent of 1st Amendment supporters outraged by Islamic fanatics followed by posters who paint all religious fundamentalists with the same broad brush. These posters are quickly rebuked with replies along the lines of, "Say what you will about fundamentalist Christians, at least they don't behead people when we make fun of them!" And finally there are the Muslim apologists who find a way to blame all of this anger on Bush's invasion of Iraq.
Note also that the messages are not in Arabic - these guys are posturing for the Western press, who will eagerly sop it up.
How about MHBIHF?
Oh, what does it mean? May He Burn in He** Forever.
It is interesting indeed.
Many people here paint liberals with a broad brush, the same brush with which many conservatives paint liberals.
There is a diversity of opinion among liberals. Threads about religion and immigration often bring out a wide variety of opinions as well, some of which would be welcome here on FR. The world is a profoundly interesting place.
You know, British newspapers for example decided not to publish it.
"Rzeczpospolita" got widely criticised today in Poland - by the conservative (I mean, very conservative) government, by other media, by Polish Catholic bishops etc.
Some time ago there was a big affair in Poland about an "artist", who created a work of "art" - a huge photo of penis and testicles shaped like a cross.
Lots of people were outraged here, as it was an obvious insult of a Catholic (an Christian in general) faith.
As far as I know - islam doesn't allow any picture of Mohammed. If it is supposed to be a cartoon, a satire - that wiil be surely considered by muslims as a blasphemy.
I don't like, when my faith is insluted.
And I don't like, when the same happens to others.
And I don't like stupid provocations when our soldiers are serving in Iraq.
This stupid move definitely will not make their job easier .
"They ("liberals") make good debate partners."
Sorry to say, I haven't met any either.
All of the "liberals" I've ever known--public figures or private--make a big show over the 1st Amendment, usually just before taking the position that the 2nd should be abolished, then their matriarch Hildabeast tries another tack at eliminating sites like FR from the internet.
Squash them like bugs . . .
Mebbe it's a matter of semantics, but all the "liberals"
I've ever known were slanderous, treacherous insects.
"Brokeback Prophets"? ROTFLMAO!!! Think the Danes will publish that for you?
Nah....but I'm watching my back...
To show support for freedoms of the press and of speech?
Been there done that, try more like either Crusades 9.0, 10.0, 11.0, 12.0 or 13.0 depending on you count the earlier versions, some of which where more Alpha versions, others like Beta versions.
Since he's been there for about 12 centuries, he either has been or never will. But considering how much of Satan's work has been done by old Mo's disciples, maybe Beelzebub has cut him a break.... Nah, the horned one doesn't work that way.
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