[GarySpFc]

This is about muslim anger at the west over cartoons. Russia sided with Islam against the west.

Tailgunner, you remember the cartoon in the Volgograd paper, and in reality it was not offensive, because it simply implied that all religions should get along. However, it violated Russian law, which was in effect prior to the cartoon. It calls for nothing offensive to any religion being in the papers. To say Russia sided with the Muslims on this count is a distortion of reality, and if you were honest you would admit it. This is simply another example of your life has to find some reason to attack Russia no matter what the truth.

[propertius]

That's the point. The cartoon didn't offend Muslims until United Russia members in Volgograd decided it did. And boy did they make a hulabaloo.

So not only did Putin's party pander to extremist Muslim views, it artificially created the outrage and deliberately sought to stoke Muslim party opinion.

Ultimately this was all about sending a warning to the press: "We can shut you down whenever we damn well please."

That is how life is in "Free" Russia, which is now vying with Belarus for the sobriquet of "outpost of tyranny."