LMAO!! Pass the popcorn. First the Danes and now the Frenchies!
French and German Papers Reprint Danish Cartoons That Sparked Muslim Protests
By E&P Staff
Published: February 01, 2006 UPDATED 2:40 PM ET
NEW YORK French and German newspapers Wednesday reprinted Danish newspaper cartoons that sparked protests in the Muslim world, according to Reuters and Associated Press stories.
Also, widely syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker of the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel and Tribune Media Services wrote about the cartoon controversy in her Wednesday piece.
Paris-based France Soir said it ran the cartoons to support freedom of expression and fight religious intolerance. AP reported that Mohammed Bechari, president of the National Federation of the Muslims of France, said his group would start legal proceedings again France-Noir.
"The publication of 12 cartoons in the Danish press has shocked the Muslim world for whom the representation of Allah and his prophet is banned," France-Soir said in a front-page comment below one of the controversial drawings. "But because no religious dogma can impose its view on a democratic and secular society, France Soir publishes the incriminated cartoons."
Under a headline that read, "Yes, we have the right to caricature God," the paper also ran a front-page cartoon showing Buddha, the Christian and Jewish Gods, and the Prophet Mohammad sitting on a cloud above Earth. The Christian God says: "Don't complain, Mohammad, we've all been caricatured here."
Other papers reprinting the Danish cartoons included Germany's Die Welt and Berliner Zeitung. Die Welt said a "right to blasphemy" is a democratic freedom.
The cartoons set off waves of protests after their initial publication in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten newspaper in September and in a Norwegian paper last month.
Islam sees images of its prophet as disrespectful and caricatures as blasphemous, noted the Reuters piece.
Kathleen Parker said in her column: "One could make a quick argument against publishing some of the cartoons for being mediocre, but free speech makes no demand for quality. More to the point, the Danish cartoon controversy proves the larger truth that those groups most vocal in demanding tolerance from others are usually themselves the least tolerant."
LOL!! The Germans are doing it, too!! Great news!!
Another French Paper did it yesterday and the Editor in Chief was promptly fired, lets see if this paper has more of a spine. An Italian, a Spanish and a German newspaper threw thier hats in the ring yesterday as well.
Now let's start seeing some support from US newspapers. Anyone -- anyone?
Wow, integrity ...nice to see
It didn't take the frenchies long to surrender. I heard the editor got fired.