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Free Speech vs. Hate Speech (NYT alert)
New York Times ^ | May 6, 2015

Posted on 05/06/2015 2:45:27 PM PDT by reaganaut1

There is no question that images ridiculing religion, however offensive they may be to believers, qualify as protected free speech in the United States and most Western democracies. There is also no question that however offensive the images, they do not justify murder, and that it is incumbent on leaders of all religious faiths to make this clear to their followers.

But it is equally clear that the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest in Garland, Tex., was not really about free speech. It was an exercise in bigotry and hatred posing as a blow for freedom.

That distinction is critical because the conflicts that have erupted over depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, most notably the massacre of staff members at the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in January by two Muslim brothers, have generated a furious and often confused debate about free speech versus hate speech. The current dispute at the American chapter of the PEN literary organization over its selection of Charlie Hebdo for a freedom of expression courage award is a case in point — hundreds of PEN’s members have opposed the selection for “valorizing selectively offensive material.”

Charlie Hebdo is a publication whose stock in trade has always been graphic satires of politicians and religions, whether Catholic, Jewish or Muslim. By contrast, Pamela Geller, the anti-Islam campaigner behind the Texas event, has a long history of declarations and actions motivated purely by hatred for Muslims.

Whether fighting against a planned mosque near ground zero, posting to her venomous blog Atlas Shrugs or organizing the event in Garland, Ms. Geller revels in assailing Islam in terms reminiscent of virulent racism or anti-Semitism. She achieved her provocative goal in Garland — the event was attacked by two Muslims who were shot to death by a traffic officer

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial
KEYWORDS: islam; nyslimes; nyt; pamelageller
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To: Steely Tom

SHAMEFUL ATTACKS BY THE DHIMMIT MEDIA TO PAMELA GELLER AND GERT WILDERS

“I wish that as a nation there were more and more of our leaders that had the same kind of courage that this woman [Pam Geller] has,” said Lt. Gen. Boykin (ret.), who is the executive vice president of the Family Research Council (FRC). “[S]he’s a very brave woman and I think that what she did was upholding and standing for our First Amendment rights. And I don’t think she went too far at all.”

The American “Dhimmitude” media, cowed by Islamic violence, has accepted total submission to the mandates of the Islamic terrorists.

Pamela Geller, Gert Wilders, and Bosch Fawstin (the winner of the contest) are real heroes that have not accepted to be intimidated by Islamic terrorists. It is denigrating for the American media to see their pundits attacking the freedom of expression of those opposed to the Islamization of U.S.

On January 17,2015 and in the same public school center, there was a “Stand with the Prophet” rally by Muslims, a provocative pro-Shariah law event, by supporters of Al-Qaida and Isis organized by one of the terrorists implicated in the bombing of the garage of the NY World Trade Center in 1993.

I wonder if those who try to blame the organizers of the “First Annual Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest,” for the Muslim terrorist attack would have justified if a patriotic American had irrupted in the Muslim rally on January and made a massacre of Islamic terrorists. After all, Americans are profoundly offended by their provocation and the abuse of our freedoms by those who made the Muslim rally in support of the savages that decapitate, crucify and burned Christians alive.

The “Dhimmitude” media, scared by Islamic violence, auto-censors itself and tries to justify the terrorist attack in Texas because the Mohamed cartoons contest offended the sensibility of Islamic terrorists.

On January 2015, radical Islamists desecrated the holy soil of Texas. Do not mess with Texas!!!

ISIS Comes To Texas – This Is War
Noisy Room ^ | May 4 2015 | Terresa Monroe-Hamilton
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3286035/posts?page=2

Iranian Commander: We Won’t Rest Until US is an Islamic Republic

Don’t allow Obama and the media fool us, radical Islam officially declared war against U.S. on 9/11/2001.
In Switzerland everybody is drafted and they keep their arms in home in case they need to defend their country. It is imperative that all American arm themselves, the jihadists are already in and can attack any time our churches, malls, theaters, slaughtering innocents men women and children as they are massacring Christians in Africa and the Middle East.


41 posted on 05/06/2015 3:08:26 PM PDT by Dqban22 (h=white)
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To: Steely Tom

[ Just as it was clear that “Piss Christ” was not really about art. As the New York Times claimed, back when it was defending that form of religious provocation. ]

Is the MSM trying to tellus that all the christians in NY should have burned the city down over the piss christ? Because that is the twisted lession they SEEM to be putting out there...


42 posted on 05/06/2015 3:08:27 PM PDT by GraceG (Protect the Border from Illegal Aliens, Don't Protect Illegal Alien Boarders...)
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To: Steely Tom

oh yeah. I forgot. It’s the Times.


43 posted on 05/06/2015 3:10:04 PM PDT by dp0622
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To: reaganaut1

Where have they been with all the hateful speech about Jesus Christ, with the “art” that defiled the Christian religions, the demands to remove any object that relates to Christians.


44 posted on 05/06/2015 3:10:31 PM PDT by Kenny (,)
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To: reaganaut1
But it is equally clear that the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest in Garland, Tex., was not really about free speech. It was an exercise in bigotry and hatred posing as a blow for freedom.

OTOH, putting a crucifix in a jar of urine or any other attack on Christianity is free speech.

45 posted on 05/06/2015 3:12:13 PM PDT by TwelveOfTwenty (See my home page for some of my answers to the left's talking points.)
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To: reaganaut1
It was an exercise in bigotry and hatred posing as a blow for freedom.

Well, since everything we do in their eyes is an act of bigotry and hatred, I can't find much of an insult there.

46 posted on 05/06/2015 3:13:08 PM PDT by Teacher317 (We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men)
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To: Billthedrill
This was, we recall, the paper that defended the ACLU for defending the Nazis in Skokie, whose motivations really were hatred.

"The issue is never the issue. The issue is the revolution."
--David Horowitz, quoting unnamed SDS leader.

47 posted on 05/06/2015 3:14:43 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows ("Demonicide" - http://youtu.be/FgUWow7WT2Y | Facebook ID: Hopalong Q Ginsberg)
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To: reaganaut1

Expanding on my BullS**t! comment, lets look at the quote:
“It was an exercise in bigotry and hatred posing as a blow for freedom”

How can someone (supposedly) so smart, being a writer for the New York Times, write something that stupid?.

The Garland Exhibit was a an exercise in freedom against religious hate and censorship. Not only hate against Jews and Christians but also against other muslims that have in the past exalted Muhammed in art (unless of course the Muslim faction that finds it offensive has already killed all the members of the other Muslim faction that does not).

Are we to stand as they murder our Supreme Court judges because there is a fresco in the Supreme court building depicting Muhammed as one of the early Lawgivers?

Are we about to let them deface depictions by various artists around the world? are we to allow them to burn all books containing his facade? what about the internet? are we supposed to censor and ban all digital imagery of Muhammed?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depictions_of_Muhammad

And we are the ones offending them? What bunch of hogwash. And shame on the New York Times, what a fall from grace.

and just because I can..
http://www.westernfreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/muhammad-drawing_.png


48 posted on 05/06/2015 3:14:56 PM PDT by Toughluck_freeper
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To: reaganaut1

The NY Times and the jihadis have the same goal, to silence Pamela Geller. One uses a gun and the other uses political correctness but make no mistake they are on the same side.


49 posted on 05/06/2015 3:18:17 PM PDT by RightOnTheBorder
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To: reaganaut1
Pamela Geller, the anti-Islam campaigner behind the Texas event, has a long history of declarations and actions motivated purely by hatred for Muslims.

Of course Geller is evil. She's a Jew and good Jews should be passionately in love with those who want to exterminate them.

50 posted on 05/06/2015 3:18:39 PM PDT by EveningStar
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To: reaganaut1
Dear NYT:
I presume the annual SF "Hunky Jesus Contest" is also an "exercise in bigotry and hatred posing as a blow for freedom"??
51 posted on 05/06/2015 3:18:56 PM PDT by marjiwoj
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To: reaganaut1

If you put limits on speech, for any reason, you no longer have “Free” Speech.


52 posted on 05/06/2015 3:20:38 PM PDT by fhayek
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To: reaganaut1

If she hates Muslims she would be the one with the gun. She may hate Islam, I don’t know, but that is an entirely different thing. Anyway the First Amendment is not protection from getting your feelings hurt.


53 posted on 05/06/2015 3:21:07 PM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: Tzimisce

Free speech for me but not for thee.


54 posted on 05/06/2015 3:22:45 PM PDT by Sam Gamgee (May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't. - Patton)
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To: reaganaut1

was not really about free speech. It was an exercise in bigotry and hatred posing as a blow for freedom.

Oh stop. The point being made and found to be true is that FREEDOM and LIBERTY - you know America and ISLAM, you know oppression fear and death are not compatible. Ms Geller proved that point...


55 posted on 05/06/2015 3:23:06 PM PDT by SECURE AMERICA (I am an American Not a Republican or a Democrat.)
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To: Louis Foxwell
SHAMEFUL ATTACKS BY THE DHIMMIT MEDIA TO PAMELA GELLER AND GERT WILDERS

“I wish that as a nation there were more and more of our leaders that had the same kind of courage that this woman [Pam Geller] has,” said Lt. Gen. Boykin (ret.), who is the executive vice president of the Family Research Council (FRC). “[S]he’s a very brave woman and I think that what she did was upholding and standing for our First Amendment rights. And I don’t think she went too far at all.”

The American “Dhimmi” media, cowed by Islamic violence, has accepted total submission to the mandates of the Islamic terrorists.

Pamela Geller, Gert Wilders, and Bosch Fawstin (the winner of the contest) are real heroes that have not accepted to be intimidated by Islamic terrorists. It is denigrating for the American media to see their pundits attacking the freedom of expression of those opposed to the Islamization of U.S.

On January 17,2015 and in the same public school center, there was a “Stand with the Prophet” rally by Muslims, a provocative pro-Shariah law event, by supporters of Al-Qaida and Isis organized by one of the terrorists implicated in the bombing of the garage of the NY World Trade Center in 1993.

I wonder if those who try to blame the organizers of the “First Annual Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest,” for the Muslim terrorist attack would have justified if a patriotic American had irrupted in the Muslim rally on January and made a massacre of Islamic terrorists. After all, Americans are profoundly offended by their provocation and the abuse of our freedoms by those who made the Muslim rally in support of the savages that decapitate, crucify and burned Christians alive.

The “Dhimmi” media, scared by Islamic violence, auto-censors itself and tries to justify the terrorist attack in Texas because the Mohamed cartoons contest offended the sensibility of Islamic terrorists.

On January 2015, radical Islamists desecrated the holy soil of Texas. Do not mess with Texas!!!

ISIS Comes To Texas – This Is War

Noisy Room ^ | May 4 2015 | Terresa Monroe-Hamilton

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3286035/posts?page=2

Iranian Commander: We Won’t Rest Until US is an Islamic Republic

Don’t allow Obama and the media fool us, radical Islam officially declared war against U.S. on 9/11/2001.

In Switzerland everybody is drafted and they keep their arms in home in case they need to defend their country. It is imperative that all American arm themselves, the jihadists are already in and can attack any time our churches, malls, theaters, slaughtering innocents men women and children as they are massacring Christians in Africa and the Middle East.

56 posted on 05/06/2015 3:23:20 PM PDT by Dqban22 (h=white)
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To: reaganaut1
But it is equally clear that the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest in Garland, Tex., was not really about free speech. It was an exercise in bigotry and hatred posing as a blow for freedom.

So what was the urine crucifix and "Book of Mormon"? How is drawing cartoons hate and putting a sacred object of Christians in urine not?

57 posted on 05/06/2015 3:30:55 PM PDT by Lizavetta
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To: reaganaut1
To sum up the liberal meme on this issue:

When we engage in the most outrageous, offensive verbal assaults on YOUR cherished beliefs, we are "edgy" and "challenging the conventional wisdom." When YOU hint that our beliefs are ludicrous or fragile, you're engaging in "hate speech" and should be censored, punished, or silenced with extreme prejudice.

Free speech is what WE say it is, serfs.

58 posted on 05/06/2015 3:32:39 PM PDT by IronJack
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To: reaganaut1

I have never read anything more full of BS than this one. Not one of these pussyfied news vendors said any thing when these pieces of trash said any thing when Christians and Mormons were being vilified. According to those “BRAINY GUYS” in the NYT, that was legal. They are all COWARDS. They will be the first ones that these ISIS people will kill. And while ISIS is beheading them, they’re going to ask; “WHY? DIDN’T WE PROTECT YOU”?


59 posted on 05/06/2015 3:33:50 PM PDT by gingerbread
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To: reaganaut1
But

that's as far as I made it....

60 posted on 05/06/2015 3:36:38 PM PDT by papertyger (Gun fighting is the American martial art.)
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