Danish cartoons inflame islamic nations

Originally posted by junglejake
Well, it seems France has surrendered.

The owner of the French magazine that surrendered was an Egyptian. From what I've read he's a Coptic Christian, not a Muslim...but still he could have family or be worried about Coptics in Egypt in general if they focused on the fact he published this and refused to apologize.

So in this case, I'll give France the benefit of the doubt since it appears it wasn't really a Frenchman who surrendered.

It's funny, all this aggressive fuss, loaded and emotive language in this case with Islam and yet I am old enough to remember the row over Mary Whitehouse and her use of the British blasphemy laws.

It ran on almost exactly the same kind of ideas, a casual and utterly gratuitous insult to members of a particular faith.

I don't recall people claiming that anyone had "surrendered" and imposed a theocracy then when she won her (Christian) case.
Ironically her victory was the prompt to get the laws changed and relaxed here in the UK.

[edit on 3-2-2006 by sminkeypinkey]

www.tomgrossmedia.com...

If anyone would like to view some arab cartoons that
poke at Israel, 9/11, etc .... here are just a few.

hypocrits!

ITS A CARTOON !!

The cartoons as we all know were meant to caricaturize the Muslim religion. To say the least, this has accomplished that goal. But what is more important is to note the real question this raises and that is, To what extent does a free society have to compromise its freedoms to satisfy a particular religion ??

I would also like to point out the very threatening and aggressive response to the mild criticism, which I find shocking. If merely humor can amount to this kind of an outrage by the Muslims worldwide how would the reaction be to underground anti-islamists and their propaganda ?

If cartoons can draw death threats from across the Muslim world to the European nation, with HAMAS having armed rallies and burning countries flags for the actions of their news media, then I think the real problem is not with the cartoons themselves but with the Muslim world in general.

I think we should turn this question on its head and ask ourselves this, what if in the middle east we come to notice a popular media outlet having fun at the Christian religions expense then how would we react here in the West ??
Or let us say some other religion like Buddhists were caricaturized in the Middle East through innocuous cartoons then how would they react ??
In both these cases would we see a mob of atleast a thousand strong marching in our cities brandishing automatic weapons and burning flags of the nations in which these articles were published ?? Would the Buddhists resort to threats of attacks on the middle eastern nations ??

To both questions it would be safe to say- No.

Then why is the Muslim reaction to this so caustic ? Is it that they love god more than the rest of the world does ? Or is it that they are insecure about their religion and thus react violently to even mild provocation ?
Would it be also safe to reason that the Muslims of the Arab world now truly realize the power of terrorism and know that they West is truly petrified about their ability to wield it with ease. Are they taking advantage of out fears ?

Let each one of us see what exactly is the cause of this Storm and let us consider how our community would react had these cartoons been targeted at our faith. So here you go, examine the cause for the outrage :
Provocation ???

Having seen this I think we should dwell on them a moment and imagine if these things are worth of such a fuss and what would our reaction be towards these cartoons had they been directed at our faith.
Anti-JEWISH
Anti-Christian

And In the end I would like to ask : Does the reaction merit the cause ???
I think it is safe to say that my proclivity towards this issue is quiet clear.


[**note- I posted this on the other thread but wanted to add it here as it is relevant here]

The cartoon as I understand it had already been printed once and there had been problems then they reprinted it. While I agree that freedom of speech should always be a primary concern, I can't help but wonder why reprint it? After all, as some of you have pointed out it is only a cartoon; it is not earthshattering news some government is trying to keep quiet.

So why reprint it if they knew this would antagonize and upset these people? Or maybe thats why they reprinted it to show this particular group of people in a bad light, knowing how they would react.

Well their are expected to be new protests in Denmark and now in the UK. This seems to be yet more bad news for relations between europeans and muslims who live in europe. First you had the bombings in Madrid then weeks of riots in France now protests all over europe from disgruntled muslims. I have to ask my european friends here how do you feel the situation can be improved and if a understanding between european and islamic culture can be found.

news.bbc.co.uk...

Well know its getting really serious. Protestors in Damascus have stormed the Danish and Norwegian embassies. They set fire and completely torched both embassies. Denmark and Norway are now evacuating their diplomatic staff and warning all of their citizens against travel to the middle east. This is really getting out of hand.


news.bbc.co.uk...

Christians today don't slaughter or threaten to terrorize someone who satirizes them. Which is exactly what Muslims did when a Denmark newspaper printed some cartoons that satirized Islam.



The photo above is at a protest at ground zero.






[edit on 4-2-2006 by TrueLies]

Great post TrueLies. If an American was caught protesting with signs like that they would be immediately condemned as a Nazis or a facist or just plain ignorant. Its interesting I've been watching the news and haven't seen any of these pictures.

Must be all in the timing?

Funny how they have recently decided to go postal about anti-Islamic cartoons, when they been around for years.

Well looks like another embassy just went up in flames. this time it was in Beirut but once again it was the Danes who bit the bullet.

Another one bites the dust

I am really cross with those Islam folk. It was a stupid idea to release those cartoons, but the reaction of extremists beggers belief. They wouldn't get away with that malarky in their own crappy countries. Surely, they should be a bit more polite right?
I am quite offended by the banners they hold mentioning all sorts of things about 9/11 and jihad and stuff. Jihad is the most 2nd prostituted word, just behind patriotism.

Well the poor Danes can't seem to catch a break Yet another embassy is being attacked. This time in Iran, which has also severed trade relations with Denmark. I've been wondering what action is the EU going to take in support of Denmark at least I'm hoping they will do something to support the Danes. I mean their a little country getting pick on by a bunch of barbaric savages.

Poor Denmark

Doubt the E.U will help. They might look at Denmark as a diddy country, and not do anything. Though I sincerely doubt that Denmark or the Nordic countries will get taken over by these radicals, it will probebly hit them hard in the pocket. Britain will probebly have to bail them out...as they always do, riding to the rescue of the other E.U. members. France won't.

Originally posted by MacDonagh
They might look at Denmark as a diddy country, and not do anything.

If that's true, then the EU is completely worthless. Why have a union when at the first sign of trouble your so-called partners abandon you?

Originally posted by danwild6
Well the poor Danes can't seem to catch a break

Yet another embassy is being attacked. This time in Iran, which has also severed trade relations with Denmark.

- Interesting that in the supposedly vicious and plain old mad theocracy that is supposed to be Iran today they turned out the cops to use force to disperse the rioting crowds, no?

On Monday evening a crowd of about 400 demonstrators bore down on the Danish embassy in Tehran, which Denmark had closed the day before.

They burned Danish flags and chanted "Death to Denmark".

The embassy gate and two trees caught fire, before Iranian police intervened, forcing the protesters back with tear gas.

news.bbc.co.uk...

I've been wondering what action is the EU going to take in support of Denmark at least I'm hoping they will do something to support the Danes. I mean their a little country getting pick on by a bunch of barbaric savages.

- .......and what "action" would you like to see?
There will no doubt be a long-running case for the repairs and rebuilding of the embassies (IIRC similar cases have gone on for years) but how would you suggest the EU or anybody else makes the Muslims so offended buy Danish goods?

Originally posted by MacDonagh
Doubt the E.U will help. They might look at Denmark as a diddy country, and not do anything.

- What "help" do you imagine the EU could offer?

There may be an impact on external trade but I think you'll find Denmark (like the other Scandinavian countries) is very well placed and certainly wealthy enough to stand any such consequences of a Muslim-world boycott.
They are not just a "diddy country" in the manner you imply.

Though I sincerely doubt that Denmark or the Nordic countries will get taken over by these radicals, it will probebly hit them hard in the pocket.

- The highest % of Muslims in a European country is 10%, in France (thanks to their centuries old empire).
No European country is going to be "taken over".

Britain will probebly have to bail them out...as they always do, riding to the rescue of the other E.U. members. France won't.

- Perhaps you'd care to give an example of this "bail out" you think Britain is "always" doing?

Maybe you would care to explain how Britain would step out of the EU financial structures and alone foot any bill (and where such a bill would come from and for what) and how France would be able to step out of the EU financial structures to avoid being part of it?

......or you could just own up admit it is plain silly old ignorance and anti-French prejudice at work?


[edit on 7-2-2006 by sminkeypinkey]

Originally posted by madnessinmysoul
[if a major USA population depicted the virgin mary as a
crackwhore sticking a desecrated bible up through her
genitals, you'd react similarly. that's how bad the cartoon
was for muslims.

Wrong. Remember the 'art' work from a few years ago
of the Virgin Mary covered in poop? No one burnt down
the city of New York, or threatened to commit genocide
against all of Europe or Asia because of it. There were no
riots, no threats of riots, no threats of international war.

The people who got upset with it wrote letters to newspapers,
got people together for boycotts and went on the TV news to
express their disgust at the 'art'.

Also - there are PLENTY of political cartoons about the Catholic
church in papers all the time. They depict the Vatican and the pope
in evil doing, they depict priests as all being letches and pedophiles,
they depict many aspects of the Catholic belief system as flat out
wrong and evil for the world (such as birth control - the Catholic
faith says artificial birth control is against scripture - onanism, there
have also been tons of cartoons against the Catholic stand on
stem cells).

The 1 billion Catholics on the planet have not revolted, have not
demanded everyone convert to Catholicism, have not threatened
genocide of entire countries ...

So frankly, your statement is wrong.

Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen is talking to the world press right now. CNN promised to show some of it, but I´m watching it on danish tv.


edit:
I saw some on cnn anyway. cnn is biased against Denmark. The fake pictures and lies from the imams are not mentioned at all. What is going on?

[edit on 2006/2/7 by Hellmutt]

Originally posted by goose
So why reprint it if they knew this would
antagonize and upset these people?

There is no reason to hide it. It's a cartoon. No need to be
intimidated and run scared and appease people.
The cartoonist and the paper stand behind what
he said. The reaction of the people just back up
what the cartoonist said. Instead of the cartoon
just being a cartoon ... it has been proven to be true!

Smirk. Didn't the French and the Germans have a hissy fit over Britain's rebate in the E.U? Or is that them playing mind games? I don't dislike the French. I just distrust them. There is a difference I assure you. The E.U might be just a little hesitant to giving some financial aid if they needed any. That is all Im saying.