Cartoon rage continues to roil, making it increasingly clear that this is a challenge over nothing less than whether free societies will remain free. From AP, with thanks to all who sent this in:
Riyadh — Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador to Denmark on Thursday to protest against a published series of caricatures of the prophet Muhammad, which provoked a wave of anger in Islamic countries when they were published last year in a leading Danish newspaper.Ambassador Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Hejailan had been posted to Denmark since March 2003. Embassy officials did not answer phone calls Thursday afternoon.
The 12 drawings published Sept. 30, 2005 by the Danish paper Jyllands-Posten included one showing Muhammad wearing a turban shaped as a bomb with a burning fuse. Another portrayed him with a bushy grey beard and holding a sword, his eyes covered by a black rectangle. A third pictured a middle-aged prophet standing in the desert with a walking stick in front of a donkey and a sunset.
Islamic tradition bars any depiction of the prophet, even respectful ones, out of concern such images could lead to idolatry.
Get ready for Denmark to apologize. They may even make sensitivity training mandatory for all infidel Danes.
Bet on it.
Ridicule is a powerful weapon against these monsters. They could be killed by the millions and would hardly blink an eye.
But their immature psyche crumbles under ridicule. Something leaders in the west don't understand.
Think how pissed off that poor ambassador must be, removed from the land of tall blondes in short skirts to the land of short brunettes in hijabs. I reckon he will do everything in his power to make the whole thing peter out. After all, if the Saudi leadership began to seriously quarrel with Western countries, they might be less able to travel - or even move to - infidel countries, and all our more expensive prostitutes would suffer a great decline in income.
Have the Saudi's said specifically what they are demanding of Denmark? If the Saudi's want Denmark and all other countries that respect free speech to impose censorship, they should come right out and say so.
Danish butter, eggs, bacon. Scandinavian design at Illums Bolighus, including the teak furniture that used to be the hallmark of Design Research. Whole runs of journals devoted to Early English Philology. Early editions of Hans Christian Andersen. Vacations centered around Copenhagen (Tivoli, the toy-soldier palace, botanical gardens), and Odense (visits to Andersen's birthplace, marzipan to bring home), and Elsinore, where there are wind-swept ramparts.
There is nothing rotten in the state of Denmark. The state of Denmark is behaving perfectly. What is rotten is the failure of all the other European countires, and North America, to noisily express their complete solidarity, in the name of free speech, with Denmark, and to furiously demand an explanation of the behavior of Saudi Arabia in removing its ambassador, and suggesting that Saudi Arabia might care to remove its ambassadors from all the other countries, for all of those countries support, unequivocally, the right and now perhaps the duty, of the Western press to not be inhibited or made fearful by Saudi or other Muslim threats.
It will take, in this country, exactly one public figure -- one Congressman, one Senator -- to make this an issue. Where is that one Congressman, that one Senator, who will discuss Free Speech, the Danish newspaper, and threats to an ally and member of the Western alliance, and what's more important, the Western world.
Where is that person?
It would be good if Rice, or Bush, or others in the constantly-surprised about whatever comes from the Middle East brigade who presume to rule us, to speak out about this. Will they?
"Get ready for Denmark to apologize."
fat chance - the Danish PM already told them to get lost - way back in October last
http://www.cphpost.dk/get/91710.html
and he couldnt have made it any clearer - read on:
'This is a matter of principle. I won't meet with them because it is so crystal clear what principles Danish democracy is built upon that there is no reason to do so,' said Rasmussen.
As prime minister, I have no power whatsoever to limit the press - nor do I want such a power,' he said. 'It is a basic principle of our democracy that a prime minister cannot control the press.'
'Some people say that the press needs to be constructive, and sometimes I also think that'd be nice. But who's to say what's constructive? That's an unfair demand to make. The press needs to be critical - I need to bear that as prime minister and religions must do so as well,' he said.
Somebody , give that guy a medal.
danish PM - he's a conservative:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anders_Fogh_Rasmussen
I think on my next vacation I will visit Denmark, I want to see up close one of the few European countries to stand up for their rights in the face of a relentless da'wa and Jihadist threat.
Denmark is leading in the fight for our freedoms and way of life and yes the Christian heart of Europe
Support them by, visiting their country and buying their products!
These 12 cartoons would certainly NOT promote the idolatry of Mohammad (pb&j), so the Saudis, etc. should ACTUALLY be delighted with them.
(The 3 cartoons ADDED to this dozen, drawn by Muslims, which depict REAL insults to Mo according to Islamic traditions ... with a pig's snout, etc... go even further to prevent such iconography.)
In essence, the problem comes down to:
**************************************************
Christianity is a danger when it does not live up to its ideals.
Islam is a danger when it does.
**************************************************
OFF TO BUY SOME HAVARTI AND TUBORG.
El Cid,
That's a great idea. If I get to go to Europe soon (hopefully, before Sharia is imposed), I will visit Denmark. I sure intend to purchase Danish goods whenever I can.
Maybe there's hope for Europe yet.
The Danes don't need a Saudi embassy. It's the fifth columns of Muslims who live in Europe that need the services of the Egyptian, Moroccan, Tunisian, etc. embassies, especially Saudi money to fund new mosques and frivolous lawsuits against Brave Danes exercising their (diminishing) freedom of speech to criticize Islam.
Good riddance!
"Rasmussen's government's agenda is significantly more right wing than has been the case in Denmark for a long time. He is in favour of deregulation, privatization, and limiting the size of government. His government has also enacted tough measures designed to limit the number of immigrants coming to Denmark."
Yes, this has nothing to do with Left-Right. Move along now.
Much is made in the Muslim world of Mohammed being just a man. No man is above criticism or even ridicule, not even the model for all men. Hence the entire commotion puts the lie to the original assertion: Muslims think Mohammed is just a man.
There is an article at the CNN website concerning political cartoons in the UK (http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/01/27/bush.cartoons.ap/index.html). There is an interesting bit on Steve Bell of the Guardian, known for skewering President Bush in some of his work:
"Bell -- who calls his cartoons 'little rectangles of visual anarchy' in the stodgy world of newspapers -- acknowledges receiving a stream of angry e-mails, particularly from the United States (regarding his reatments of Mr. Bush).
"'There's always a steady supply of people who get cross,' he said. 'That's our job, in a way.'"
No matter what one's opinion of Mr. Bush, simply as an actor on the world stage he is fair game for criticism and Bell's comments are apropos. By Western standards --and presumably we are still talking about the West here-- Mohammed is likewise fair game. The Saudi boycott, however, is intended to overturn the exercise of free speech in Denmark. What will happen? Isn't it time for a newspaper in another country --the US, the UK, the Netherlands, wherever-- to take up the slack? Let the Saudis end up boycotting products from the entire Western world. I suspect the West can make the adjustment.
"Such images could lead to idolatory"
But what all the Muslims are doing in their Haj Pillgrimage-rounding the Black stone called Kaba several times, prostrating before it,lifting their behinds,and kissing it? Even those who are praying dailey,bend and worship to the direction of that black stone? Is that not Idol worship?
I have heard nothing about this on the MSM. Could it be that it just seems too incredulous to normal people to be true? That the government of KSA would recall its ambassador and fully support a boycott of Denmark over a cartoon is just beyond the pale. I urge everyone to stand firmly behind Denmark in this. A rational person would look at these cartoons, shrug his shoulders, and wonder what all the fuss is about. There seems to be a shortage of rational beings in the Magic Kingdom.
Claiming it leads to idolatry is such infantile nonsense. They already revere Muhammed as a god, so they obviously don't need images of him to worship him...
I'm not sure wether this is a good thing, but Javier Solana is willing to "help" in the "diplomatic crisis between Denmark and Saudi Arabia". Thus far, though, we(Denmark) haven't asked for anything from the EU. Javier Solana wouldn't rule that it could come to a "joint EU statement"(wether that's a good thing or not I'm unsure of) on the matter. But he hoped it wouldn't get to that point.
Any of you guys tried writting your MSM, asking why they aren't covering this story? I'd like to hear/read their responses to be honest.
Damn. Correction for my post about the EU/Javier Solana.
"Javier Solana wouldn't rule that it could come to..."
Is ofcourse supposed to be:
"Javier Solana wouldn't rule OUT that it could come to..."
Thus speaketh the Muslim:
"The idolatry of Western Humor -- oh the infamy -- the hatred for the sacred "prophet"! The expressions of hatred for Islam! It's too much to bear! Allah, what infidels these infidels be!"
When pondering Islam's response to Western apostacies such as humor and tolerance, I am reminded of the Lost in Space robot's refrain when his circuits were taxed beyond their ability to tolerate or endure...
"CRUSH! -- KILL! -- DESTROY!" (arms flailing -- bubble head bobbing -- pincers pinching....)
Just so, the Muslim... To stop the robot's rampage, all Will had to do was pull the power pack -- problem solved...! Where's that dang "power pack" for the rampaging Muslim?
Ooops! -- Muslims aren't a cartoon, even if they always behave like one...
making a mountain out of evry little molehill
Now ARLA tries to explain the matter to the saudi public:
http://www.jp.dk/english_news/artikel:aid=3522016/
The furor over these cartoons appears absurd, but these coordinated efforts by governments to influence and change laws protecting free speech in a Western society are tantamount to political and cultural war, in which one party seeks submission and fundamental change in another; given the added threat of mass murder by Islamic jihadists, who are ideologically allied to the aggressor governments, and the existence of a large Muslim population in Europe which pressures seeks to advance Islamic law, one must describe these threats and actions by Islamic governments as acts of war pure and simple.
This should be all over the news; the United States government should be protesting, threatening economic sanctions, freezing assets or whatever. And European nations should be plotting defensive action of all sorts. Instead there is silence and puzzlement, 'you can't be serious...'. And when the unthinkable happens, something whose horror no one can deny, one will hear 'I'm so shocked!'
We should be past the shock and already on our way to prudent, sensible defensive action against the jihad against our societies, our ways of life, our values.
Maybe their outrage will extend to the point where all Muslims will leave Denmark! Then Germany, France, Spain and the US can start publishing cartoons in their papers! We might have found the solution to Muslims cultural colonization of the West!
The websites of 3 of Denmarks largest newspapers are currently unreachable: Jyllands-Posten, Berlingske Tidende and BT.
This might just be coincidence, but it'd be a damn godlike coincidence, if you ask me. Anyone want to wager muslims took them down?
Now the rage and fiery sermons have spread to that beacon of Middle East liberal democracy, Iraq. From AFP, via Yahoo!, we bring you:
Iraqis protest against anti-Islamic Danish cartoons
First, these cartoons do not attack the personality of Mohammed, but exemplify his personality. If Mohammed is truly believed to be a symbol for humanity, then Mother Teresa had it all wrong. And just what could the artists and publications be tried for, exercise of their lawfully guaranteed freedom of expression? But the dhimmitude from the Norwegian foreign ministry, the regrets should be that Mohammedans have not grown up.
Note the quote:
So where was all this Mohammedan rage when the the highly revered prophet Issa was dunked in a jar of urine? Gee, and I thought there was no idolatry in Islam.
Well it's official. A hacker attack brought down the homepages/servers of several newsservices in Denmark, including Jyllands-Posten.
Guess the freakin scum really can't use democratic channels.
Seriously though, do they really think this will make us more welcoming towards muslims? I'm thinking the nationalist party will go up a few points over the next couple of weeks.
DanishDynamite -- You got it... I hate seeing the fires of European nationalism start to burn brightly, but if that's what it takes to rid the West of the filthy Islamic scourge, then so be it...
I have posted here many times that the damage caused already by allowing Muslims into our lands in such numbers has not yet been reckoned - but this story, and many others like it - from porcelain pigs to call to prayers in Hamtramck, from those "disaffected youths" in Paris to those "disaffected youths" in Sydney, and, of course, from Madrid, London, and the granddaddy of all (so far) 9/11 -- The Muslim gifts just keep on coming, and we are the victims, we are the target, the damage to our well being, our economies, our culture, our religions, is deliberate, steady, and erosive.
These Muslims won't be stopped until WE stop them -- in their tracks -- first here in our lands, and then without...
Today I had a conversation today with a young couple from Denmark, who were visiting New York, they said the mood of the Danes is one of diffiance and yes there is a shift to the right. They think most Danes get it, are aware of the Danger of Jihad and Da'wa.
I believe that people in America, all over Europe and the rest of the non-Muslim world should rally and will rally to help Denmark replace any loss sales to Muslim countries with a much larger market.
I say if they boycott us them we should return the favor.
Boycott visits and immigration to our countries.
Boycott the oil companies that import from the Arab world
We can develop technology to decrease our dependence on thier oil, they can't live without our food and technology.
Buy Danish products and visit Denmark.
I am a Muslim girl, who has a European mom, and lived between Saudi Arabia and the United States. So I see the picture from both sides, yes you guys do have freedom of speech to do whatever you want, draw pictures and whatever, and you have done it in the past, however, when it comes to the prophet (Mohammed) you guys have taken it to drastic measures. We only wanted an apology from the newspaper for drawing our prophet in a character that doesn’t fit both out believes and yours if I may say, Christianity and Judaism don’t state that you could make fun of prophets, no matter who the prophet is. You know what was their answer when we demanded an apology? I bet you don’t, they stated that we Muslims were trash and that if wanted to boycott as we have mentioned, we couldn’t, because we can’t stick to what we have said; well they are mistaken big time!!! We Muslims have handled insults in the past, but when it comes to the one person we love mostly (Mohammed) we will stand against everyone. We don’t accept what is happening from some followers, taking it to the extent of killing innocent people, and we are totally against them, however, at the same time all we want is a simple apology, and the respect each person deserves. We all live in one planet and eventually we will all die, if we learn how to respect one another, then we will surely live in peace. Yes you could say whatever you please about me, and I (or the Muslim World) could act and do whatever we please, you said free speech and free world, so why is the Boycott bothering you??
Islam--
When there are Christian churches in Saudi Arabia, then we'll talk.
Islam,
It's a shame you don't know what you're talking about. It's clear that the misinformation amongst muslims has taken hold of you.
If you want the newspaper to apologize for printing the caricatures, then you're gonna be waiting for a long time, cause it's not gonna happen. The newspaper has said time and time again that it's "sorry" if people have been offended by the cartoons, it wasn't it's intent. But it will NOT apologize for printing them. And I think, with an 80%+ and growing "approval rating", they're not gonna cave on this one.
Muslims are ofcourse free to boycott us, but atleast you should know WHY you're boycotting us, which you obviously don't. You've simply swallowed what ignorant imams have been force-feeding you.
What we don't appreciate are terroristthreats and our people in muslim nations being attacked, yes attacked!, by infuriated muslims.
Then ofcourse there's the fact that muslims have depicted Mohammed in the past, and the fact you shouldn't idolize Mohammed. He TOLD YOU he was no better than the previous prophets, and that the best among men was Abraham, so why do you place so much value on Mohammed? Isn't that going against his teachings? Aren't you being blasphemers by holding him in such high esteem?
It's obvious the vast majority of muslims are simply ignorant hypocrites. You could all learn something from that Egyptian reporter, who said you'd blown things out of all proportion, but you won't.
Oh well, you're probably just a "hit and run" poster, so I'm gonna stop now.
We do know why we are boycotting Denmark products, it’s because the Danish government refused to even meet with the Arabs (or may I say; Muslims) to come to an agreement. If you don’t want to meet with us then why should we just ignore the facts and go on with our lives like nothing ever happened? And why should we ignore the fact that coming to an agreement is not what the Danish want? If we have done the same thing you would’ve gone to more than what we have done. And about the teaching of the Prophet, you totally are mistaken; the prophet did not say that Abraham was the best of them all; we respect each and every prophet equally… We love our prophet because he is our leader and he taught us our ways and believes, not because we think he is not like us, we know for a fact that all humans are equal even (Mohammed) is. Let me ask you this: Don’t you love Jesus? Don’t you love your leader? Better yet don’t you love the teacher you had at school that taught you?
And by the way if as mentioned in the previous comments the Arabs will not affect the income of Denmark, why are you so worried? If a couple of billion Euros each month do not affect the income why are we arguing here? Simply live your life and we will do the same. By the way talking about the Egyptians, they were the 1st to boycott Denmark if you didn’t know. It doesn’t matter what the reporter says they are doing it.
Egypt? Okay, that's good to know. The American government should need no further reason to stop payment of the Jizyah to the malevolent and corrupt government of Egypt. Like Arafat's PLO (renamed, of course), the Egyptian government battens on foreign aid, and that foreign aid, corruptly diverted, makes the people even more furious than before, and open to the siren-song of the Muslim Brotherhood (or their "Palestinian" branch Hamas).
Thank you for the information about Egypt's participation in the Danish cartoon affair, and the boycott.
Islam,
That was exactly why I TOLD you, you don't know WHY you're boycotting Denmark. Do you even know WHY the cartoons were published in the first place, or in what context?
This is Denmark, a true democracy, not the pseudo democracies of the muslim world. In Denmark, the power is divided 3 ways:
1: Legislative power
This is the government. They can make laws, and decide how taxes are spent, but they can't punish anyone.
2: "Enforcing" power
This is the police. They can arrest you and can write yoy a fine if you're breaking the law, but they don't have the power to put you in jail or sentence you. You can refuse to pay a fine, and bring your case before a judge.
3: "Judging" power
This is the courts. This is where judges determine wether the laws of the land have been broken, and where they determine what punishment you'll receive.
Your muslim ambassadors asked to meet with our Primeminister, with the ekspres purpose to have him/the government punish the newspaper "Jyllands-posten". What they wanted, was something he couldn't give. THAT's why he refused to meet your ambassadors. He even told them, if they believed a law had been broken, they should take the issue before a judge. Your ambassadors didn't.
What agreement do you want us to reach? That we punish Jyllands-Posten? I'm sorry, we can't. Everything they've done is legal, so there's absolutely nothing to agree upon.
If you'd have done the same as we have, we'd have gone even further? Rubbish. You can ridicule Jesus all you want, you can ridicule our Primeminister all you want, you can even ridicule our newly born crownprince and we'd still take it on the chin and move on.
In a secular society nothing is sacred.
No, I don't love Jesus, I don't love my teacher at school who taught me and I don't love my leader. I respect them. That doesn't mean people can't make fun of them, though.
Ok. So you love and respect all the prophets equally. And you are ofcourse aware that no prophet must be depicted. So, where was the muslim uproar over movies such as "The passion of the Christ" or "The prince of Egypt"? Isn't it infact true that many muslim nations welcomed "The passion of the Christ" with open arms?
It's obvious from your actions, that you don't live up to your words. You DO idolize Muhammed, and you DO hold him in higher esteem than the other muslims. Might as well admit it, accept that you're a blasphemer and move on.
With regards to Abraham, I did not say he was the best of the prophets, I said that Muhammed said he was the best among men. I can't remember the exact line, but it was something like that. If that statement is untrue, then I suggest you go to islamonline, which is apparently al-jazeera, and tell them they don't know the Qur'an.
As for the boycott... It isn't billions of euroes a month, it's 5 billion danish kroner per year(That's less than 1 billion euroes)... Our government spends 10+ billion per year in foreign aid, a large part of which goes to the muslim world. We could, if we wanted to, simply close our coffers to the muslim world, and let the companies that are loosing out, have their losses covered that way. Ofcourse, we won't do that as we are a humane country.
Another thing we could do, is to simply use a small chunck of the government surplus to cover the losses.
Sure, companies will complain, and they do. But the overwhelming part of the population(80%) supports the current policies of both the government and Jyllands-Posten.
Again, if you're going to boycott us, atleast know WHY you're boycotting us. Not just what your religious tells you. Start thinking for yourself.
"You DO idolize Muhammed, and you DO hold him in higher esteem than the other muslims"
is supposed to be
"You DO idolize Muhammed, and you DO hold him in higher esteem than the other prophets"
Islam,
Just a question for you. This boycott... I know you're boycotting Danish products, but are you also refusing to sell to Danish companies? Or would that be asking too much?
“You DO idolize Muhammed, and you DO hold him in higher esteem than the other muslims”
Again I suggest before talking to read more about Islam, not online but to actually buy a book and try to educate yourself about my religion. I don’t, put Mohammed in a higher esteem, I love him for what he has given me and if you don’t respect that and call it whatever you want, feel free, it won’t bother me nor will it bother the Muslims World Wide one bit. As for “The Passion of Christ” I know a lot whom refused to watch the movie, and if you are talking about welcoming the movie with an open arm, you are not talking about Saudi Arabia for sure, I suggest you do your research about that.
About the couple Billion, go to Arla production ALONE and see how much it is costing them that’s only one company what about the others? I’ll leave the math for you to figure it out.
About that newspaper, I am not asking for punishment, nor are Muslims, we are asking for a simple apology, for characterizing our prophet as a terrorist, obviously the so called publishers know nothing about Islam, because if they read one book they will know that Islam is all about peace, and what Osama and others of his followers are doing has nothing to do with Islam, or our Saudi Government would have supported them if it was right.
By the way I didn’t boycott your Denmark products till I was convinced 100% I didn’t do it as soon as I heard the news, we researched and read till we were convinced 100%.
So again tell me why is it bothering you that we boycotted Danish products? Someone suggested to stop the production for KSA, I suggest you start thinking about that, because we have so many substitutes we can live without Puck for example.
Islam,
"Again I suggest before talking to read more about Islam, not online but to actually buy a book and try to educate yourself about my religion."
I'm oh so sorry. I'm sure al-jazeera don't know the Qur'an... Maybe you should spend your time teaching the muslims who don't know the Qur'an instead of wasting energy on some cartoons? I mean, there are plenty of people you need to educate, like terrorists.
"I don’t, put Mohammed in a higher esteem, I love him for what he has given me and if you don’t respect that and call it whatever you want, feel free, it won’t bother me nor will it bother the Muslims World Wide one bit."
What you may think, and what you actually do, are two different things. Your actions betray you beliefs, and your actions tell me that you value Muhammed more than the other prophets, contrary to his teachings.
You don't mind being called a blasphemer? Good. Just as long as you know what you are.
"As for “The Passion of Christ” I know a lot whom refused to watch the movie, and if you are talking about welcoming the movie with an open arm, you are not talking about Saudi Arabia for sure, I suggest you do your research about that."
Did I say Saudi-Arabia welcomed it? I know full well that they didn't allow it. Same as they apparently didn't allow "The prince of Egypt".
The point I was making, which you obviously couldn't comprehend, was that many muslim nations, as well as many muslim leaders, welcomed "The passion of the Christ". There was no uproar, no demonstrations, no boycotts etc. Again, your actions betray your true feelings.
"About the couple Billion, go to Arla production ALONE and see how much it is costing them that’s only one company what about the others? I’ll leave the math for you to figure it out."
Yawn. The total export of Denmark to the middle-east is 5 billion danish kroner.
"About that newspaper, I am not asking for punishment, nor are Muslims, we are asking for a simple apology, for characterizing our prophet as a terrorist, obviously the so called publishers know nothing about Islam"
Yeah ok... So maybe you can tell me why imams are demanding Jyllands-Posten be punished? Perhaps you can tell me why (a) muslim organisation is calling on Kofi Annan to enter into the fray, and why it's demanding international laws be adopted that "criminalizing individuals and institutions that disrespect religions."
You obviously don't speak for all muslims, as many actually ARE demanding the newspaper and the cartoonists be punished.
"because if they read one book they will know that Islam is all about peace, and what Osama and others of his followers are doing has nothing to do with Islam, or our Saudi Government would have supported them if it was right."
You are probably quite right. They probably haven't read the Qur'an. But let me ask you a few things:
Did Muhammed wage war?
Did muhammed kill many people?
Did Muhammed encourage his followers to kill many people?
You do not like the pictures because they show Muhammed in a less than favourable light. Tough luck really. He wasn't pious. He wasn't peaceful. He did have a lot of blood on his hands. Why then, should he be depicted as some funloving hippie?
"By the way I didn’t boycott your Denmark products till I was convinced 100% I didn’t do it as soon as I heard the news, we researched and read till we were convinced 100%."
For someone who's done the research and is 100% convinced, you don't seem to know much about the Muhammed cartoons, what lead to them, or in what context they were published.
"So again tell me why is it bothering you that we boycotted Danish products? Someone suggested to stop the production for KSA, I suggest you start thinking about that, because we have so many substitutes we can live without Puck for example."
Ha ha. Actually, a prominent Danish muslim suggested we stopped all production to Saudi-Arabia.
I'm not fussed about the boycott itself. I just don't see it as a proportionate response. It's like swatting a fly with a scyscraper.
As for you being able to live without puck... I don't even know what that is. Just remember one thing, you're very dependant on oil, and Denmark currently holds the key to making oil redundant. If you push us too much, we may just be forced to get it "out there" faster ;)
I just came back from a meeting where my family owned supermarket chain took out all Danish products and replaced it with others, wasn't hard it was a piece of cake. Then read an e-mail from my friend were the newspaper actually explained the situation, which is not an apology but close to it. It was sent in Arabic to the people of KSA, so you can translate it and read it, it's on their website... So who got their way? And who got the final laugh?? Now you are wondering why we don't stop the boycott, right? Well simple; we demand an international apology or an explanation to regain our dignity or we refuse that little letter.
Islam,
Yet again you show your ignorance of the situation. For someone who says they've researched the suject, you don't know much do you?
What you've just read, is what Jyllands-Posten has been saying from day one. You feeling stupid yet? Nothing's changed, except the fact that you've just been made a little wiser as to the situation in Denmark.
There's far more that really needs to be told to you ignorant sheep, but there's no point, as this isn't about the cartoons, it's about you being sheep to your religion.
Islam-
"We demand an international apology or an explanation to regain our dignity or we refuse that little letter".
WE in the west will continue to do our cartoons, make up Mohammed jokes, and will criticize, dissect, discuss, and disrespect Islam whenever we want to.
Real world girlie, no one OWES you respect, you have to EARN it (and not by slitting the throats of those who disagree with you).
You don't get respect by whining, whimpering, and throwing temper tantrums every time something doesn't go your way. My five year old knows better then that.
Will you people just freaking GROW UP.
No we can’t actually grow-up, your five year-old could be wiser in your view-point did not bother me (hehehehehehe). And if you think we are kids, then treat us like kids, apologize and get it over with, don’t you do that with little children, just give them what they want so they could leave you alone? I bet you do… Why all that anger people? We simply boycotted if it doesn’t matter then let us live the way we wish… And again to add something the newspaper’s apology was sent yesterday to KSA, so if they wanted to show us that apology they would’ve sent it long ago, but I guess you won’t get it. As for the continuous insult, please do continue as the Muslims will sure continue this act of boycott, we couldn’t careless about what you do any more… Seriously when I saw the characters about our prophet (PBUH) I was in a state of disbelief, how could some people take the liberty to characterize a religious icon and then call it freedom of speech? If in America “The Land of the Free” you call a darker person the “N” word, that person will be subject to prejudice and stereotype. So how could you say it is ok to characterize our prophet (PBUH) as a terrorist and then you say it is ok? It is all called stereotyping and prejudice against the Muslims world. I suggest you go over the term freedom of speech again.
Islam:
You said it. You cannot grow up. However, where I come from, childish tantrums are treated by a good spanking and being sent to bed without supper.
Paolo,
and where I Come from we stand strong by what we believe in, and no spanking nor hunger will ever change our minds or how we think...
Again if it doesn't bother you that much "The boycott" why are you wasting your time talking about it? My 6 year-old cousin could clearly see you care or you would've ignored it and not mention it like other things...
Islam-
"So how could you say it is ok to characterize our prophet (PBUH) as a terrorist and then you say it is ok"?
I have read the life of Mohammed and find the term appropriate. A pedophile does not excite much respect. And given the fact that Christians can't openly practice their religion in Saudi, I find your outrage over Mohammed cartoons to be hypocritical in the extreme. Which is worse, making fun of someone else's religion, or throwing people who practice a particular relgion in jail?
Plus, the saying "by their fruits will you know them"? What does Islam offer the world? Look at your countries, are they beacons of freedom, the rights of women and minorities? Is there free inquiry, scientific advancement for the good of mankind, industy, hard work, fair play, advancement? No, no, and no.
Throat slittings, idolence, riots, honor killings, ignorance, cruelty, and violence, rather. Shrill demands for respect, without the hard work and integrity necessary to gain said respect. And a distinct lack of humor, which is the worst of all. A people who can't laugh at themselves are a people who can't learn.
So, by all means boycott the west.
It would be good for us.
Well, now that Hamas is at the helm once again, leading the Palestinians into the Dark Ages, the world is once again put in a situation where we have to find a way to deal with them. Not just as the well know terror group under Arafat, but as an elected government of a people known for constant bloodshed.
It makes me wonder sometimes if there will ever be a solution to that side of the world and the religious ideologies that support bloodshed and slaughter under the dictates of Islam. I have serious doubts that as long as so many are so deceived and have been for generations, that peace can thrive between Islam and the rest of the world.
But I am willing to give it a shot. Why not? I have seen and heard so many Muslims claiming this is not Islam, and that Islam is indeed a peaceful religion. And in the same breath I hear how naïve my understanding of the Koran is; that we as non-Mohammedans simply have no clue as to our understanding of the Koran.
So I say put your faith into action all you followers of Mohammed. Leave these lands of ignorant people and go forth into the world and teach your own. Sell your belongings in America, Europe, Canada, Israel, and move to those areas where millions of Muslims are defiling your religion. Take all that hard earned money the infidels provided for you and use it to build schools that teach your peaceful brand of Islam.
Build mosques and preach your message in the streets as you do in Michigan. Buy those loudspeakers and debate with the mullahs who teach slaughter and hate in the name of your god and prophet. Stand up for your faith and call these terrorist like Bin Laden out in the street and have a showdown with the truth. Rid Islam of what you claim is distorted doctrine and cleanse the minds of your people with your version of the truth.
Mass together and protest the mosques, protest Hamas, protest the Maddrassas, protest the speeches in your holy places. You have the energy to do this, and you have the resources to do these things. Because you can find ways to sue those in America you claim refuse your rights. CAIR has roots in Palestinian terrorism, your charities have given to Hamas again and again. Don't leave this task of dealing with them to those who do not understand. Take the responsibility and do it yourself.
The Jewish prophets of old, they protested in their temples, they taught loudly from the streets and from the public places. They condemned their own for warping the Holy Scriptures and the defiling the holy places in Israel. And many died.
Christians died by the thousands for teaching their way, as they still do today at the hand of your peaceful brethren. They later stood and fought the teachings of the church when they thought the bible had been hijacked. They stood, they taught, and they died because the faith they had was strong and pure.
And they still band together to condemn the teachings or actions of their own whether it is sipping poison in the jungle or using a priestly position for evil. And they refuse to accept it and they refuse to stand still. And they do not simply place and ad in a paper or have a fast press release, they change laws and they make a difference.
So you millions of Muslims worldwide, what will you do with your faith? Try to teach us infidels about the wondrous things in Islam you claim are abundant? Is this the measure of your faith, to allow your own to be deceived and continue their evil? Or is your religion simply words and no conviction towards your own? Is Allah not important enough to you that you would sacrifice living among infidels to teach those who use his name?
They are after all just a small minority according to CAIR representatives, and any other Muslim organization that has made this claim in America and elsewhere. So stand up in the manner of men with courage and put a stop to the madness within your own ranks. If you allow us to deal with it, we will deal with them as a political entity and not as a religious one. We will not scream about the greatness of our God while we cut someone’s head off on videotape. We will not praise Jesus while sending in our troops and bombing your lands. We will simply deal with it to survive as a culture. Because Islam will be the cause of the next World War, it is adverse to mankind and its survival. It cannot, in its present state reside in peace with anyone else.
Hamas is already chomping at the bit, Muslims. Iran has already screamed for the eradication of Israel, Pakistan is not entirely stable; you have dozens and dozens of radical groups to teach. Or will you allow them to continue spewing hatred and threats in the name of your god and prophet? Is your faith at least as strong as the Jews and Christians before you? Or is just for show in an American courtroom when lawsuits are filed against infidels?
I charge you all to leave these lands and take back your religion! You do nothing for your faith here and your religion is on the brink of insanity worldwide. We who are ignorant have the faith, but according to you, we do not understand. So who then is able?
As a wise bear once said: “Only YOU”.
Let me begin by saying that I am a Moslem.
Initially, I came accross this site after hearing all the non-sense pertaining to the cartoons in this proclaimed Danish magazine.
My search brought me to this site, where at first glimpse, it seemed to repeat the debate of the correctness of producing such mockery as a form of freedom of speech. Fair enough I said. Let those who want to insult, who are bitter, who are bigots, express themselves.
So I continued to read through the rest of these posts, but soon came to realize, it's us against them attitude. It's West vs.East. It's everyone in this planet against Moslems.
A spin had taken from the debate of correctness and expression, to let's bash Moslems. Let's kick Moslems out of our land. Let's insult them. Let's insult and disfigure not only their Prophet but also their religion. Let's put all the blame on Islam and Moslems.
To all those who posted with hatred and bigotry, I say you are not better than Bin Laden nor the fundamentalist criminals you presumably oppose. You are just as much confused and disillusioned.
To the great majority, differences in todays world of information and technology are justified and may be communicated in open, objective, and civilized debates and discussions. It is the majority of todays planet that fights using 'intelect' and 'speech' against the bitterness, racisim, ethnic cleansing mentalities that strive to divide, confuse, create paranoia amongst peoples of different races and faiths.
First, I will say hi to every one
After all, it is our manner as Muslims to respectably salute people before directing a speech to them.
i wonder how you'll feel when you see Jesus Christ drawn in such an unrespectable manner in our papers, Please tell me ! Cause sometimes I don’t know how European or let me clarify western mentality react towards these matters.
But for us Muslims such a manner hurts (if you would care enough about human rights), I would never oppose to freedom of speech, not at all on the contrary I have always respected the Danish true performance of democracy.
Never the less I would like to practice one of the aspects of democracy as the Danish paper did which is the freedom of speech and the freedom of actions and just let me boycott Danish products.
By the way I’m Egyptian we need the aid, but we are now almost 80 million , how many of us would you think are terrorists or actually agree with the aggression that’s happening else where ? No need to discus the it’s reasons any way cause that’s not the point now, just let me explain that boycotting Danish products has nothing to do with extremists or Hammas or what ever groups or brother hoods it is an act of heart from Muslims who are hurt from those pictures.
Thank you!