This just in from the Islamic Republic of Norway. They used to have something there called...let's see...I think it was "freedom of speech." But that was in the time of jahiliyyah. "Editor apologizes for caricatures," from Aftenposten, with thanks to Fjordman:
Editor Vebjørn Selbekk of the Christian weekly Magazinet issued Friday a complete apology for his decision to reprint the controversial caricatures of the prophet Mohammed originally run in Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.At a joint press conference with the Islamic Council Norway at the Ministry of Labor and Social Inclusion, Selbekk expressed his regrets.
"I personally address the Muslim community to say that I am sorry that your religious feelings are offended by what we did on Jan. 10 when Magazinet published a facsimile of the Danish drawings from Jyllands-Posten. It was never our intention to hurt anyone," Selbekk said.
Selbekk admitted that he had not fully understood how offensive the publication of the caricatures was, and praised Norway's Muslim community for their conduct in response.
"The Muslim community in Norway has tackled this in a dignified and restrained way. You deserve respect and credit for this," Selbekk said, and the editor pointed to the press conference as an example of the strength of Norway's multi-cultural society.
Yes, yes, multicultural. Except that some cultures are more multi than others.
unfortunately, but i think either Sweden or Norway are going to get a wakeup call very soon.
from april last year
death threats against Norweigian preacher:
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1024117.ece
and get a load of this:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10461973/
"islamist militants are operating in the Nordic countries, exploiting their open, liberal societies, and will sooner or later launch an attack in Scandinavia, Norway's domestic spy chief told Reuters."
"Scandinavia's reputation for liberalism and equality also attracts Muslim radicals who may view the Nordics as a safe, soft option, he said, adding that this reputation must change."
"An expulsion order against Mullah Krekar, founder of the radical Islamist group Ansar al-Islam, was originally issued in 2003 but he is still in Norway,"
The Norwegians need to fight back. Print up posters of the cartoons and plaster them all over the country. Print flyers of the toons and distribute them everywhere. Mail them to everyone you know. Mail and email them to every Muslim organization.
Purchase billboard advertising space near Mosques and in Muslim neighborhoods and put up the toons with the message "We will defend our freedoms".
Carry the flyers with you and put them on cars parked near halal markets or outside the Mosques during Friday prayers.
Let's spread these toons everywhere! If the Muslims wage an anti-Cartoon Jihad we can fight back with a Cartoon Crusade.
Norway's Muslims... "tackled this in a dignified and restrained way".
Does that mean the death threats came with a Valentine's Card?
Sweet intimidation! Where is thy sting?
This creeping cartoonish capitulation in Scandinavia reminds me of the chilling warning about the incremental rise of the Nazis in Europe by Pastor Martin Niemoller:
"In Germany, they first came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists, but I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics, but I didn't speak up, because I was a Protestant.
-then they came for me, but by then there was NO ONE LEFT to speak up."
Or, as Ben Franklin put it:
"Gentlemen, we must all hang together, or we shall certainly hang seperately."
You gotta be Israeli to really appreciate the deep deep ironies. Check this out from the Jerusalem Post:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1139395371177&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
According to idag.no, a Norwegian paper, Magazinet did NOT apologize for printing the cartoons, only the "consequences"... It's much the same "apology" Jyllands-Posten made.
http://idag.no/aktuelt-oppslag.php3?ID=9340
I'll translate for ya:
Selbekk did not apologize for publishing, just the "consequences"
-Editor Vebjørn Selbekk did not apologize for publishing the cartoons in Magazinet, he apologized for hurting the feelings of muslims.
That's what the constituted editorialsecretary Trygve Jordheim is saying. He's responding to a headline in KPK where it said "Unconditional apology".
Others also got the same impression of Selbekks statements at the pressconference Friday, but Jordheim says that Selbekk has NOT apologized for publishing the cartoons. To the contrary he regrets it due to the situation that has arisen, nationaly as well as internationaly. He's said the same thing to several media numerous times before.
The new thing today was that he expressed it in the presense of representatives of the Islamic council and official Norway, says Trygve Jordheim.
NO apology for publishing. Aftenposten and Fjordman got it (slightly) wrong.