Muslim mobs have murdered innocent people, and Afghanistan and Pakistan want Newsweek to pay. I certainly don’t think anyone should mistake Newsweek for journalism in the future, but the idea that it should pay for this murderous madness is just one more manifestation of the collective unwillingness to hold Muslims accountable for their actions.
From AP, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist:
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – Afghanistan’s government said Tuesday that Newsweek should be held responsible for damages caused by deadly anti-American demonstrations after the magazine alleged U.S. desecration of the Quran, and it suggested that foreign forces may have helped turn protests violent.
Pakistan joined the international criticism of the magazine’s article and said Newsweek’s apology and retraction were “not enough.”…
The article sparked protests in several other Muslim countries.
Afghan presidential spokesman Jawed Ludin said Newsweek’s retraction Monday was a “positive step” toward clearing up concern about the report.
“But at the same time, we feel angered at the way this story has been handled,” Ludin told a news conference Tuesday. “It’s only fair to say at this stage that Newsweek can be held responsible for the damages caused by their story.”…
Pakistani officials also expressed anger that the magazine got its story wrong.
“Just an apology is not enough. They should think 101 times before publishing news that hurts hearts,” Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said in Islamabad.
In Saudi Arabia, the country’s top religious authority Tuesday condemned the alleged desecration and urged an investigation into the report.
Grand Mufti Adul-Aziz al-Sheik issued his statement a day after Newsweek retracted its report, saying a full inquiry still should be launched “to alleviate the sorrow that befell Muslims.”
“We condemn and denounce this criminal act against Muslims’ most sacred item,” al-Sheik said.