Some welcome and surprise news from the UK. “Britain has called on its NATO allies to stay united in defending the values of tolerance and free speech,” as well as to challenge Turkey. The starting point of challenging Turkey should be to throw Turkey out of NATO.
A chorus of Islamic countries has been justifying Paty’s murder on grounds that the Muhammad cartoons constitute an intolerable “offense”; meanwhile, they present Islam as having nothing to do with terrorism. In the minds of Sharia-adherent Muslims, it is actually not terrorism to murder for a range of “offenses” including blasphemy and apostasy.
In calling for solidarity among NATO members, the UK also needs to prepare itself for Muslim outrage and possible violence, particularly if it does seriously pursue the protection of its free society and freedom of speech. However, whether Britain actually does anything remains to be seen: avoiding the label of “Islamophobia” has become the top priority in Western countries, which has provided fertile soil for Islamization and the violence associated with it, whenever Muhammad is offended.
“UK Urges NATO Allies to Defend Free Speech as France, Turkey Spar Over Cartoons”, by Alexander Zhang, Epoch Times, October 28, 2020:
As the dispute over depictions of Prophet Mohammad intensifies between France and Turkey, Britain has called on its NATO allies to stay united in defending the values of tolerance and free speech.
Turkey has reacted angrily to French President Emmanuel Macron’s defense of the right to publish and display caricatures of Prophet Mohammad, following the beheading of a French history teacher by an 18-year-old radical Islamist on Oct. 16.
Samuel Paty was beheaded in broad daylight outside his school in a middle-class Paris suburb by a teenage Chechen refugee, who had sought to avenge his victim’s use of the Mohammad caricatures in a class on freedom of expression.
“The UK stands in solidarity with France and the French people in the wake of the appalling murder of Samuel Paty,” UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement. “My thoughts remain with his family. Terrorism can never and should never be justified.”
Macron has vigorously defended the cartoons as protected under the right to free speech.
“We won’t renounce the caricatures,” he said at a memorial for the teacher last week. On Oct. 25, he wrote on Twitter in both Arabic and English, “We will not give in, ever.”
Macron’s attitude has angered some Muslim countries, including France’s NATO ally Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Macron needed a mental health check and led calls for a boycott of French goods. France responded by recalling its ambassador to Turkey and warned its citizens in the country to take extra caution to ensure their personal safety.
In response to the escalating dispute, Raab said, “NATO allies and the wider international community must stand shoulder-to-shoulder on the fundamental values of tolerance and free speech, and we should never grant terrorists the gift of dividing us.”
But the rancor is showing no signs of abating. Turkey said on Oct. 28 that it will take legal and diplomatic steps in response to a caricature of Erdogan in the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, which officials called a “disgusting effort” to “spread its cultural racism and hatred.”….
Kevin says
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-october-26-2020/
https://www.duvarenglish.com/diplomacy/2020/10/27/merkel-condemns-erdogans-defamatory-remarks-against-macron/
Kevin says
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/merkel-condemns-defamatory-erdogan-criticism-of-macron/
Corrected link
mortimer says
At last some good news from London. Boris is right on this one.
Keith O says
Yes it is, and support is SLOWLY coming in.
My only question is why has it taken so long for the western leaders to start standing up on their hind legs?
Rufolino says
“Good news” ?
But, how can you “defend free speech in the UK” when it is no longer there ?
gravenimage says
Thanks for the links, Kevin.
CogitoErgoSum says
Excuse me but the use of the term “Prophet” Muhammad offends me. Please stop provoking me into wanting to go into a fit of rage every time I see or hear it … because ….. well ….. racism.
Rarely says
He isn’t my prophet either. He is the “Muslim Prophet Mohammed” and should be described as such.
CogitoErgoSum says
You are too kind. I have some other names for him …. but I’m trying to control my rage at the moment.
Kepha says
A guy named Muhammad said, “God
Must find it incredibly odd,
That the Christians and Jews
Greet my message with booes,
And Qureish want me under the sod!”
Say, I, “Mr. Moe, I now deem
That you do nothing but blaspheme.
Your claim to be prophet
Will land you in Tophet.
Please spread this on FB, a meme.”
Ray Jarman says
+1 C.E.S.,
I totally agree and every time I read or hear someone place the word “holy” in front of the word Qur’an, I want to stand on top of my house and yell all sorts of obscenities. I feel that the Bible has been slandered but none of us go to a mosque and shoot anyone.
Clarino says
Totally agree. If a believer wants to say this, well fair enough, I suppose, but why any rational person would copy it is a mystery to me.
Just as it is inexplicable and inexcusable when (state) school children are instructed to write PBUH after Mo’s name.
Ed of Ct. Usa says
Muhammad the Prophet Married a eight yr. old gal child. She was TWELVE when the Prophet died.. FOUR times in the Koran it is promoted to Kidnap girls into sexual slavery. Then to steal the babies born of this. This how the Janissary and mukluks WERE FORMED ……… This why Muslims were burned -tossed out of Iberia, Sicily, the Balkans and Hungary etc.The Muslims have brought NOTHING but Murder rape, enslavement to the Near East ,Africa and Europe…. Speaking of IDOLATRY Muslims worship a Pagan meteor the Kaaba or Black stone. It fell to earth during Pagan Arab times. It was worshiped by PAGANS until Muhammad the Prophet borrowed it,
gravenimage says
Good points.
Just one thing–Aisha was actually eighteen when Muhammed shuffled off the mortal coil.
Andrew says
If the French people knew little about who, or what, muslims in their country think of them and their French values, then now they get a real harsh lesson, even though Churches have burned, attacked, destroyed for years already so perhaps now they will listen closely to Marine Le Pen when she speaks as she has been telling them the same thing over and over for years so maybe now they can hear her.
What has happened in France in the past couple of weeks is what she has been saying for years will happen… The day has arrived and I really dont think that wee soy boy in Power is gonna do too much about it.
Michael says
We have the biggest Muslim community in Europe, most of the Police assassinated protecting Charlie Hebdo were Muslim !!!, Lyon 2019, Paris stabbing at police headquarters 2019, Villejuif 2020,Metz January 2020,Metz February 2020,Romans sur Isère April 2020, Colombes, Hauts de Seine, Ex Charlie Hebdo building September 2020, Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, Samuel Paty Assassinated 16 October 2020, Nice 29 October 2020. None of the Jihadist were French Nationals, all were Asylum seekers brought to Europe by NGO Ships, If you want to do something impound the NGO Ships.
France unlike most of Europe, they do not have a state religion, since the separation of State and Church after the French Revolution, but the laws are basically Judaeo Christian, as is most of Europe.
Rarely says
Looks like a line is being drawn in the sand. Better now I suppose than later. The problem is, as always, where to draw the line.
CogitoErgoSum says
The line has been crossed and then moved and then crossed again and again. I would say “enough is enough” but the proper term now is “too much is too much.”
Ray Jarman says
Dominic Raab says, “The UK stands in solidarity with France and the French people in the wake of the appalling murder of Samuel Paty.” I would hate to disagree with the Secretary but as of now, Scotland is part of the UK and they enacted a law that could cause someone to be arrested for criticizing a religion, even in one’s own home.
If Mr. Raab truly believes what he has said, he would advocate for the renunciation of Turkey to be part of NATO and to tell the Scots’ government to rescind its restriction on free speech.
Michael Copeland says
The Bill before the Scottish Parliament is not, as yet, enacted. It is still being discussed. The fact that there is a Bill at all is very dangerous for the West, but these are the curious times we live in.
Scotland’s Secretary for Justice is a muslim, Humza Haroon Yousaf. Of course he is pursuing Sharia compliance. The way things are going he may well achieve it. People, especially politicians and the media, have failed to inform themselves about the Sharia ideology. They think it is only about modesty and spiritual betterment. They dismiss the voices that are giving them the truth.
Ray Jarman says
Michael,
Thanks, I was not sure and after attempting to discover if it had been enacted, it appeared to have been approved. Also, I don’t know if you or anyone else watched Tucker Carlson’s interview concerning this Thursday evening but the primary reason for the law was not even mentioned. This was discouraging as none of the prime time FOX broadcasts have discussed the events in France, much less the killing of Christians around the world.
William says
There is a town in which one or more arsonists are going around burning down people’s homes. Why are they burning down the homes? It’s a mystery.
Meanwhile the mayor comes out and proclaims solidarity with the homeowners’ whose homes are destroyed, and calls on the national government to defend the right to home ownership.
A very fine example of a non sequitur if I could find one.
Peter says
The U.K. government backing France over free speech, while suppressing free speech in the U.K. so as not to offend Muslim hypersensitivities. Now, that makes a lot of hypocritical sense. “Stay calm, stay mum.”
curious george says
?
Thank you Peter, I had the same thought. Tommy Robinson comes to mind along with the Paul Weston, who in 2014 was arrested for quoting a passage from a book written by Winston Churchill regarding Islam.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2614834/Arrested-quoting-Winston-Churchill-European-election-candidate-accused-religious-racial-harassment-repeats-wartime-prime-ministers-words-Islam-campaign-speech.html
Quazgaa says
Muslims should have gotten used to caricatures by now.
The queeranus itself is a caricature of a holy book.
gravenimage says
UK ‘stands in solidarity with France,’ calls on NATO to defend the freedom of speech
………………
Excellent to hear!
Ren says
France and Britain finally understand what is at stake.
Prabhakar Shetty says
It’s your RIGHT TO LIVE. Recognize the religion of terrorists globally, otherwise terrorists will decide your religion.
Strike fast and Strike brutally, to save yourself.
infidel says
UFC Champ Khabib has relegated himself from GOAT to GOAT-F by spewing venom and vile threats against Macron. He must be stripped of all his titles by the UFC
vcragain says
It’s all so childish…most of us learned to ignore silly children who upset us while we were still in kindergarten – some nationalities seem unable to ignore anything…..their ‘pride’ is offended & the only recourse is to kill the offending person or go to war with the offending country…..this is the reason that humanity has been unable to live in peace all these years…..no sense of humor ! I was taught to laugh at other kids who tried to upset me….what are Muslim kids taught….that they should bring a knife to school ? Now they put a ‘God’ into the mix & nobody is safe from their hysteria ! Is anybody converting to Islam because it’s such a beautiful faith ? Guess we know the answer to that !
gravenimage says
This in’t about nationalities, vcragain–it is about Islam.