"I understand on one level the motivation of newspapers to stand up for freedom of speech… but they are almost bound to cause offence." He said that any other re-publication "throws petrol on the flames".
[sigh] We have to say it again and again and again, don't we? Freedom of speech isn't limited to the freedom to say things that do not cause offence.

You would have hoped Mandy knew that.

Personally I think the pictures should be reprinted in the UK and everywhere else for that matter, until a larger section of the Muslim community accepts that while they are free to consider that a cartoon of Mohammed is the most terrible sin, they are not free to impose that view on secular old me.

Also I feel the flag burning gentlemen will try to rise to the challenge and the Monty Python fan in me enjoys the thought of them scouring the West Bank looking for the flag of Tuvalu and Cornwall and Allah knows where else.

Evidently this will cause some offence. Tough. Perhaps if they would kindly mind their own business instead of poking their noses into other peoples they would go through life less offended.