Religious intolerance or freedom of speech.

[Crazed Rabbit]

As I understand it, the cartoons were first printed as a "test" of free speech. All the other newspapers printed them just to show they could. That's ridiculous. Being free to make a political statement is one thing, seeing how much of a shitstorm you can start is another.

Considering how the UN was (perhaps still is) considering illegalizing criticism of Islam, and how Muslims have tried to force and apology and silence criticism, I think it was important for the papers to show that they aren't afraid to print these. After all, if people have the nominal right to free speech, but are scared to speak out on certain issues, that isn't really free speech.

Lovely...
Maybe the cartoons hit too close to home.

Terrorists saw off a man's head, slowly killing him as he screams, and videotape it, and not a peep of protest from the Muslim world*. Someone prints a drawing they don't like, and they threaten a continent with destruction.

Crazed Rabbit

*Generalization of most incidents and ranking authorities of Islam, and Muslim people.

[Brenus]

My problem with all that is why it took four months before the reaction?
The second one is, if, as I believe, Islamic/Fascist Terrorism is due to a minority, why so much Muslims react against these drawings they probably never saw?
Third, if the goal was to stop that kind of caricatures, it missed the point. They are now every where.
And it will more and more difficult to pretend that Islam means peace. It is peace if you do what I want…

[Don Corleone]

What are you talking about CR, about the UN making it illegal to criticize Islam? You can't just lay something like that out there not offer some support. Is there a UN resolution afoot or something?

[Papewaio]

A New Zealand newspaper has now printed the cartoons:

Paper prints Mohammed cartoons

New Zealand Federation of Islamic Associations president Javed Khan said the decision by The Dominion Post to publish the cartoons could have "serious repercussions" for New Zealand's economy.
The federation holds the national contract to certify meat slaughtered to traditional Islamic requirements.

"We won't call for a boycott, and we don't want to see one, but news gets around the world pretty quickly. Muslims will make their own decisions and as you know, they've taken drastic action against Denmark," he told the Dominion Post

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Considering how the UN was (perhaps still is) considering illegalizing criticism of Islam, and how Muslims have tried to force and apology and silence criticism, I think it was important for the papers to show that they aren't afraid to print these. After all, if people have the nominal right to free speech, but are scared to speak out on certain issues, that isn't really free speech.

And do you think the UN is more or less likely to illegalize the criticism of Islam after this incident?


It should be clear that no one was scared to speak out on this issue.



I can't think of anything that Westerners would find as offensive as printed pictures of mohammed. We're desensitized to a lot. Maybe showing gay porn during the superbowl? That would offend a lot of people, and how is that not free speech?

[Crazed Rabbit]

And do you think the UN is more or less likely to illegalize the criticism of Islam after this incident?

More likely too. Muslims will point to it as evidence of the 'need' for such a restriction on free speech, and the UN, eager to appease, will try to oblige.

It should be clear that no one was scared to speak out on this issue.

The editor of the French paper that printed these was fired, and employees at the Danish paper had, I believe, a bomb threat called in. I think that there are some who have held back because of the nature of the Muslim reaction. The protesters are certainly trying to intimidate people.

I can't think of anything that Westerners would find as offensive as printed pictures of mohammed. We're desensitized to a lot. Maybe showing gay porn during the superbowl? That would offend a lot of people, and how is that not free speech?

That's obscenity, not free speech. It serves no purpose save to display a disgusting spectacle. These cartoons are critiquing a religion, actual political speech.

Crazed Rabbit

[Gawain of Orkeny]

The editor of the French paper that printed these was fired, and employees at the Danish paper had, I believe, a bomb threat called in. I think that there are some who have held back because of the nature of the Muslim reaction. The protesters are certainly trying to intimidate people.

The artists are afraid for their lives and under police protection.