Apparently, there’s some kind of taboo or law in Islam that forbids depicting Mohammed the Prophet. So, the cultural editor of Denmark’s largest newspaper decided to put it to the test as a greater test of tolerance within the barely-assimilated Islamic immigrant community of his home country…
“This issue goes back to Salman Rushdie. It’s about freedom of speech and Islam,” says an unrepentant [Flemming] Rose, who feels a culture of fear and self-censorship has taken hold across Europe since Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was murdered for criticizing traditional Islam’s treatment of women.
As accusations of racism and discrimination fly amid the ongoing unrest in France, European countries are being pushed to pinpoint the causes of – and solution to – the social exclusion of their significant Muslim populations. A key ingredient to the dialogue, Rose says, is making room for a frank discussion of the compatibility of democratic principles such as free speech, and traditional Islam.
“Some Muslims are asking for an apology pointing to a lack of respect,” he says. “They’re not asking for respect; they’re asking for subordination – for us as non-Muslims to follow Muslim taboos in the public domain.”
Although Rose expected some complaints, he was unprepared for the deluge of criticism.
Among those who attacked the newspaper’s lack of sensitivity was prominent Copenhagen imam Raed Hlayhel, saying “I will not tolerate this. If this is democracy, we disagree with democracy.”
An imam disagreeing with freedom of speech and a free press and Western European democratic values? Well, isn’t that a shocker. Color me Pantone 186 Surprised.
But getting back to Flemming Rose… what kind of idiot depicts Mohammed in cartoons just to rile them up? I mean, if you want to test them, why not print the paper with pig’s blood or print an edition on thinly-sliced ham?
The nerve of some people.
First!!!!
I hope the comment about riling them up was sarcastic! I mean, why NOT rile them up? Let them expose the nature of the “true” religion.
Look, when South Park depicted Jesus as a little wimp against Satan in a boxing match, you didn’t have riots or outrage. The most that happened was Pat Robertson and Billy Graham giggling like Beavies and Butthead and severe tongue-lashing from the Church Lady.
You didn’t have riots nor the Vatican calling for Clinton to give those boys a good spanking.
It’s time to call a spade a spade with these jokers…
You know, Lair, you’ve riled up more than just the Muslims. There are other putatively humorous blogs on the web who envisioned a similar series of offensive posts, and whose thunder was stolen by your inexcusable excellence.
That name is not a first name and should only have one ‘m’!
One ‘m’!!
Hey, we Jews are only good with mmoney, okay?
Hmm…Sounds like a plot by the Zionist Conspiricy to provoke the Mmuslimms into doing sommething that will get themm attacked.
Try and deny it. 😉
Just put a piece of ham inside it so it falls on the when they open it ;-P
How about Mo man’s 8 year old wife? Is there a cartoon of her with a bag over her head?
Notice that Yahoo did not include any of the cartoons in their article. It would seem central to the story to show a sample, but I guess they do not have the balls of the Dutch.
The terrorists would rather paint you more of a Pantone 201 i think
Those dutch rock! Those Mmuslims need to grow up and quit whining. And I like hamm.
So, just to get this straight, if we get these Mooslims who hate us and seek our destruction all riled up then they’ll hate us and seek our destruction? (thank you, Ann Coulter)