Cartoon Affair: Some Light in the Darkness

From the desk of Hjörtur J. Guðmundsson on Fri, 2006-02-10 13:57

Walid al-Kubaisi, a Muslim writer living in Norway, appeals to the Western media to run the twelve Muhammad cartoons published last September in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. Mr al-Kubaisi said in a Norwegian newspaper yesterday that although he thought it was madness of Jyllands-Posten and of the Norwegian paper Magazinet, which republished the cartoons last month, to have published them, he would definitely publish them today if he were a newspaper editor. Mr al-Kubaisi explained that Islamists fanatics are currently trying to limit freedom of expression in the West. Consequently editors have an obligation to stand up to them and publish the cartoons.

“The only way to protect freedom of expression is for as many newspapers as possible in Europe to publish the cartoons. The Islamists cannot boycott the whole world. They cannot ask the whole world to apologize,” Mr al-Kubaisi told the Norwegian press yesterday. Asked if this would not make matters worse he said: “On the contrary, it will ease tensions.”

The radicals realize that they cannot defy the whole world, which is why they concentrate their boycott on tiny Denmark and Norway. So far there have been no reports of calls in the Middle East for a boycott of products from other countries than these two. Hence it is vital to support Denmark (and Norway, although the Norwegian government clearly does not deserve it). The “Buy Danish” campaign on the internet is reported to be growing fast every day. When one googles “buy Danish” some 85.000 websites are hit.

Economic experts in Denmark say that the Middle East boycott of Denmark will not have much effect on the Danish economy since Danish exports to the region amount to less than than 2% of the total figure. Some companies, such as Arla dairy produce, are affected more than others. What is happening to them might deter other European companies from trading with Muslim countries in the future. On Wednesday Philippe Douste-Blazy, the French minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed his “indignation” towards the French supermarket chain Carrefour because its franchised stores in the Middle East are participating in the boycott of Danish products. Mr Douste-Blazy wrote to José Luis Duran, Carrefour’s CEO, that “these discriminations are shocking” and “harm our Danish [EU] partners who might doubt the seriousness and solidity of our solidarity.”

According to Walid al-Kubaisi radical Norwegian imams have deliberately incited hatred against Norway in the Middle East. Yesterday morning Vebjørn Selbekk, the editor of Magazinet, was sued for blasphemy and for „endangering the lives of Norwegians.” He was sued before a Norwegian court by al-Jinnah, a radical international Muslim organization. The spokesman of the Norwegian branch of al-Jinnah, Khalid Mohammad, said the police should imprison Selbekk in order to protect the public against the editor. “It is frightening that one person through abusing his so-called freedom of speech can cause such damage that he nearly sets two worlds up against each other. There are limits on what kind of expressions are acceptable in a democracy,” Mr Mohammad told the Norwegian daily Aftenposten. He added that Mr Selbekk was also guilty of treason for harming Norway’s interests abroad.

There is little doubt that the arrogant behaviour of this radical Muslim was elicited by the attitude of Norway’s extreme-left government. Jens Stoltenberg, the Norwegian Prime Minister, blamed Magazinet and its editor this week for the destruction of the Norwegian embassy in Damascus by a hysterical mob of “offended” Muslims.

Mr Stoltenberg chose to disregard the fact that, apart from Magazinet, which is a small, conservative Christian paper, other Norwegian papers have also published the cartoons, including Aftenposten (the second largest daily in Norway) and Dagbladet (the third largest). The Norwegian government has repeatedly claimed that only a single small Norwegian paper published the cartoons – an instance for which the Quislings in the Norwegian cabinet immediately apologized to Muslims worldwide.

This week indignant Norwegian authors said that the Norwegian government has betrayed freedom of expression. Their spokesman Roy Jacobsen stressed that the only people to be held responsible for the violence are those who torched the embassy. The Norwegian people, too, do not accept the government’s argument that Mr Selbekk is responsible. In a poll published yesterday in Bergens Tidende 61% agree that publishing the cartoons is not an abuse of freedom of expression, while 30% say it is. This corroborates the results of a previous poll published in Verdens Gang a few days ago.

While the Norwegian government grovels at the feet of the Muslim fanatics, the Danish government announced yesterday that it has cut off all dialogue with Danish imams on the integration process in Denmark. The conduct of the imams during the cartoon controversy has revealed to the government that they are obviously not interested in integration. “I believe it has become obvious that the imams are not the people we should be listening to if we want integration in Denmark to work,” said minister of Integration, Rikke Hvilshøj. Meanwhile the Danish government is still trying to ease tensions in what some describe as the worst international crisis Denmark has faced since World War II.

The cartoon affair is likely to have political repercussions at home as well. Popular support for the anti-immigration Danish People’s Party has risen, as has support for the right-wing Progress Party in Norway. The courageous stand of moderate Muslims against the radical imams, however, has made a strong impression. The Brussels Journal reported on them in its articles of 8 January (“Danish Muslims Divided over Cartoon Affair”), 19 January (“Moderate Muslims Oppose Imams”) and 5 February (“Danish Muslims Rebel Against Imams”). Last Wednesday the BBC, too, saw fit to report “Danish Muslims split over cartoons,” quoting Rabih Azad-Ahmad of the Danish Multicultural Association, who said: “We have to demonstrate that we are proud of being Danish and that we are supporting Danish values.” Soren Espersen, an MP of the Danish People's Party, admitted: “I didn’t know there were so many Muslims in Denmark who are supporting Western values.”

Meanwhile threats continue to be issued by Islamists around the globe towards newspapers which have published the Muhammad cartoons. Threats are also directed at non-Muslims citizens from the countries where these papers are based. An Afghan warlord has offered a bounty of five kilogrammes of gold for anyone who kills a Danish, Norwegian or German soldier. Nevertheless, the cartoons are still being published worldwide. Danes have been advised by their government not to travel to Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lybia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Sudan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. As a consequence thousands of Danes have cancelled visits to the Middle East. Other European countries have advised their citizens living in Muslim countries to stay indoors.

While the United States have finally come out in support of Denmark, declaring that Copenhagen has nothing to apologize for and that Syria and Iran are deliberately fuelling anti-Western sentiments, the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has urged the Danish government to apologize for the publication of the Muhammad cartoons. French president Jacques Chirac has condemned decisions to reprint cartoons satirising Muhammad as “overt provocations.”

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Safeguard freedom at any cost

Submitted by lover_of_democracy on Tue, 2006-02-14 21:34.

lover_of_democracy  Freedom of press should be safeguarded at any cost. Free press should not bow to terror tactics or any other pressure. This is because the first step that the tyrannical regimes take is to gag the press. And for proof one has to look no further than the mullah led regimes of the middle east. The free fourth estate of the entire world should unite and fight these jihadis. In this regard it is noteworthy that CNN a popular media giant refused to publish these cartoons because purportedly they dont want to offend the sentiments of muslims. That sounds so prudish and smacks of cowardice. In contrast , an Egyptian newspaper living amidst these mad mullahs dared to publish these cartoons. Hats off to it's bold stance in favor of freedom of the press ! If the free press buckles under pressure now the world has much to lose and above all it will be a shot in the arm for the mindless jihadis and their movement. The Danish newspaper should not apologise and even should not feel any remorse in their hearts for its cartoons. And rightly has it ( the newspaper ) done so and kudos to it's fearless stand in this regard. ( this simmering undercurrent issue of freedom of press vis-a-vis the muslim community was always there in all parts of the world but with this controversy it has surfaced in all it's ugliness. Hence now is the time to settle this question with a binding finality ) Now the issue has gone beyond the mere cartoons and its having offended the sensibilities or emotions of muslims around the world. The issue is now one of serious threat to the freedom of press.  And the reply should be loud, clear and courageous : That we will not be overcome but we shall overcome and prevail against terror. A free press is a bulwark and one of the solid pillars that hold democracy. And to allow these mad mullahs from the dark ages to threaten this age old institution and freedom is a shame. Especially in these days of upsurge in Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism. Our forefathers have fought hard for this and this freedom is precious. In this context it is pointless to even discuss the intrinsic worth of the cartoons itself.

They ( fundamentalists ) have damaged some parts of the world beyond repair and redemption. Enough of that and they should not be allowed to spread their poison to the rest of the world . Victory to Freedom and down with tyranny !!

 

 

 

Long live Israel!! The Jews

Submitted by Patriot on Sun, 2006-02-12 14:31.

Long live Israel!! The Jews need to stop giving the crybaby Palestinians land, if anything they need to take more. Perhaps we should open up Antarctica for arab settlement and give the jews the entire mid-east. (just a thought)

I have to say I feel disgust at this point

Submitted by epaminondas on Sun, 2006-02-12 13:40.

At the start of this fiasco, it really didn't seem to matter if american papers published the (really mild) cartoons.

However, considering that the real issue is (now) quranic brownshirts vs freedom of speech, I believe it is imperative for some papers to join in.

If the USA can 'suffer' the Nazis marching in Skokie in 1978 (a city in which ~1 of 6 people were holocaust ..oh it really happened?..survivors), in a court ordered freedom of speech over possible offense, and have the Brooklyn Museum's NYC budget restored by court order over freedom of speech for displaying the Piss-Christ, and the feces smeared Virgin Mary, then why won't these same papers (Like the Boston Globe and NYT) simply exhibit consistency and do what's right. Even if they have courage only against the american political system and Mr. Giuliani, they can at the VERY least, in the editorial pages, use the same language to defend this right that they did for this issue here.

Perhaps the left only can exhibit courage when there is nothing really at stake. When their target is a Reagan or Bush, and nothing physically is at risk. But when real brownshirts come into the street?

"Organized Apoplexy" by David Warren

Submitted by foreign devil on Fri, 2006-02-10 23:57.

An absolute MUST READ: David Warren (Ottawa Citizen) "Organized Apoplexy" in which he dissects the journey of the cartoons from Denmark to the Middle East, reveals there were thirty, not three, fake cartoons, far nastier than the original 12, and cautions against ANY apologies which he says strengthen the Islamists who concocted all these riots in an organized and systematic campaign of agitpropaganda.

http://www.davidwarrenonline.com/

Frontier of the sacred

Submitted by Raf on Fri, 2006-02-10 21:08.

Le Monde writes today:

"La liberté d'expression doit-elle ou non s'arrêter à cette frontière du sacré ?" ( Freedom of expression, does it have to stop at that frontier of the sacred?)

The question is: Ou est la frontière du sacré ? (where is the frontier of the sacred?)

Raf

War on freedom

Submitted by von Schlichtningen on Fri, 2006-02-10 21:02.

The Swedish government through the security police and the Swedish Foreign Ministry has banned a blog from publishing the cartoons.

The ISP of Sverigedemokraterna, a reportedly extreme right wing blog, has been closed down for having published the cartoons:

"“We think that this was the best decision after we were contacted by the Foreign Ministry and SÄPO,” Anna Larsson, vice president of hosting compant Levonline, told DN. Freivalds told DN that it is terrible that a small group of extremists are exposing Swedes to danger [by reprinting the cartoons]".”

Säpo is the Swedish Police Intelligence Service/Security police.

Sweden is supposedly the 9th country in the world on the list of countries with the best free speech.

See here:
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004527.htm
http://ibloga.blogspot.com/2006/02/swedish-government-is-shutting-down.html

I say:
Ask for the resignation of the Swedish government

Boycott Sweden until censorship is abolished

Ask for Sweden to be excluded from the EU

The Offended Euro-Muslim leaves for the holy land...

Submitted by Gordonz on Fri, 2006-02-10 20:01.

 Wow... come to think of it, we haven't heard from any of you guys. Come on... where are you?

If "Islaam Is The Answer", then I guess the question would be "Why Did You Come Here?" Or better yet "When Do You Leave?"

One man's theology is another man's belly laugh.

 

Re Stonings!

Submitted by A New Believer on Fri, 2006-02-10 19:41.

Hmm! Well if that appalls you, you would not have liked it when the Saudi Royals, a bunch of Wahabhist fanatics executed the young Lebanese male student, a rather wealthy young man, that they removed from his home in Beirut and transported him to Saudi Arabia when they beheaded him for cuckolding one of the prince's wives, a Saudi Princess whom they then executed by firing squad. They met when she was in Lebanon going to university and fell in love. Obviously, she never had a choice about the dry stick, she was married to. And I swear the first "muslim" that tells me that their women have a choice I will tell to kiss my rosy bum in the window of Filene's Department Store in Boston, Massachusetts. Choices my great Aunt Fanny! Oh yes, and do not get raped if a woman, because Von Schlichtningen, they will kill you or expect you to kill yourself to save their honor. Does not matter whether you fought or not, none of that matters. If you leave home and go away and marry a non muslim and have a life and a family. the family will try their best to bring you back and arrange things their way. A young woman in Canada was lured away by her mother so her father and brother could KILL her for marrying a non muslim. She had a child too. Do you know thoise lying hypocritical scum wanted the child she had given birth to as well. The will stone you on the word of two men as witness. Hmmm! So all your husband needs is two witness to ly for him. They are good at that. Talking to boys too close to long can get you threatened, holding hands with a boy..please. In the Middle East only men can go walking down the street together holding handing, giggling and laughing, in their natty white ankle length dresses and rakishly set on their heads scarfs and iqbals. Girls cannot do that, that is considered very gay.

Of course saying this immediately makes one a liar because they are perfect and they never do anything wrong! *winks*

Odin be Praised! Baldur Save Us!

Apologies

Submitted by Paul Belien on Fri, 2006-02-10 17:21.

Dog of Flanders informed us that the pictures were not a punishment but some stunt. The source is here:

http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/008815.php

As the pictures were only on our website for an hour and only a few visitors saw them, we decided to delete the article. Mistakes can happen. My apologies, especially to offended Iranians.

 

 

Not real?

Submitted by Gorm on Fri, 2006-02-10 16:59.

I'd just like to know how you know it wasn't real?
The stoning of the young woman didn't look quite real to me, but the photos of the little boy surely did.

Not real

Submitted by Paul Belien on Fri, 2006-02-10 16:53.

No, the story of the boy was not real, which is why we deleted it. My mistake, sorry.

Thanks from Malta

Submitted by Deepdiver on Fri, 2006-02-10 15:45.

Thanks for all the great work you have been doing over the past few months - way before the msm sat up and took notice.

At our blog (http://www.gardjola.org) we've been using Brussels Journal as a source for this affair since you first wrote about it - you have been absolutely invaluable in helping us put out our message. This is especially true in the light of the fact that our press, government and academics are utterly dhimmified and simply parrot each other in calling for "sensitivity".

All the best

Deepdiver