Protests over Islam cartoons escalate; Sistani partly blames "militant Muslims"

[igloo]

Protests over Islam cartoons escalate worldwide

Muslims call for vengeance; U.S. blasts caricatures as 'offensive'

Supporters of the Islamic militant group Hamas burn a Danish flag in the West Bank town of Nablus on Friday in response to caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad that were published in European newspapers.

Feb. 2: Anger erupts across the Islamic world over cartoons published in European newspapers. NBC's Dawna Friesen reports.

Updated: 3:30 p.m. ET Feb. 3, 2006

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Tens of thousands of angry Muslims marched through Palestinian cities, burning the Danish flag and calling for vengeance Friday against European countries where caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad were published.

Angry protests against the drawings spread in the Muslim world.

In Washington, the State Department criticized the drawings, calling them “offensive to the beliefs of Muslims.â€

In Iraq, thousands demonstrated after Friday mosque prayers, and the country’s leading Shiite cleric denounced the drawings. About 4,500 people rallied in the southern city of Basra and burned the Danish flag.

Muslims in Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia demonstrated against the European nations whose papers published the caricatures, including one depicting the Muslim prophet wearing a turban fashioned into a bomb.

Drawings first published in September

The drawings first appeared in a Danish paper in September but were reprinted this week in papers in Norway, France, Germany and even Jordan after Muslims decried the images as insulting.

On Friday evening, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas received a call from the Danish foreign minister, expressing “that his government cannot accept an assault against Islam, and that he personally respects Islam and he personally respects the dialogue between the religions,†Abbas’ office said.

Dutch-language newspapers in Belgium and two Italian right-wing papers reprinted the drawings on Friday. The Italian papers also ran editorials criticizing European media for giving in to pressure over the drawings.

Islamic law, based on clerics’ interpretation of the Quran and the sayings of the prophet, forbids depiction’s of the Prophet Muhammad and other major religious figures — even positive ones — to prevent idolatry. Shiite Muslim clerics differ in that they allow images of their greatest saint, Ali, the prophet’s son-in-law, though not Muhammad.

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, in a meeting with Egypt’s ambassador, reiterated his stance that the government cannot interfere with issues concerning the press. On Monday, he said his government could not apologize on behalf of a newspaper, but that he personally “never would have depicted Muhammad, Jesus or any other religious character in a way that could offend other people.â€

While recognizing the importance of freedom of the press and expression, U.S. State Department press officer Janelle Hironimus said these rights must be coupled with press responsibility.

“Inciting religious or ethnic hatred in this manner is not acceptable,†Hironimus said. “We call for tolerance and respect for all communities and for their religious beliefs and practices.â€

Militants boycotting European goods

Early Friday, Palestinian militants threw a bomb at a French cultural center in Gaza City, and many Palestinians began boycotting European goods, especially those from Denmark.

“Whoever defames our prophet should be executed,†said Ismail Hassan, 37, a tailor who marched through the pouring rain along with hundreds of others in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

“Bin Laden our beloved, Denmark must be blown up,†protesters in Ramallah chanted.

An imam at the Omari Mosque in Gaza City told 9,000 worshippers that those behind them should have their heads cut off.

“If they want a war of religions, we are ready,†Hassan Sharaf, an imam in Nablus, said in his sermon.

About 10,000 demonstrators, including gunmen from the Islamic militant group Hamas firing in the air, marched through Gaza City to the Palestinian legislature, where they climbed on the roof, waving green Hamas banners and chanting “Down, Down Denmark!â€

Thousands protested in Nablus and Jenin, burning Danish flags and dairy products.

Fearing violence, Israel barred all Palestinians under age 45 from praying at Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third holiest site.

Hamas demonstration outside Jerusalem

Nevertheless, about 100 men chanting Islamic slogans and carrying a green Hamas flag demonstrated outside Jerusalem’s Old City on Friday afternoon. The crowd scattered when police on horseback arrived, and some of the protesters threw rocks.

In Iraq, both Shiite and Sunni preachers spoke out against the drawings during Friday prayers, with many calling for a boycott of Danish goods. In Baghdad’s Sunni Arab stronghold of Azamiyah, about 600 protesters outside a mosque burned a Danish flag and boxes of Danish cheese.

The country’s top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, decried the drawings but did not call for protests.

“We strongly denounce and condemn this horrific action,†he said in a statement posted on his Web site and dated Tuesday.

Al-Sistani, who wields enormous influence over Iraq’s majority Shiites, suggested militant Muslims were partly to blame. He referred to “misguided and oppressive†segments of the Muslim community and said their actions “projected a distorted and dark image of the faith of justice, love and brotherhood.â€

The drawings were first published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. The issue reignited last week after Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador to Denmark and many European newspapers reprinted them this week.

Self-censorship exercise?

The Jyllands-Posten said it had asked cartoonists to draw images of the prophet “to examine whether people would succumb to self-censorship, as we have seen in other cases when it comes to Muslim issues.â€

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying the caricatures are an attack on “our spiritual values,†adding they had damaged efforts to establish an alliance between the Muslim world and Europe. Hundreds of Turks emerging from mosques following Friday prayers staged demonstrations, including one in front of the Danish consulate in Istanbul.

In the Indonesian capital Jakarta, more than 150 hard-line Muslims stormed a high-rise building housing the Danish Embassy and tore down and burned the country’s white and red flag. The government ordered police to upgrade security at embassies across the capital.

Story continues below ↓

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Pakistan’s parliament unanimously voted to condemn the drawings as a “vicious, outrageous and provocative campaign†that has “hurt the faith and feelings of Muslims all over the world.†About 800 people protested in Islamabad, chanting “Death to Denmark†and “Death to France.†Another rally in the southern city of Karachi drew 1,200.

Protests extend to Asia

Fundamentalist Muslims protested outside the Danish Embassy in Malaysia, chanting “Long live Islam, destroy our enemies.â€

In Europe, senior British, French and Italian officials criticized the drawings. Austria, which holds the European Union presidency, expressed concern over the escalating crisis.

“I believe that the republication of these cartoons has been unnecessary, it has been insensitive, it has been disrespectful and it has been wrong,†British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said.

In London, hundreds of demonstrators converged on Denmark’s Embassy and burned the Danish flag. Women wearing headscarves chanted and held banners proclaiming: “Kill the one who insults the Prophet.â€

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[bigpoppanils]

here's a link to the cartoons.

http://www.humaneventsonline.com/sarticle.php?id=12146

and this from CBS

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/02/ap/world/mainD8FH8OT84.shtml

Outrage over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad escalated in the Arab and Islamic world Thursday, with Palestinian gunmen briefly kidnapping a German citizen and protesters in Pakistan chanting "death to France" and "death to Denmark."

Palestinian militants surrounded European Union headquarters in Gaza, and gunmen burst into several hotels and apartments in the West Bank in search of foreigners to take hostage.

In Iraq, Islamic leaders urged worshippers to stage demonstrations from Baghdad to the southern city of Basra following weekly prayer services Friday. Afghanistan and Indonesia condemned the drawings, and Iran summoned the Austrian ambassador, whose country holds the EU presidency.

The issue opened divisions among European Union governments. Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik said EU leaders have a responsibility to "clearly condemn" insults to any religion. But French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said he preferred "an excess of caricature to an excess of censorship."

Sarkozy joined journalists in rallying around the editorial director of France Soir, who was fired by the newspaper's Egyptian owner. France Soir and several other newspapers across Europe reprinted the caricatures this week in a show of support for freedom of expression.

The cartoons were first published in September in a Danish newspaper, touching off anger among Muslims who knew about it. The issue reignited last week after Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador to Denmark.

The Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, had asked 40 cartoonists to draw images of the prophet. The purpose, its chief editor said, was "to examine whether people would succumb to self-censorship, as we have seen in other cases when it comes to Muslim issues."

Islamic law, based on clerics' interpretation of the Quran and the sayings of the prophet, forbids depictions of the Prophet Muhammad and other major religious figures _ even positive ones _ to prevent idolatry. Shiite Muslim clerics differ in that they allow images of their greatest saint, Ali, the prophet's son-in-law, though not Muhammad.

Critics say the drawings were particularly insulting because some appeared to ridicule Muhammad. One cartoon showed the prophet wearing a turban shaped as a bomb.

France's Grand Rabbi Joseph Sitruk said he shared Muslim anger.

"We gain nothing by lowering religions, humiliating them and making caricatures of them. It's a lack of honesty and respect," he said. He said freedom of expression "is not a right without limits."

In the Arab world, a Jordanian newspaper, Shihan, took the bold step Thursday of running some of the drawings, saying it wanted to show its readers how offensive the cartoons were but also urging the world's Muslims to "be reasonable." Its editorial noted that Jyllands-Posten had apologized, "but for some reason, nobody in the Muslim world wants to hear the apology."

Hours later, the Jordanian government threatened legal action against Shihan, and the owners of the weekly said they had fired its chief editor, Jihad al-Momani, and withdrawn the issue from sale.

The outrage Thursday was most tangible in the Palestinian territories, where Norway and Denmark closed diplomatic offices after masked gunmen threatened to kidnap foreigners in Gaza.

Palestinian gunmen in the West Bank searched several hotels, and a German citizen was briefly kidnapped by gunmen from a hotel in the city of Nablus. Palestinian police freed the German, a teacher, after less than an hour.

Foreign reporters either pulled out of Gaza on Thursday or canceled plans to go to the coastal strip.

Palestinian security officials said they would try to protect foreigners in Gaza. Nineteen foreigners have been kidnapped in Gaza in recent months; all were freed unharmed.

The protests in the Palestinian territories came a week after the Islamic militant group Hamas defeated the ruling Fatah Party in parliamentary elections.

In one unusual twist, Mahmoud Zahar, a Hamas leader, visited a Gaza church Thursday and promised protection to Christians after Fatah gunmen threatened to target churches as part of their protests. Zahar offered to dispatch gunmen from Hamas' military wing, the Izzedine al Qassam Brigades, to guard the church.

"You are our brothers," Zahar told Father Manuel Musallam of the Holy Family Church.

In Gaza City, a dozen gunmen linked to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' defeated Fatah Party surrounded the EU Commission's local office.

One of the militants, flanked by two masked men with assault rifles, said the governments of Germany, France, Norway and Denmark must apologize for the cartoons by Thursday evening. If no apology is issued, the gunmen said they would target citizens of the four countries and shut down media offices, including the French news agency.

"Any citizens of these countries, who are present in Gaza, will put themselves in danger," the gunman said.

About 10 armed Palestinians gathered later at the French cultural center in Gaza City and warned of a "tough response" to any further disparagement of Muhammad.

Only a few dozen foreigners from the targeted countries were in Gaza on Thursday. Many others pulled out in recent months, following a spate of abductions of foreigners by Fatah-linked gunmen.

Danish and French members of an international observer team at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt stayed away from Gaza on Thursday, and instead worked from the group's headquarters in the Israeli town of Ashkelon, said a spokesman, Julio de La Guardia.

Gunhild Forselv, spokeswoman for the international mission in the West Bank town of Hebron, said she was in touch with community leaders and was not concerned for the safety of the 72-member observer force, which includes 21 Norwegians and 11 Danes. "We don't feel threatened," she said.

The EU's election observers were winding down operations, as planned, said Mathias Eick, who is German. He said the Gaza office had been closed and that 49 observers were in Ramallah. "There were security risks even before the election and nothing has changed," he said.

Norway closed its representative office in the West Bank to the public because of the threats, but said the 23-member staff remained on the job.

The Danish Foreign Ministry in Copenhagen said all Danes, except for two diplomats, have left the West Bank and Gaza in recent days. The Danish representative office in the West Bank was to be closed Friday because of the threats, a diplomat said.

In Nablus, gunmen from the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent Fatah offshoot, went to four hotels and told staff they must not host Europeans from the targeted countries. The gunmen said they searched two apartments for foreigners to kidnap, but didn't find any. Foreigners now have three days to leave town, the gunmen said in an impromptu news conference after their fruitless search.

you things are pretty bad when Hamas is trying to stop the violence

but seriously, the palestinians are going way too far. I dont see how a negative cartoon warrants kidnappings and lootings

I hope the NGOs pull out permanently after this.

[ou812]

You know, not for nothing, but knowing full well how Muslims historically would react to something like this, I think those authors deserve everything coming their way for stirring up a bee's nest. That's just pure irresponsiblity and stupidity on their parts.

[igloo]

You know, not for nothing, but knowing full well how Muslims historically would react to something like this, I think those authors deserve everything coming their way for stirring up a bee's nest. That's just pure irresponsiblity and stupidity on their parts.

So, you are into selective freedom of expression?

DId you feel the same way when Newsweek incorrectly started a firestorm with the "Koran" story......

[ou812]

So, you are into selective freedom of expression?

DId you feel the same way when Newsweek incorrectly started a firestorm with the "Koran" story......

I'm into using some common sense before acting irresponsibly stupid.

I have the freedom of speech to walk into the middle of crowded section of South Central LA and start calling everyone a bunch of filthy niggers, does it mean I do that because I can?

Big difference between can you do it and should you do it.

[igloo]

I'm into using some common sense before acting irresponsibly stupid.

I have the freedom of speech to walk into the middle of crowded section of South Central LA and start calling everyone a bunch of filthy niggers, does it mean I do that because I can?

Big difference between can you do it and should you do it.

See, I agree with you. That is why I am asking you, did you support what Newsweek did, and similar incidents during this war (ie Abu Grahib 24/7 for weeks).

[daprofessional]

they posted those pictures because they felt the Danish press was being censored in their coverage of islamic issues. I don't think it was a stupid move. More like the violent reactions are deplorable.

[igloo]

More like the violent reactions are deplorable.

Exactly

[igloo]

See, I agree with you. That is why I am asking you, did you support what Newsweek did, and similar incidents during this war (ie Abu Grahib 24/7 for weeks).

Still waiting

[igloo]

Monsters of the Arab street

Pay attention to Muslims gone wild

Feb 6, 2006

by Steve Muscatello ( bio | archive | contact )

An irrational fear of evangelical Christians deprives secular America of a true understanding of the dangers posed by radical Islam. But those who fret over an imagined American “theocracy†run by Christian zealots should take note that it’s not Bobby from Birmingham or Wally from Wichita that’s burning down embassies, raiding buildings, threatening executions and otherwise behaving like animals on the streets of (to name a few) Damascus, Gaza City, Jakarta and Baghdad.

By now you know the story. Last October, a Danish newspaper printed twelve cartoons depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammad in various postures: walking through a field; in front of a classroom chalkboard; and even with a bomb tucked in his turban.

The initial reaction was tepid. But then an Austrian newspaper reprinted the cartoons in January, followed by French, German, Italian and Spanish newspapers this month. The reprints set off a firestorm (Islamic law forbids depictions of Muhammad to prevent idol worship). Violent protests have raged since, reaching a head Saturday as Syrian mobs burned down much of the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus.

If the outbursts were small, isolated incidents in two or three countries it would be easier to write them off—just the work of a vocal—and exceptionally radical—minority, we’d say. But the demonstrations have been large and widespread. Indeed, if airborne disease spread through the Muslim world as fast as outrage, a simple case of the flu might afflict millions in minutes. Things get contagious.

If only Muslims had a better public relations strategist they might have avoided this brouhaha. Instead of letting the little-noticed drawings drift into oblivion, Muslim protests lit the fires of Western curiosity. What do these cartoons look like? Then the media swarm came and suddenly newspapers on the other side of the world were printing editorials titled “The freedom to blaspheme†and galvanizing armies of free speech advocates.

Nevertheless, there are two reasons why it’s better for the West (but not the Danish and Norwegian embassies) that it happened this way.

First, the timing is perfect. The latest issue of Rolling Stone depicts rapper Kanye West as a Christ-like figure in a crown of thorns with the title: “The Passion of Kanye West.†The cover shot is a disgusting affront to Christians, and certainly as blasphemous as the cartoons were to Muslims.

As a result, no one was surprised when Christians firebombed Rolling Stone headquarters in New York.

Oh wait, didn’t happen.

Okay, well no one was surprised when Christians threatened to firebomb the building.

Nope, didn’t happen either.

Rarely does history provide such a perfect point of comparison, and the contrasting responses could hardly be more telling: When faced with a nearly identical situation, one faith resorted to violence, threats and rage like unruly savages; the other was civil, responding (if at all) with letters to the editor, calls for a boycott and many public denunciations.

Second, the rage of the Muslim world again lays bare radicalism for all the world to see. A similar fervor was set off in 2005 in response to purported Koran desecration at Guantanamo Bay. People died then, many of them Muslims. But it didn’t matter. The rage is as overwhelming as it is contagious.

Victor Davis Hanson has called this the “lunacy principle,†that is, “these people are capable of doing anything at anytime."

That’s what makes Iran so scary. When President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denies the Holocaust and says “Israel must be wiped off the map†he really means it. And if his nuclear program continues unabated, he might just wake-up one morning and do it.

And that’s the thing, for all their shrewd and secret plots, most radical Muslims are remarkably forthcoming: they seek the destruction of Western civilization, beginning with Israel, in order to establish a world-wide caliphate.

That blueprint should scare secular America more than, say, a well-organized group of pro-life activists. But in many cases, it doesn’t. Trace it to comfort or laziness: it’s easier to create a paper tiger out of the “Religious Right†and to rail against their “bigoted†and “intolerant†policies than to acknowledge the true threats posed by radical Islam.

It’s early yet, but the cartoon protests may go a long way in changing this mentality, in expanding horizons beyond the water’s edge. President John Quincy Adams once said that America should not go “abroad in search of monsters to destroy.†Well, he might have added that America should not create monsters at home over relatively tame ideological differences. After all, these days we don't have to search very far for monsters. They're already in the streets, calling our name.

[drlogic]

What I don't get:

After 9/11, muslims celebrated, shared cake & candy, praised Alah.

When children are strapped w/ bomb jackets and sent into buses or crowds to blow themselves up, the muslims show ZERO outrage.

When anti-AlQaeda muslims are murdered, their bodies left on display for all to see, ZERO OUTRAGE

A cartoon orginally printed in Sept. gets re-printed in Jan, muslims around the world protest, burning everything down to the ground????

[tastey]

What I don't get:

After 9/11, muslims celebrated, shared cake & candy, praised Alah.

When children are strapped w/ bomb jackets and sent into buses or crowds to blow themselves up, the muslims show ZERO outrage.

When anti-AlQaeda muslims are murdered, their bodies left on display for all to see, ZERO OUTRAGE

A cartoon orginally printed in Sept. gets re-printed in Jan, muslims around the world protest, burning everything down to the ground????

absolutley agree.

[BKDJ]

there's just no logic when ur dealin with these kinda people.......

[ou812]

What I don't get:

After 9/11, muslims celebrated, shared cake & candy, praised Alah.

When children are strapped w/ bomb jackets and sent into buses or crowds to blow themselves up, the muslims show ZERO outrage.

When anti-AlQaeda muslims are murdered, their bodies left on display for all to see, ZERO OUTRAGE

A cartoon orginally printed in Sept. gets re-printed in Jan, muslims around the world protest, burning everything down to the ground????

Well, you can choose to go by the reports of fanatics' behavior or you can do a little research into it and find that the majority of the Muslim world is just as appalled. Do you really believe the majority of Muslims were celebrating that day? Please, get real. Some pics that I assume they didn't show on the news or you just chose to forget about because it makes it easier to stomach going to war if you think they are all savages.

The Images below are from a peaceful candlelight vigil on the streets of Tehran, Iran. (September 18th, 2001)

The pariticipants lit candles, mourned, and prayed to showed their grief over the loss of innocent life in the tragedies of Sept. 11th.

In Bangladesh

These people were really partying hard weren't they.

[destruction]

Dr. Moron, you have been...

[igloo]

still waiting ou812

[ou812]

still waiting ou812

waiting for what?

[igloo]

waiting for what?

answer my question to you at the beginning of the thread...I am very curious to see your response

[ou812]

Post a link to the article you are referring to.

[igloo]

Post a link to the article you are referring to.

please tell me you are joking........answer the fucking question

[ou812]

And you want me to answer your question about an article if you won't post a link to it, how?

I am aware of 2 or 3 different ones.

[igloo]

And you want me to answer your question about an article if you won't post a link to it, how?

I am aware of 2 or 3 different ones.

Forget "the" article you fucking dunce......it is not about the article you moron, but the act itself.......are you pretending you do not remember when Newsweek ran the story on Gitmo, and the mishandling of the Koran, and the unrest that caused in the Muslim world, the damage to the U.S., etc.....and the subsequent heavy media coverage about it...including Newsweek admitting it made a mistakes, riots, debates, etc....

It is not about the article per se simpleton, but reporting on something that, as you say, would be "stirring up a bee's nest". Let alone something that was inaccurate. Are you trying to say you don't remember this issue, or are you playing dumb because your hypocrisy may be exposed?

You claim in this cartoon issue that "I'm into using some common sense before acting irresponsibly stupid. I have the freedom of speech to walk into the middle of crowded section of South Central LA and start calling everyone a bunch of filthy niggers, does it mean I do that because I can?........"Big difference between can you do it and should you do it. You know, not for nothing, but knowing full well how Muslims historically would react to something like this, I think those authors deserve everything coming their way for stirring up a bee's nest. That's just pure irresponsiblity and stupidity on their parts."

So, I am curious, based on your statements, are you into selective freedom of expressions and double standards? Does your thoughts apply to situations also where it may be harmful to the U.S., the war effort, our soldiers in the field, where instead, as you say "I'm into using some common sense before acting irresponsibly stupid"

Does the same apply to Newsweek story......or the media harping on Abu Grahib excessively...........DOes the Arab media, which continually prints offensive material about Jews, and refer to them as pigs and monkeys, are they held to different standards because they are a bees nest, solet them do as they please, but don't dare insult them?

[ou812]

Honestly igloo if you want a response from me I can do without your elementary school name-calling. Stick to the topic of discussion and take a Ritalin or something because it seems like you ADHD is acting up again.

Yes I am aware of this article.

I look at it from 2 possible perspectives. Either that Newsweek honestly published the article using unsubstantiated evidence, found out that they were wrong, retracted and appologized; which in and of itself is indeed extremely irresponsible to publish something so potentially volatile on heresay.

The other possibility I see is that the events actually did occur, but the backlash that resulted caused Newsweek to carry out the damage control that they did in the best interests of themselves as well as the US Armed Forces.

The whole Abu Gharaib incident was an enormous fuck up. But again, this country's media is fed off of ratings. Those images played over and over on all channels certainly garnered alot of them. Another bonehead move on the part of the media to undermine the country. Great for their own ratings sure, but again, not thinking before acting much. At least not thinking further than their own interests.

In any event. My outlooks pertains the same to anyone, I am not selectively judgemental on who should use discretion in what they publish or broadcast. But that's not the real issue at hand here is it? The issue at hand is how certain people/groups will react to what is published/broadcasted. Now one person could sit here and say, "you know I couldn't care less if they publish things mocking the Jews or Christians or what have you, so I can't understand why these people would react this way". Unfortunately the world does not see things through one singular POV.

History has taught us the fundamentalist Muslims don't have a sense of humor about such things. This is not the 1st time something like this has happened. You may or may not remember the backlash that was created as the result of Salman Rushdie's book "The Satanic Verses". Why would people expect anything less from this? And why try to push the envelope when you've seen what has resulted from it in the past, why not just leave well enough alone?

So the bottom line here is not one of holding different groups to different levels of responsibility. You cannot dictate the way people are going to react to certain situations because you see them one way and they see them another..........however, having the benefit of foresight in knowing how they have reacted in the past to something and then going ahead and doing it anyway is foolish.

[igloo]

Honestly igloo if you want a response from me I can do without your elementary school name-calling. Stick to the topic of discussion and take a Ritalin or something because it seems like you ADHD is acting up again.

Yes I am aware of this article.

I look at it from 2 possible perspectives. Either that Newsweek honestly published the article using unsubstantiated evidence, found out that they were wrong, retracted and appologized; which in and of itself is indeed extremely irresponsible to publish something so potentially volatile on heresay.

The other possibility I see is that the events actually did occur, but the backlash that resulted caused Newsweek to carry out the damage control that they did in the best interests of themselves as well as the US Armed Forces.

The whole Abu Gharaib incident was an enormous fuck up. But again, this country's media is fed off of ratings. Those images played over and over on all channels certainly garnered alot of them. Another bonehead move on the part of the media to undermine the country. Great for their own ratings sure, but again, not thinking before acting much. At least not thinking further than their own interests.

In any event. My outlooks pertains the same to anyone, I am not selectively judgemental on who should use discretion in what they publish or broadcast. But that's not the real issue at hand here is it? The issue at hand is how certain people/groups will react to what is published/broadcasted. Now one person could sit here and say, "you know I couldn't care less if they publish things mocking the Jews or Christians or what have you, so I can't understand why these people would react this way". Unfortunately the world does not see things through one singular POV.

History has taught us the fundamentalist Muslims don't have a sense of humor about such things. This is not the 1st time something like this has happened. You may or may not remember the backlash that was created as the result of Salman Rushdie's book "The Satanic Verses". Why would people expect anything less from this? And why try to push the envelope when you've seen what has resulted from it in the past, why not just leave well enough alone?

So the bottom line here is not one of holding different groups to different levels of responsibility. You cannot dictate the way people are going to react to certain situations because you see them one way and they see them another..........however, having the benefit of foresight in knowing how they have reacted in the past to something and then going ahead and doing it anyway is foolish.

Well, good to see that you believe "NewsweeK" and "Abu Grahib" media behavior was irresponsible, and unnecessarily damaging.......then again, even if you did not believe that, you couldn't say otherwise, or be guilty of wicked hypocrisy....hence, why I stayed on you for a response ..

With respects to your POV on this issue, I think you are applying double standards and selective freedom of expression, and dancing around it with incoherent logic ("I am not selectively judgemental on who should use discretion in what they publish or broadcast. But that's not the real issue at hand here is it? The issue at hand is how certain people/groups will react to what is published/broadcasted"). ......

Yes, you are stating the obvious on how Muslims will react to such things (and I admit that I believe the Euro-press WAS looking for a reaction), but again, what you are basically saying is "don't print something because it offends Muslims, cause their reactions will be deplorable and is a known result, but print shit that is harmful to the U.S., or Jews, Or Christians, because there will only be "peaceful" consequences, if any, so feel free to insult in the name of freedom of speech"

Like I said earlier, I agree with you, the Euro-press should have been smarter. But let's not lose sight of the fact that the activity taking place is despicable, unwarranted, ridiculously hypocritical, and ironically PROVED the agenda of the editors.

Go fuck yourself dickhead (need to throw that in for consistency purposes, and did not have an applicable place above).

BTW- I posted a piece today that I thought had a very interesting take-give it a read

[ou812]

So you are clear I did not say or infer at any point that "print shit that is harmful to the U.S., or Jews, Or Christians, because there will only be "peaceful" consequences, if any, so feel free to insult in the name of freedom of speech"

Where did I say that, is that not contradicting what I said before. I said I was not selectively judgmental which means I think any and all should show the same discretion. Insulting and mocking based on people's religion I think is a cheap shot no matter who is perpetrating it.

Because I think different groups would react differently to it is NOT the same thing as saying go ahead and do it because you won't get the same backlash as a result. I'm not a racist/prejudice.