Journalists in the Malasia and Yemen are teaching Western publishers and governments a thing or two about courage. It is in the West, however, where the reaction is positively chilling.
The European Union may try to draw up a media code of conduct to avoid a repeat of the furore caused by the publication across Europe of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, an EU commissioner said today.
In an interview with Britain’s Daily Telegraph, EU Justice and Security Commissioner Franco Frattini said the charter would encourage the media to show ”prudence” when covering religion.
”The press will give the Muslim world the message: We are aware of the consequences of exercising the right of free expression,” he told the newspaper.
Perhaps they should save themselves needless duplication and cc the Chinese world.
Epoch Times
[T]wo armed men forced themselves into the home in Atlanta of Epoch Times lead information technology specialist Mr. Yuan P. Li, beating him and stealing two of his laptops. After Mr. Li managed to free himself from the extension cord used to bind him, he was taken to an area hospital for treatment. His statement describing this attack is published below.
This crime, occurring in a very safe area in Atlanta and done without concern for the taking of valuables, breaks new ground in the Chinese Communist regime’s campaign against The Epoch Times.
That campaign has previously taken the form of arresting Epoch Times staff inside mainland China, and, outside mainland China, systematically stealing newspapers, attempting to intimidate advertisers, applying pressure to deny Epoch Times staff the opportunity to cover events at which Chinese government officials appear, and threatening the family members inside mainland China of Epoch Times staff living outside China.
In addition, The Epoch Times in Malaysia has been blocked from publication due to the Chinese regime’s interference, according to press watchdog groups. Also, Epoch Times offices in Sydney and Toronto have received in the mail suspicious envelopes that were suspected of containing toxic materials.
In South Africa, the Independent Media Group has now apologized for publishing quotes from Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses.
Which brings me to a more personal message to a young reporter who interviewed me yesterday. Perhaps it will help him better understand my reasons for publishing the Jyllands-Posten cartoons.
Brodie Fenlon – this post is for you and your editor.
It is useful to know that the Toronto Sun’s editorial policy includes “provocation avoidance”. Now, when we read your coverage of politically sensitive news, we must take into consideration the possibility that your facts and analysis have been tempered by an undisclosed measure of self-censorship, and judge your worth as journalists accordingly.
(Sun piece is here)
Kathy Shaidle was interviewed by email, and has posted the whole thing. Damian Penny is explains “Freedom of Blasthemy”.
While it happened to Mr. Li in the US, and without going into details, I know not only the Chinese secret service but also Vietnamese secret service who regularly threaten “their” people here, or their families back home.
The cops, RCMP, and CSIS can’t or won’t do anything about it.
Welcome to the new Canada. Our western civilization is liken to a house of cards…
While North America (namely the US) can withstand any attack, I think our society will die due a thousand small cuts, such as our freedom being taken away, piece by political correct piece.
When a ‘conservative’ blogger like Andrew Coyne can wax poetic about Emerson when REAL stories like Reloscam and this abound, you have to say “hmmmm”
Why isolate incidents and then use them as though they�re characteristic behavior.
You’re saying freedom of speech/press but you’re sounding like freedom of irresponsible expression.
That would sum up most blog comments and sending the pack over to the guy’s site to unload on him. He has a different point of view and so does his boss. So what?
I suspect you’ll find a lot of people and incidents that support your constructs, and a lot that don’t. Your blog to filter however you need to.
This is just one more step in the suicide of the Main Stream Media. Ane one more reason why we may not win this war.
This bodes well for the blogosphere. All views even raw ones will be available for scrutiny and each reader can make up his own mind then debate it on line.
That’s a better way to disseminate news of events rather than filtered through some Trudeaupean control freak… At least until Islam convinces our government to get rid of bloggers.
As soon as I read this on Fenlon’s site:
“The cartoons seem remarkably innocuous to me, a white, privileged, Christian living in a democracy where state and religion are separate.”
I suddenly felt nauseous…
There is a difference between freedom of expression/speech etc and just plain bad taste. It’s just common sense that if you wouldn’t publish something derogatory about your own religion, then you prolly shouldn’t publish something derogatory about another religion. Equal silence or equal airtime/press for all. Otherwise you risk being the same as the radical clerics stirring the trouble. However…. when a group of people DEMAND of another group, such as we have now…. religiously corrupt people DEMANDING no less that the west prostrate itself before them, all I can say to them is… (censor) You! The only way to play this is by their rules. Turning the other cheek, and playing by “Christian” rules will not solve the problem of hate-spewing imams and clerics. Either Muslims will have to “take back” their religion, or the radicals will have to be hunted down and destroyed. Because you know, as long as they have a finger that can trip a switch, or a tongue that can achieve the same goal, there will be NO peace or tolerance. This orchestrated orgy of intolerance has just shown us what we’ve always known. And they want nuclear capability for “peaceful” purposes. Yeah, Rrrrriiiighhht! As long as we have media that caves to demands of special interest groups like the radicals, we will have readers of that media following suit. Soon we’ll have a propaganda machine Goebbels would be proud of, and the Islamic extremists will have their “peaceful” nukes.
I have to agree with Brodie Fenlon on one point:
“Just because you can, doesn�t mean you should.”
Just because you have the right to offend people doesn’t imply that you have to offend people.
What this means though is that the cartoonist and editor should be careful when they are aproaching sensitive topics; if they determine that their opinion must be represented (knowing that it will offend people) they should still be able to present it to their reading public.
Who decides what is offensive?
I feel sorry for the few people in the muslim world who are not completely brainwashed by religous fanatism. Assuming there are any Atheists in the Muslim world how frightening it must be to live in a society where you would have to hide your thoughts for risk of being stoned by the hysterical mob. I have been reading many of the comments to this from many sites, its depressing how virtually every poster with a arab sounding name is completely hung up on ‘mohammed’. The muslim world is already in a dark age, the only issue will we be next ? I greatly fear for the future of Europe.
It is important to keep publishing these idiotic cartoons. No publication has laid the myth of multiculturalism so bare.
The calls for jihad, beheading, death threats, show the level of civilization of these people. Show the Piss Christ, and Christians write letters. Show the Mohammed cartoons and people are murdered.
I am not surprised by the Chinese response, that’s the hot, sharp stick of freedom, in their eye.
I was surprised by Yahoo and Google’s response to the Chinese demand for censor, although I realize it is this, or total blocking of these sites.
another interesting response starts with “If freedom of expression isn’t dangerous, it isn’t worth defending”.
read the rest, it’s only 2 pages, at http://www.reason.com/links/links020306.shtml
I wouldn’t put a person publishing a Muslim parody cartoon on the same moral high ground as a Chinese person working for democratic reform. The former is heroic the second is too tinged with spite to be put on a pedastal.
But that’s beside the point. Freedom of speech includes the latitude to use it without restraints of taste or second geussing sensibilities.
Just keep that in mind the next time you see a crucifix made out of poop created by a homosexual german.
and I think, “just because you can, dosen’t mean you should” means “we must”
a freedom not used, is a freedom not had.
If I can lift 200 pounds, and I don’t do this with some regularity, I will soon find that I cannot lift this. And the real trouble with that, is that when I need to lift it the most, it is that moment I will discover it.
“only oppression, should fear the full excercise of freedom”
Jose, et al:
Speaking to you as a gay conservative, one who convinced at least 300 people to change their views that Conservative = Homophobic during the election, you are making it very hard for those people to believe me.
The topic is freedom of speech and thought. Why would you go out of your way to throw in the words gay or homosexual when you write your replies? Sure, you have the freedom to be homophobic and express that, it just seems that’s for a different thread, it’s off topic here. Unless it’s all you can think about on any topic. In which case you should explore your feelings.
Irshad Manji, a Canadian lesbian, has put her life on the line to try and wake-up the silent majority of Muslims to stop this problem. She recognized it years ago as a little girl, and has been trying to convince Muslims to address it way before it got this out of hand.
Irshad has received too many death threats to count. She is one of the very few Canadian heros we have in this day and age. Especially while on the topic of free-speech verses death, why not show a little respect?
Simply being openly lesbian is enough to get her gang raped and killed in that culture. Writing a book denouncing the violence and intolerance of Islam and loudly calling for reform is the bravest thing anyone I know has ever done.
And Irshad isn’t sitting in the safety of Toronto, she’s currently travelling in the Muslim world shooting a documentary about Islam.
If Islam is to change and become part of the modern world, it’ll be due to Irshad and the people she inspires to take action. And that my friends, is seriously heroic, save the world kind of work.
I think this quote from Steve in BC sums up the meme:
“You’re saying freedom of speech/press but you’re sounding like freedom of irresponsible expression.”
Steve, in a free country there IS no irresponsible expression. There is only expression.
I think the Danes showed guts, and Kate did as well. One does not bow to the provocations of tin-pot dictators, and that’s all this is. The European Union’s leaders are imbeciles.
“So this is how democracy dies, to thunderous applause.”
Every now and then, I like to read Orwell’s 1984 to see how much closer to the Big Brother ideal we have moved.
As near as I can see, this is getting closer to the doublespeak that is described in the book. When the Truth is trumped by offensive sensibilites, journalistic integrity suffers. If it continues, we will no longer have the facts at our hands to make up our own minds but blindly follow the direction the watered down half-truths lead.
Where did I put that book?
Sensorship is a slippery slope thing, there is no way to determine “what” exactly is considered by all to be in bad taste or offensive and to “whom” because everyone single person is different and who, exactly, would we have make any kind of determinations. Freedom of speech, expression and the press HAVE to be an all or nothing thing or they don’t work. If some Muslims feel disrespected or dishonored by these cartoons they have the free choice NOT TO LOOK AT THEM!! The fact that it has been Muslim Imams that created most of these 30 or so offensive cartoons and then brought them around to middle eastern countries specifically to further entice hatred of the west tells me we MUST FIGHT for these freedoms all the more!
AREOPAGITICA;
A
SPEECH
OF
Mr. JOHN MILTON [1608-1674]
For the Liberty of UNLICENC’D PRINTING,
To the PARLAMENT of ENGLAND.
This is true Liberty when free born men
Having to advise the public may speak free,
Which he who can, and will, deserv’s high praise,
Who neither can nor will, may hold his peace;
What can be juster in a State then this?
Eurip. Hicetid.
For the Liberty of unlicenc’d Printing
Excerpt: Last paragraph.
And as for regulating the Presse, let no man think to have the honour of advising ye better then your selves have done in that Order publisht next before this, that no book be Printed, unlesse the Printers and the Authors name, or at least the Printers be register’d. Those which otherwise come forth, if they be found mischievous and libellous, the fire and the executioner will be the timeliest and the most effectuall remedy, that mans prevention can use. For this authentic Spanish policy of licencing books, if I have said aught, will prove the most unlicenc’t book it self within a short while; and was the immediat image of a Star-chamber decree to that purpose made in those very times when that Court did the rest of those her pious works, for which she is now fall’n from the Starres with Lucifer. Whereby ye may guesse what kinde of State prudence, what love of the people, what care of Religion, or good manners there was at the contriving, although with singular hypocrisie it pretended to bind books to their good behaviour. And how it got the upper hand of your precedent Order so well constituted before, if we may beleeve those men whose profession gives them cause to enquire most, it may be doubted there was in it the fraud of some old patentees and monopolizers in the trade of book-selling; who under pretence of the poor in their Company not to be defrauded, and the just retaining of each man his severall copy, which God forbid should be gainsaid, brought divers glosing colours to the House, which were indeed but colours, and serving to no end except it be to exercise a superiority over their neighbours, men who doe not therefore labour in an honest profession to which learning is indetted, that they should be made other mens vassalls. Another end is thought was aym’d at by some of them in procuring by petition this Order, that having power in their hands, malignant books might the easier scape abroad, as the event shews. But of these Sophisms and Elenchs of marchandize I skill not: This I know, that errors in a good government and in a bad are equally almost incident; for what Magistrate may not be mis-inform’d, and much the sooner, if liberty of Printing be reduc’t into the power of a few; but to redresse willingly and speedily what hath bin err’d, and in highest autority to esteem a plain advertisement more then others have done a sumptuous bribe, is a vertue (honour’d Lords and Commons) answerable to Your highest actions, and whereof none can participat but greatest and wisest men.
The End >>>
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~milton/reading_room/areopagitica/index.shtml
Provocation avoidance is standard practice at all Canadian papers.
Two professional journalists have told me that A Certain Canadian Daily is sitting on photos of Toronto Muslims celebrating on 9/11, outside Union Station, since 2001…
provocation avoidance????? Who decides what is provocation and who is being provoked–and is it ok to provoke some but not others?? I am provoked every time I read an article about the ‘great’ Liberal ethics or morals–does that mean the msm will not print those stories? NO–it means I don’t matter a damn in the greater scheme of things–I am not an ‘in group’ worthy of protection. I belong to the group that does not deserve the truth in reporting because it doesn’t matter if I am provoked. Now–should we and those like me rise up and demand the death of the Liberal promoters in the msm–would that make us a ‘more equal’ group? We only work to pay the bills–we are not worthy of any special consideration by the msm or anyone else. Maybe we should take a page out of the radical Muslim play book? After all–it is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease!
“sending the pack over to the guy’s site to unload on him. He has a different point of view and so does his boss. So what?”
His point of view, and that of his boss, are undermining western democracy and our ability to trust a free press to report on significant issues without self-serving censorship out of fear and intimidation.
The cartoons have become such a story that it is unacceptable to report on it without also providing the context – that being the cartoons themselves – so that readers and viewers can judge for themselves whether the reaction is even remotely justified.
I believe that is part of the reason most are NOT showing them. They know it will peel back the veneer of multi-culturalism for the sham it is and force Canadians to acknowledge the deeply intolerant nature of a significant number of Muslims.
So if I as a christian are provoked by homosexual marriages will all media stop running pro-homosexual articles?
Or is their messdage that they respond to bullying?
For someone to say that they are not publishing the cartoons because it is provocative is like banning smoking in a cancer ward. It is a symbolic gesture only. The damage is done and the reactions from here now on (more precisely a couple of weeks ago) in say more about the speaker than the events.
The news media are going to live to regret this for a long time. I fully expect sanctimonious respect for everyone from now on. This is not a religious issue, this is political, so the ‘respect’ will obviously be shown in that sphere.
It is impossible for anyone without internet access to get the full flavor of this story, probably the story of the year. I read the papers, but for real news I go elsewhere. Now tell me why I should continue spending money for nothing?
To all newspapers and journalists everywhere: justify your existence.
Derek
An excerpt from “Curse of the Moderates”, Charles Krauthammer:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/09/AR2006020901434.html
‘…
What passes for moderation in the Islamic community — “I share your rage but don’t torch that embassy” — is nothing of the sort. It is simply a cynical way to endorse the goals of the mob without endorsing its means. It is fraudulent because, while pretending to uphold the principle of religious sensitivity, it is interested only in this instance of religious insensitivity.
Have any of these “moderates” ever protested the grotesque caricatures of Christians and, most especially, Jews that are broadcast throughout the Middle East on a daily basis?..
A true Muslim moderate is one who protests desecrations of all faiths. Those who don’t are not moderates but hypocrites, opportunists and agents for the rioters, merely using different means to advance the same goal: to impose upon the West, with its traditions of freedom of speech, a set of taboos that is exclusive to the Islamic faith. These are not defenders of religion but Muslim supremacists trying to force their dictates upon the liberal West.
And these “moderates” are aided and abetted by Western “moderates” who publish pictures of the Virgin Mary covered with elephant dung and celebrate the “Piss Christ” (a crucifix sitting in a jar of urine) as art deserving public subsidy, but who are seized with a sudden religious sensitivity when the subject is Muhammad…’
And from from Canadian newspapers (full texts not online):
Excerpts:
1) “One feather is made into five hens”, Christie Blatchford:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v4/sub/MarketingPage?user_URL=http://www.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2Fstory%2FLAC.20060210.BLATCHFORD10%2FTPStory%2FColumnists&ord=4848146&brand=theglobeandmail&redirect_reason=2&denial_reasons=none&force_login=false
‘…
What the controversy has revealed as starkly as anything else is a remarkable lack of courage in media and government quarters…
Denunciations of violence are useful, but not so much when fear of inciting more of it serves to turn the speaker mush-mouthed. Was that really Canada’s new Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay who in a statement this week said that “this sensitive issue highlights the need for a better understanding of Islam and of the Muslim community?”..
…We Canucks think we have the best passport in the world…I regret to say we appear determined to keep it that way, whatever the cost.’
2) “New math: cartoons equal bloodshed”, Dan Gardner:
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=0a4fdc63-5e34-479d-a044-f117f9870d82
‘…
In early December, Ms. Arbour [UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and erstwhile justice of the Supreme Court of Canada] responded in a letter to an Islamic organization that had complained to the UN about the cartoons. “I understand your reaction to the images that appeared in the newspaper,” she wrote. “I find alarming any behaviours that disregard the beliefs of others. This kind of thing is unacceptable.”
I have to admit that my first thought when I read that statement was, “thank Christ she’s not on the Supreme Court any more.” But then I realized that some people might find that offensive. So I thought about slipping in a quick word of gratitude to Allah as well, but given the current circumstances, maybe not. A nice, generic “thank God” would do, I suppose, except I am a secular humanist who believes all religions are dangerous nonsense…
So I decided not to thank anyone for the fact that Ms. Arbour and her censorious views views are no longer shaping the laws of this country. I will just say I am pleased.
If that offends anyone, I apologize. Please don’t kill me.
But if you do, we’re even.’
And what some Canadian Muslims want:
http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/canada_world/story.html?id=fc8ee750-fa66-4c95-b24d-4199b2447165
‘”We are trying our best to avoid a demonstration,” Salam Elmenyawi, president of the Muslim Council of Montreal, said.
Instead, imams want the federal and Quebec governments to pass laws making anti-Islamic action a hate crime.’
Mark
Ottawa
“deeply intolerant nature of a significant number of Muslims.”
Good point Kate.
You’d think tolerance would be a two way street!
“provocation avoidence” is fine as long as it is equally applied….so we don’t want any more Muslim publications depicting Jews and westerners as pigs and satans….or should we even care?
Toronto Sun
Andy Donato ‘cartoon’
Feb 9, 2005
http://www.torontosun.com/Comment/Donato/2006/02/09/pf-1432786.html
snookie nailed it bang on
More bad behaviour in the Toronto (Red) Star today:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1139526651816&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home
Stupid punks behaving badly at school.
“A peaceful protest turned tense yesterday when some Muslim students confronted a Halifax professor who drew criticism for posting contentious cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad on his office door.”
“Peter March, a philosophy professor at Saint Mary’s University, said he was merely trying to promote a reasoned debate when he suddenly showed up in the midst of 100 protestors.”
Imagine the gall of the man, showing up at their demonstration to discuss the issues! That rat b*stard!
I wonder how the wronged student demonstrators would feel if the rowdies caught on tape were sumarilly ejected from school for un-colegial behaviour?
Sooner of later the dorks who run these universities are going to either get the message that violent intimidation is not a legitimate debating technique, or they are going to be replaced by someone who does get it.
Violent behaviour equals no education. You can be as offended as you like so long as you keep your hands in your pockets. What a concept.
Kate,
Thanks to SDA for “exposing” the ‘offensive’ cartoon, which has created the flap. I printed it last night and left it on the breakfast table for my sons to see.
“Is this what it’s all about??” were the two comments. A good discussion ensued and I hope it brought some enlightenment to a 14 and a 13 year old mind. I know it did. I was there!
Thanks again.
And I thought the Europeans had finaly woken from their slumber. How pathetic, they will all be muslims before too long!
What a sad inditement of humankind. Where are the Doug Laytons, Libbies and Svens now when civilization needs defending? I wish everyone would e-mail Canadian party leaders and demand they defend our freedoms and condem the extremeists in this world. Exile Paul Martin and Maurice Strong to China which is such a friendly free place to live.
What a sad inditement of humankind. Where are the Doug Laytons, Libbies and Svens now when civilization needs defending? I wish everyone would e-mail Canadian party leaders and demand they defend our freedoms and condem the extremeists in this world. Exile Paul Martin and Maurice Strong to China which is such a friendly free place to live.
Swedish Government Surrenders to Islam
The Swedish government has completely knuckled under to radical Islam: Sweden shuts website over cartoon. (Hat tip: LGF readers.)
The Swedish government has moved to shut down the website of a far-right political party�s newspaper over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
The site�s host, Levonline, pulled the plug on the website of the Swedish Democrats� SD-Kuriren newspaper after consulting with the government.
It is believed to be the first time a Western government has intervened to block a publication in the growing row.
Kuriren editor Richard Jomshof said the government was breaking the law.
�We have to do something about it. This is illegal. They can�t do this just because we are a small magazine,� he told the BBC News website.
Way to go, Sweden. You�ll be much happier under your new overlords. >>> via LGF
“Toronto Sun editor-in-chief Jim Jennings said in a column published yesterday that this paper won’t reprint the cartoons because “there is a world of difference between discussion and debate and engaging in sweeping generalizations and racist stereotyping … just because you can do something doesn’t always mean you should do it.”
So offering the factual example of what the debate is about is “engaging in sweeping generalizations and racist stereotyping “…now I know why I cancelled my Sun subscription some 8 years back….rank chicken shit politically correct editorial pontificating from the TO office….pretty pathtic seeing the Sun’s posturing as a potent feisty paper then when the time comes to show it, they lose their nuts.
Bang on, Garry P.
Alan Derschowitz makes the same point. No one can intelligently and critically have on opinion on this matter without viewing the drawings. You can bet the newspaper editors did. But rather than let the readers make informed opinions, they told the readers what opinion to have. This is why I get most of my news through bloggers now.
Having seen them (thank you bloggers), all but three seem to me to be more banal than you could imagine. Indeed, that seems to have been the point of most of the cartoonists. The caricatures were not done simply to be provocative; they were done to express the point that Muslim intimidation had made it impossible to find an illustrator for a childen’s book to promote understanding of the Muslim faith to non-Muslims. It was a noble use of freedom of expression. It was political speech pure and simple and that is the core of free speech.
There is an apt comparison being made between the timid newspapers (not even up to the gumption of the large-circulation Egyptian paper that ran them in October 2005) and shopkeeps in communist-controlled Czechoslovakia, who displayed “workers of the world unite” signs in their shop windows. What the signs really meant were “I do not believe in this but I am too timid to stand up to tyranny and want to be seen as acquiescent by the authorities but and too ashamed to come out and say directly that I want to display acquiesence.”
Kudos Kate. Don’t wear that shameful sign.
The Muslim reaction has been largely ungenuine and trumped up for political purposes.
Kenyan riot police clash with Muslim protesters
Maill and Guardian online ^ | 10 February 2006 04:31 | Sapa-AFP
Posted on 02/10/2006 7:42:23 AM PST by one more state
Kenyan security forces fired tear gas at angry stone-throwing Muslim demonstrators attempting to march on the Danish embassy in Nairobi to protest cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, witnesses said on Friday.
Baton-wielding riot police launched tear-gas canisters to disperse about 300 protesters on a main thoroughfare in the capital after the crowd tried to break through a cordon by hurling rocks and other projectiles, they said.
At least one person was injured in the melee, witnesses said.
“I just saw something hit me and I fell down,” said demonstrator Shaban Kariuki (18), who was bleeding from the hip.
An Agence France-Presse correspondent at the scene said the crowd involved had broken off from a larger demonstration and march through Nairobi that had been largely peaceful, although United States and Danish flags were set afire.
More than 2 500 people had earlier attended an organised demonstration at a sports stadium before joining up with hundreds of others to parade through the downtown business district, chanting anti-Western slogans.
“Are you ready to stand up and fight for your Prophet?” Sheikh Ibrahim Lethome, of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims, asked the raucous crowd at the stadium, which responded with a huge “Yes.”
“Are we ready to die for the sake of the Prophet Muhammad?” he asked. “Yes,” the crowd replied.
“Why is there freedom of expression to insult Muslims but not other religions?” he asked. “Are we ready to respond to our oppressors with peace?”
“No,” shouted back the crowd, members of which carried placards pledging to die in the fight against the cartoons that first appeared in a Danish newspaper in September and have since been reprinted in other European newspapers.
“We are ready for jihad”, “Denmark, you will see our action”, “We stand ready to defend our religion”, and “We are ready to fight for our holy Prophet” read some of the banners.
Protesters then set fire to the US and Danish flags, proclaiming that “freedom of expression is Western terrorism” before taking to the streets to denounce the cartoons. At the Kenyan foreign ministry, where the marchers paused briefly, another Danish flag was set alight. >>
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1575879/posts
Journalism and publishing was never for the faint hearted. What we are seeing is the ever inreasing control both commercially and politcally of the MSM. This has erroded their influence slowing but surely and I concur that the Blogsphere is the future.
Good point, Murray. I guess editors are so far superior to us intellectuall, morally and psychologically that they can view these cartoons without harm — but we poor benighted peasants must be protected. For are own good, of course…
We’ve watched political correctness sap the courage of pols and MSM alike. Now it’s about 99% gone. We live in a country where our warriors are called “peacekeepers” and treated by government and MSM like the insane relative locked in the attic. Aggressive non Judeo Christians figured it out a long time ago, that is why we have hiring quotas,and immigration policies designed to unite families regardless of whether they can earn a living. People who have no moral foundation can’t tell the difference between right and wrong. Our recent governing party was the epitome of cowardly acqiesence to whomever yells the loudest. The post WW2 generation is, to put it bluntly, a bunch of spoiled, coddled cowards. We were handed the world and set about improving it by destroying everything our parents built for us. We went out and pursued higher education, and developed little common sense. Political Correctness seems to be more of a city dwellers disease, as I’ve found that the folks in rural areas and smaller towns don’t seem to be as badly infected. All nations have to find the courage to stand up to Islamic aggression or we will lose this war against civilization.
Time for the cdn media to get some backbone. Lets have some muslim flag burnings in Toronto. Anyone who is against the papers refusal to print or denounce these terrorists for what they are, should never buy another paper. Much more important to cover up liberal sleaze and go after Harper. I never want to see another story on the kidnapped aid workers, (by muslims) or hear a tape from OBL, as it might offend me. Nice to know there will never be anymore stories or photos or interviews with anyone against SSM, Jews, Death Camps in Germany, Natural Disasters, or funerals for those someone thinks is or was important. Might offend someone. Wonder is the Sun will now hide all stories of the shootings in TO as it will offend those doing the killing. The paper has taken a very dangerous step in limiting our so called right to know. With their stmt that certain things will not be published, makes you wonder how much was not reported during the liberal yrs of sleaze, because it might offend non liberals. Boycott all papers until a few thousand protestors are killed, and wait for this to happen in our chicken little Canada. We should all say thanks to Trudeau for his social engineering and multi-cultural crap. There is no such thing as a peaceful muslim. There plan is to convert the world to islam, and they have found a way to do it. Can’t wait for the Tournament of Hearts to see Colleen Jones curling in a Burka.
dmorris,
VERY well put!!
Does freedom of speech apply to Garth Turner or do we not have an open political culture?
In the normal course of events, I suppose there is some wisdom in not provoking the school yard bully thereby antagonizing him into some senseless reaction.
However, if the bully is out to destroy your way of life and even kill you because you don’t share his perverted medieval beliefs, then I think it is high time to spit in his eye and kick him out of the school yard.
For those of us who don’t fully understand what is or could be offensive, the following might be helpful. It was posted on The Policeman’s Blog (England) Feb. 6. (The ‘perceived’ part makes it a bit difficult.)
http://www.coppersblog.blogspot.com, under DIFFERENT JOB posted by ‘mick in the U.K.’. (To show he wasn’t making it up, he linked to the online police.uk website.)
Hate Crime
Any hate incident, which constitutes a criminal offence, perceived by the victim or any other person, as being motivated by prejudice or hate.
Hate Incident
Any incident, which may or may not constitute a criminal offence, which is perceived by the victim or any other person, as being motivated by prejudice or hate.
Racist Incident
Any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.
Homophobic Incident
Any incident which is perceived to be homophobic by the victim or any other person.
Transphobic Incident
Any incident which is perceived to be transphobic by the victim or any other person.
Faith Related Incident
Any incident which is perceived to be based upon prejudice towards or hatred of the faith of the victim or so perceived by the victim or any other person.
Sectarian Incident
Any incident which is perceived to be sectarian by the victim or any other person.
Disablist Incident
Any incident which is perceived to be based upon prejudice towards or hatred of the victim because of their disability or so perceived by the victim or any other person.
3 things aboutKathy Shaidle:
1. She needs to get laid more, and not just in the missionary position that her parish priest tells her is OK.
2. She is opposed to the imposition of Sharia law in Western countries, and that’s fine. Somehow, I don’t think she would be opposed to a Roman Catholic form of ‘Sharia” being put in place
3. And ain’t it funny (in a sickening way) how Catholics like Kathy can play the victim card so easily when it suits them, usually bringing up Northern Ireland and anti-Catholic bigotry in early N. America as examples of their ‘historical oppression’. No group in the history of Western civilization prior to the 20th century has a track recording of killing, persecuting, exiling, and excommunicating its opponents than the Mother Church.
I meant to say, “….equal to that of the Mother Church..”
gellen,
I thought only Canada had succumbed to the ‘mushy-middle-of-the-road” p/c virus. It is “comforting” to see our former patriarchs have it worse them we do….or do they??
cont’d….
then again, I probably only perceived it!
Kyla,
You’ve taken me out of context.
When I make a reference to a german homosexual artist making a crucifix out of dung I’m not referring to any humbrage on my part. I for my part am a lefty athiest with lots of homosexual friends. I personaly don’t give a crap if people dunk crucifixes in urine or lampon mohammed in cartoons. I generated that hypothetical for perspective.