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”.
As for the Olympics, well I haven’t watched one since, gee I can’t remember. I think 1976. Although I did watch Canada/US hockey game.
I feel sorry for the athletes because it’s a fixed competition.
Like I said, those East German girls sure do look pretty with moustaches…
tomax,
Thanks for your response. I think that the E German (and Russian) girls lost the moustaches when they started to do the testing.
I be switching between the CDN and US stations … it’s real hard to say who gives the better overall coverage.
VANCOUVER in 2010.
“I feel sorry for the athletes because it’s a fixed competition.”
Whenever you have “Judges” instead of metrics – it’s fixed or can be … for anything.
The most sensored country in the free world is the good old U.S. of A. Who’s more paranoid than the U.S.A.? China,Iraq…….You people on this blog talk about freedom like you’re experts. Your brand of freedom is good old U.S.A. freedom which means if you point out the rich (10%) live privaleged lives and are spoiled plus they get a lot of perks 90% of Americans don’t get you’re anti American.
tomax,tex-can,ural; Let us not wax too pious over the lack of commentary by moderate Islamics. In any community, whether defined by race, religion, profession, or political persuasion, it is very difficult to find moderates who are willing to speak out publicly. Moderates of any sort are usually too busy earning a living and doing all the things a good citizen does to make this country great, to concern themselves with the actions of the radical element of their particular group. Then we have to factor in the, in the Islamic case, very real factor of violent reprisal.
Try to get a doctor or lawyer to speak out publicly against any of their fellows who commit malpractice, before there’s a bandwagon to jump on. Won’t happen. Their only risk is censure by their fellow professionals, and maybe a snub at the golf club. Where were all the courageous civil servants and politicians speaking out against Adscam and other Liberal malfeasance? Very few and far between. All they risked was loss of a career. Moderate Islamics face the very real possibility of being murdered for speaking out, and in Canada, the perpetrators would probably get off with house arrest or an apology for their tender sensibilities being damaged. Back in the sixties, I had an Italian acquaintance whose business was being extorted by that famous Sicilian cadre of ne’er do wells. I said to him, “call the cops”. His reply, “don’t be fucking stupid, they’d kill me.”
Gee, where were all the moderate Italians? Earning a living, being good citizens.
As I posted before, we all have to resist, by whatever means,the violent lunatics of the extremist Islamic element, but bitching at the moderates, from our snug, secure position, isn’t going to help. All it does is malign people who are just trying to get on with their lives.
dmorris: While you make some good points, are you suggesting we roll over and go back to “earning a living, being good citizens”?
I missed something here. I thought being a good citizen is speaking out when things aren’t right.
Like the old saying (i’ll probably wrench it) “for evil to prevail, good men must do nothing”.
The doctor or lawyer example is a classic. Yes doctors and lawyers do speak out and or go through the proper means to exposing an issue.
While there are roadblocks we as a society have allowed, like unions, namely teacher unions, it is an injustice.
Well heck, the Liberals are a good example. I wonder how many “good citizens” worked for these scum bags knowing full well they were screwing Joe Canadian out of his hard earned tax money.
Difference is it just takes one person to stand up and “this is wrong” to get the ball rolling. The key is knowing when to stand up.
I nearly lost my job over an incident where I said to the boss I can’t do something (like sign names on warranty forms) because it wasn’t right.
Was I scared? Yes, was I in danger of loosing my job? Yes. Did it make tensions worse at work? Yes.
Can I look in the mirror and do I sleep better because of it?
Yes.
cheers
tom
Tomax; Not for a minute do I suggest we “roll over”. My point is that it is sometimes very dangerous for persons in different communities to speak up in public. Where, for instance, are all the “law abiding citizens who just happen to like motorcycles”, speaking out against the gangster actions of their fellow Hells Angels? (joke)
I agree about Edmund burkes’ famous saying, and we here on SDA are the men and women speaking out against radical Islam. But we cannot expect moderate Islams to risk the lives of themselves and their families by making public statements. We can all be grateful for the blogosphere that allows anyone to express their opinion, it’s a lot better than in past times when we couldn’t vent. Yes, being a good citizen means speaking out, but again I make the point that few in any community do, especially in close knit communities, where one has to face his fellows on a daily basis. Again, most citizens do not face the possibility of being murdered for their opinions. Moderate Islamics, like my former acquaintance in the Italian community, do. Talk to and get to know the Ismaili Muslims in your area, I did, and found them to be the same as the rest of us. Good people, different religion. I once took a stand against the union I was then a member of, and ended up losing my job over it. Best job I ever had. Principles= unemployment line. When I looked in the mirror, I saw a guy without a job. Didn’t sleep too well either as it was right in the middle of a recession. If there had been the real probabillity of being killed, maybe I wouldn’t have been so brave, (like the moderate Hells Angels.)I enjoy reading your posts, keep up the good debate, don’t expect too much of people, they’ll often let you down.
dmorris, I understand where you are coming from and also you hit the nail on the head to what I was talking about:
“I once took a stand against the union I was then a member of,”
Unions have become a vice on Western Democracy. They were good when they started, sticking up for the “little guy” but have since the 50’s and 60’s become pro-communist leftist elite societies.
This recent election showed their leadership’s true colours: vote for Bloc than Conservative.
I for one understand about standing for principles, and I for one will say I haven’t arrived as in I ain’t isn’t aren’t perfect.
SO yes, there is pressure to remain quiet, almost “Canadian”. Hense that is why we got such a screw up laughing stock of a country.
It would nice if wars were won on ice, but reality is, even our vaunted godless society which substituted G-d for G-sky, and now we see even those images are being tarnished.
But yes, we need someone to step up and say “this is wrong”. I certainly hope Harper does, but it will take more than just one man to fix this mess we call Kanada.
cheers
tom
Tom: agreed. Let’s hope Mr. Harper lasts long enough to turn this country around. A full term in a majority govt. would help. The MSM is having a great time with Emerson, etc. Once Paul Demarais chooses the new leader of the Liberals, (ie someone who will take orders,) we could be in for a very short ride. Those of us who can, will protest as long and loud as we can.
Kate, I think that the cartoons themselves are not the context of this “news” story.
The context is the stories or the events that have led up to these particular cartoons becoming big news.
Texas Canuck, I think (and fear) that the visit to Pakistan by GWB in a few weeks may also be part of the context of these events in the ME. I too always try to consider the source and the timing.
Also Kate, IMHO you are WAY too nice to commenters like evilprinceweasel. I doubt very much he will really ban himself but I’m hoping.
Also to Kathy Shaidle, IMHO the story of all stories about “provocation avoidance” is the one Eason Jorden (the then head of CNN) wrote in a NY Times op ed after the fall of Baghdad about how CNN had been intimidated and blackmailed for years by Saddam.
That story was HUGE and it was quickly buried by MSM.