<Editor's note: There can be no freedom of religion without freedom of the press. We reprint these (farily tame) cartoons, not to insult or antagonize Muslims, but to make a point: if you believe in things that are inherently silly, i.e. that God has written a book and 100% of that book is divinely inspired - even the goofy parts that call for Jihad and "death to the apostates and the infidels" - then get used to being made fun of. If you choose to then kill innocent people and damage property - to intitate the use of force - then be ready to suffer the consequences.>
(Excerpt from the Western Resistance blog)
February 02, 2006
Europe: Muslim Cartoons Published in UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy
The pathetic and undignified fuss about the "offensive" cartoons of the mass-murdering and paedophile "prophet" Mohammed has now escalated out of any sense of proportion.
The cartoons were printed in September by Jyllands-Posten, but now Muslim nations have threatened boycotts and there are even death threats made against Danish citizens travelling in the Middle East.
If the Muslim community in Denmark had not made such whining and childish shows of hostility, the matter would probably have died down by the end of October. The ability of Muslims to threaten death, and to have mass demonstrations (1 million in Karachi) over something so trivial as illustrations, yet retaining a total inability to condemn Muslim atrocities such as 9/11 or 7/7 with such mass protests, has created a situation where European editors have now decided that enough is enough.
In the UK, the Spectator has become the first UK publication to reproduce the pictures, and today's Telegraph states that Germany's Die Welt has printed one of the pictures on its front cover.
In Italy, La Stampa has reproduced the same image of Mohammed in a turban/bomb. In Spain, the newspaper ABC has published the original page from Jyllands-Posten, containing all 12 controversial images.
In France, the images were printed in France Soir, owned by Raymond Lakah, an Eqyptian. Lakah, who is desperately trying to sell the paper, has shown his support for freedom of speech by sacking the editor, Jacques Lefranc. The National Federation of the Muslims of France has vowed to sue France Soir, for "hurting the feelings of 1.2 billion Muslims".
No attempts to sue anyone for the hurt caused by Muslim terrorism, of course.
The cover of France Soir (above) carries the headline "YES, one has the right to caricature God" and in the speech bubble, Christ says to Mohammed "No need to get rattled, Mohamed, we have ALL been caricatured here."
In the US, the San Francisco Gate has published the turban/bomb image.
And just to give you the chance to view for yourself, whether or not such pictures merit death threats against Danish citizens, here they all are, unexpurgated. And if you are Muslim, and you get upset by these pictures and think someone should be punished, or even killed for offending your evil murdering child-molesting "prophet"? Get a <censored> life, or get out of the West. For the avalanche of images and cartoons has just begun.
If the war against Muslim extremists, who will use bombs to terrorise their opponents, can be fought with more force by cartoons and paintings, then I, as an artist, will be producing my own. And every Western artist should be doing the same.
The pen truly is mightier than the sword.
And Muslims in Finland have decided to go on the offensive, boycotting Danish goods, according to South Africa's Sunday Times.
And the Palestinian vermin have been threatening the EU, according to the BBC World Service, where 40 members of Islamic Jihad, accompanied by a contigent of Hamas and a smaller troupe of Fatah surrounded the offices of the EU in Gaza, and fired guns in the air. The terrorist group has announced that the offices are "closed until further notice". They have said that if European newspapers continue to publish the pictures, the offices will "be attacked". According to International Herald Tribune there were only a dozen gunmen. All French citizens have been told to leave Gaza.
Hamid Karzai, the Afghanistan president, has shown his true colours by condemning the publication of these cartoons.
Even in Jordan, three of the cartoons have been published by a tabloid newspaper, al-Shihan. However, since publication, the owner of this paper has recalled all copies, and has promised "severe punishment" for those responsible, according to AKI. In Tehran, the Austrian ambassador has been given a dressing down by the Islamist junta, because Austria currently holds the EU presidency.
Today Ynet News reports that in Nablus, a German citizen, who teaches Palestinian children English, identified only as "Christoffe" was kidnapped from a hotel lobby by members of Al Aqsa Martyrs' brigade. He was told it was because of the cartoon issue. He was held for a short period, and subsequently released.
Ynet states that the dozens of Palestinians who surrounded the EU ofices in Gaza have stated: "We'll abduct and hurt all citizens of the European countries who hurt Islam's feelings and honor."
Religion of Peace? My arse....
More pictures, please, Western artists. Send them to us, and we will publish the good ones.
UPDATE: The Guardian Unlimited has announced that the Swiss have joined the fun. The newspaperLe Temps printed a selection of the drawings today in its printed edition, as did La Tribune de Geneve. Neither paper published the images on their websites. Spanish newspaper El Mundo has also printed all 12 pictures.
Despite the sacking last night of France Soir's chief editor, the paper today carried this message: "Imagine a society that added up all the prohibitions of different religions. What would remain of the freedom to think, to speak and even to come and go? We know societies like that all too well. The Iran of the mullahs, for example. But yesterday, it was the France of the Inquisitions, the burning stakes and the Saint Bartholomew's Day (a 16th century massacre of Protestants)."
Following the sacking of France Soir's editor, Jacques Lefranc, the man who was set to replace him, Eric Faveau has resigned from France Soir, and has also resigned from Presse Alliance, the group which publishes France Soir, states the BBC.
And as is typical for Pakistan, there have been demonstrations in Multan and Lahore by hundreds of students, burning flags and effigies of the Danish prime minister. Such barbarism is little different from making wax dolls and sticking pins in them.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at February 2, 2006 08:08 AM
