Sounds like the same kind of whining stemming from the Book of Daniel show on NBC.

"Sounds like the same kind of whining stemming from the Book of Daniel show on NBC."

To a certain extent, yes.

But such a comparison misses everything that is important. The imporant things to notice when comparing between the 'Book of Daniel' contriversy to the Danish newspaper contriversy is not just how they are similar, but more importantly how they are different.

The 'Book of Daniel' contriversy did not become a matter of international politics. No one withdrew ambassadors over it. No government threatened sanctions and boycotts over it. No government threatened to bring NBC before the UN regarding the content of 'Book of Daniel'. Note in particular, that the 'Book of Daniel' provoked the stirrings of a boycott against NBC. It did not provoke an attempt to boycott all US companies as a means of leveraging the US into forcing NBC to withdraw the show. NBC was held accountable for its actions. All of Denmark is being held hostage to the free speach of a few of its citizens. The 'Book of Daniel' contriversy did not prompt anyone (or certainly any group large enough to be characterized as anything but 'fringe') to suggest that the US government prevent NBC from airing such shows, or that the US government shutdown NBC, or that the US government pass laws which made it illegal to portray things offensive to Christians. In short, the right of NBC to make a show like the 'Book of Daniel' is not and was not in question. The Christian community simply said, 'If you do that, we won't watch it.', and 'If you do that, we won't watch any of your shows'.

The two events would only be comparable if in responce to the newspaper publishing the offending cartoons, the Danish Moslem community said in responce, "Well, if you are going to do that, we won't buy your newspaper.", and that had been the extent of it. If that had been the case, this wouldn't be news, because as far as I'm concerned the Danish Moslem community is well within thier rights to use thier speech and freedoms to express displeasure at a newspaper's actions.

That isn't what is going on, or rather that's not at all only what is going on.

The Denmark case is EXTREMELY important. In fact, I predict historians 100 years from now will look back at the outcome Denmark case - whatever that will turn out to be - as one of the most important events of the 21st century. It sets a precedent. As the information zombietime collects reveals, its not just Denmark where this sort of free expersion occurs. The reason this has become an international contriversy, is that Denmark is a small enough of a country that it could concievably be successfully bullied into backing down. Think about what that would entail for a second. If Denmark is forced to back down for economic reasons, it would involve a Western Democracy ostensibly created to secure what we in the West consider fundamental human rights curtailing its free speach and press freedoms in order to satisfy the demands of nations not so established. If Denmark backs down, you can be 100% certain that it won't end there.

This post has been linked too, with a cartoon associated with it, on this blog :

http://futurist.typepad.com/

All of them more innocuous than the typical editorial cartoon about Ariel Sharon, back when he was the most hated politician in the world.

I don't see why it's surprising that cartoons engineered to provoke outrage and death threats provoked outrage and death threats. The cartoonists and paper were intentionally exercising free speech, which they have the right to do (or should if this falls under a hate speech law over there). But all this phony surprise is just pathetic.

Exactly who expressed surprise about the death threats? Maybe a few Europeans were suprised, as they were when Hamas was elected (Mais quoi? Palestinians support terrorism?)

People were suprised by the death threats against Salman Rushdie, but they soon grew to accept and even respect the fact that our governments were not willing to condemn a fascist leader for murdering westerners and terrorising people into respecting brutal Islamic laws. For the most part, europeans have been censoring themselves since then. Our press, our media and the art world do the same. These cartoons were a strange, small rebellion against this.

During the Salman Rushdie controversy, I was surprised by how unwilling western culture was to defend itself, but now I'm not surprised when we allow ourselves to be bullied. You get used to it.

Cartoons cartoons. They are so easy to draw and upset so many people. It's almost like they are looking to be offended. I posted 6 cartoons I drew myself, most of them very mild, Muhammad smiling and holding a sign supporting free speech or wearing a Denmark t-shirt or Muhammad and the 4 caliphs as a big green footprint and the nutbags come out of the woodwork.

I can tell by from Site Meter that people from the UAE and Saudi Arabia are searching the Web looking for images that they know will offended. It's a preverse, will to be offended.

"Sharon is not a religious figure. And I don't see why it's surprising that cartoons engineered to provoke outrage and death threats provoked outrage and death threats."

Actually, some of the writer's seemed to do thier best to see if thier was some line below which thier work would be deemed offensive but not so offensive as to provoke death threats. Some of the works were respectful in tone however heretical the act itself might seem to the religious. Some of the works made fun of the newspaper. One drew a cartoon of himself drawing the cartoon of Mohammed, with himself looking over his shoulder. Other works were so abstract that they barely would seem to qualify as 'depictions'. All that of course is beside the real point...

"The cartoonists and paper were intentionally exercising free speech, which they have the right to do (or should if this falls under a hate speech law over there). But all this phony surprise is just pathetic."

Surprise?? Who's surprised??? I wish I could feel surprised, but the cult of death's behavior is just getting to predictable at this point. I don't think anyone was surprised, which is entirely the point of the excercise as far as I can see. But that is hardly the point either.

The real point is this. Ought the works have provoked death threats? Ought the works to have provoked an international crisis? Ought the whole of Denmark be blackmailed based on the free speach of one of its citizens? Ought the government of Denmark have its arm twisted to suppress the free speach of one of its newspapers, and can in fact the modern world coexist with those that answer any of the above questions with, "Yes!".

I must admit I'm rather enjoying the cartoon controversy. Makes me want to buy lots of danish things, like bacon, beer and cheese. If anybody needs any cartoons hosted, leave me msg on this site. Bloody thin skinned in moslem world. I think they need a few more prods from people like me before they realize what a trifle the whole thing really is. Compare that to the average finsbury park mosque meeting, it's like comparing the nuremberg rallies to a kindergarten class.

Rock on Danish dudes, don't cave in.

A genocidal war is coming if Islam does not under go a REFORMATION. the question is can the war be avoided if economic prosperity spreads throughout the Islamic world and what does the West have to do to help economic growth occur.

I Support Denmark JEG opbakning Danmark!

In it's struggle for Freedom of Speech.
Sign the Petition NOW!

I am #425

I would like to bring to every one's attention the following

As I write this an auction is undertaking in Delhi where a mughal slave moslem MF Hussain has made a naked painting which is very offensive of
Parvati Ma prayed and revered by millions as Shakti.

This painting depicts her naked and is offensive. Nonetheless another moslem mughal slave woman as an ngo called Nafisa Ali has set this sale of this pornographic depiction with awine and cheese auction setting the bid in corore ie millions to them obtain the profitting of this depiction to open midrassah in Hindu cleansed genocide Kashmir for jihadi and Taliban

Where is the out rage from the Anti Defamation League that has been suppotive of the islamic outrage or the vatican or mush that calls for a apology by the Danish

No Indian Goverment has apolized the concern for raising funds by selling vulgar images of Hindu Goddess Parvati , profiting from it by a moslem and opening up jihadi camps in Kashmir.

Continuing on the above post, for years all abrahamic religions have lied cheated and depicted religion of Santan Dharam Hindu with the outmost lack of sensitivity, taking Hindu architecture calling it moslem , using INDIA AS a play grounf to spread terrorism and assinssination , and constantly looting our treasures and forcing change of school curriculm to wrongly inform our children how bad Hindu Dharam is , yet at the same time these abrahamic north africans have benefitted from us economically or pure stealing from us, never giving us any credit.

Its nice to see jesus jew and moslim bitch at each other

HAS ANYONE SEEN ANT T-SHIRTD WITH THESE CARTOONS AND IF SO WHERE CAN I BUY ONE?

Please do consider my comment. I just want to say that many westerns do not understand what does Islam means, and do not know what are the Islam's instruction. There is really a misunderstanding from westerns toward us.I'm muslim person from Lebanon. Islam's relegion does not invite people to kill others, or to explode western places and institutions, these are not our behaviors. If Bin Laden and his followers did such things, this does not mean that Islam encourage these actions. Actually we (as Muslims) consider thses types of people(Bin Laden, Omar Abdul ALrahman- Ayman zawahery...) as terrorists, having terrorists beliefs. Islam is a pieceful relegion, inviting people to follow te right path that leads them to enter paradise.
at last I do shame the the act of this magazine and consider it as un ethical behavior.

Please do consider my comment. I just want to say that many westerns do not understand what does Islam means, and do not know what are the Islam's instruction. There is really a misunderstanding from westerns toward us.I'm muslim person from Lebanon. Islam's relegion does not invite people to kill others, or to explode western places and institutions, these are not our behaviors. If Bin Laden and his followers did such things, this does not mean that Islam encourage these actions. Actually we (as Muslims) consider thses types of people(Bin Laden, Omar Abdul ALrahman- Ayman zawahery...) as terrorists, having terrorists beliefs. Islam is a pieceful relegion, inviting people to follow te right path that leads them to enter paradise.
at last I do shame the the act of this magazine and consider it as un ethical behavior.