I saw on the news this evening a leader in the Muslim community of Denmark being interviewed about the conflict between the Muslim world and Denmark. As everyone knows by now, the Muslim community is a tad upset that a Danish newspaper has published cartoons that Muslims found offensive. In the interview this representative said the Muslim community is demanding the Danes change their society to accommodate Muslim beliefs and values.
DEMANDING. He said, 'We demand this country change their values.' That's actually what he said, with a straight face and as though that were a perfectly reasonable thing to say.
This conflict has been going since September 2005 because of some cartoons published in Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper. When the Muslim community demanded the paper not publish the cartoons, the paper stood for freedom of speech and instead of apologizing for printing the cartoons, they printed a series of the cartoon.
The cartoonist has been threatened, beaten as have journalists and editors of the newspaper. They have maintained they have the right to print the cartoons.
In the beginning, the newspaper was under some pressure from the EU, UN and former President Bill Clinton who made statements that the newspaper was being insensitive to Islam and feared a new holocaust that would victimize Muslims.
Meanwhile, the Muslim outrage has spread. They are demanding sanctions against Denmark. They are demanding a boycott of all Danish goods. They are demanding....
They are demanding....
They are burning and stomping on Danish flags .....
They are making bomb threats ....
They are beating the employees of the newspaper .....
They have given Denmark 48 hours to apologize or else .....
They are rioting in the streets ....
They are swearing vengeance and murderous riots .....
They are threatening to mobilize millions of Muslims worldwide ....
Some other European papers have printed the cartoons on their front pages in support of Denmark and freedom of speech and a refusal to be dictated to by Islamic dogma.
Only the French retracted their support under pressure from the Muslims. We wouldn't expect more from the French. It was extraordinary for them to make the protest to begin with. The fact they caved less than 24 hours later might be a record even for them. I guess they are still remembering their inability to control the riots in France a few months ago and the fact 20% of their population is Muslim.
Now that some of the other European countries are lining up in support, it will be interesting to see if the European Union, the United Nations and Bill Clinton continue to pressure Denmark to appease. Or will they also decide that freedom of speech should be supported.
None of them seemed to have a problem with depicting Jesus in a sculpture of cow dung. That was a work of art and anyone who was put off by it was declared to be a religious fanatic. No one burned the museum; no one beat up or threatened to kill the 'artist'. It was just disgusting, but the guy had the right to be disgusting and people had the right to not go see his exhibit.
A young Muslim in Brussels has published a poster depicting the Virgin Mary with her breasts exposed. While some Catholics have protested his work, his life has not been threatened. In fact, he's receiving government subsidies for his work.
Apparently, the Muslim community does not feel the same way about freedom of speech or tolerance as Western cultures.
There's a storm coming.
More in-depth information this can be found at the The Brussels Journal
Updates in the Brussels Journal are here.
Scotsman.com News has a series of articles on this.
Check out The Face of Muhammed: The Moment of Truth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Banned Cartoons and “Feelings”
Excerpt: I have not posted about the banned Editorial Cartoons. But, they are all over the News and the “Net”. There are people much more qulified than I and are much more eloquent in passing the word.Let me just say that when there was an uproar...
Weblog: Echo9er
Tracked: 02.03.06 - 9:13 am
A Cacophony of Cartoons, Crazies and Crises
Excerpt: If the Muslims did not use their religion as an excuse to kill, terrorize, burn, and destroy, there would be no material for such cartoons . . . From all I see, read or hear, Islam is, in reality, a religion of fear, hatred, violence and injustice.
Weblog: The Median Sib
Tracked: 02.03.06 - 7:31 pm
Sing it, Sting!
Excerpt: In Europe and America, there's a growing feeling of hysteria. Conditioned to respond to every threat, In the terrorist speeches on the internet. Zarqawi says "We will behead you." I don't subscribe to this point of view. It would be...
Weblog: Classical Values
Tracked: 02.04.06 - 5:20 am
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other blogs on the Jihad against the Danes:
Little Green Footballs
The Jawa Report
Don Surber
Dr. Sanity
Freedom Folks
In the Bullpen
Theodore's World
The Median Sib
The Uncooperative Blogger
Infidel Bloggers Alliance
My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
Classical Values
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Open Posts
Jo's Cafe
Right Wing Nation
Free Constitution
