The tempest between Europe and the Middle East

[TABING]

Here is a link to the "offending" cartoons. If this doesn't work, google "mohammed cartoons" and you'll find them somewhere.

http://www.di2.nu/files/Muhammed_Cartoons_Jyllands_Posten.html



These pictures were reprinted in many mainstream dailies throughout Europe in the past week in support of the Danish paper that originally published the photos. The Danish government has refused to apologize for them and "punish" the newspaper for printing them. Bully for them.

I think the liberal Europeans are finally getting fed up with the primitive mentality of their "alien" immigrants and the middle eastern countries. Freedom of the press is something that both conservatives and liberals cherish, and they are coming together on this. Combined with Iran's nuclear sabre rattling, these events are hopefully an "eye opener" to freedom loving people in the western world.

Here in the UAE and other countries in the area, all Danish products have been removed from shops. Now that the Germans, French, Italians, Dutch, Swedish, Swiss and Spanish newspapers have printed these pictures, it remains to be seen if the obscenely rich natives in the Persian Gulf can live without their Mecedes, BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, Airbus, Rolexes; Champaign, wines and beers that they hypocritically consume in vast amounts even though their religion forbids it.

I suspect that the furor will quietly die down if they have to give up all these products. I'm surprised that no American newspapers (that I know of) haven't printed these pictures in solidarity with the brave Danes.

 

[Crosshair]

I am catholic and I am proud I can say that I can take a joke like a political cartoon. Example:

A man is driving down a road that follows the bank of a river. He comes upon a priest and a rabbi who are fishing on the river bank. Next to them is a sign that reads, "Turn around, the end is near." The man leans out his window and yells, "Why don't you religious nutjobs keep your ideas to yourselves." He then speeds off in his car. About 20 seconds later, a loud splash is heard. The rabbi turns to the priest and says, "I told you we should have writen "Bridge out"."

 

[alan]

If memory serves, the late Eddie Cantor, when asked why comics often told Irish jokes, Polak jokes and so on, but there didn't seem to be much trade in "Jew jokes" offered the following.

He wasn't certain but he thought that perhaps it was due to the fact that Jews told them first, and told them better.

As to this upset over these Muslim cartoons, possibly those so offended would benefit from a close look in the mirror. Of course, with a view to the antics of some "armed gunmen threatening EU personnel in Gaza", according to news accounts, looking in the mirror could present other problems, however most mirrors only reflect what stands before them.

 

[Wildcard]

They better stop the cartoons. Or else the Muslims (the terrorists ones) will start killing, beheading, flying planes into buildings........wait, they aleady have done that.....hmmm.

Proceed with more cartoons.

 

[Rebar]

That muslims feel the right to dictate what a Western newspaper can or cannot print, and are willing to back up their threats with violence, says a lot about how they view the world.

Of course they don't see the sheer hypocracy when they've been burning our flags and leaders in effigy for years, print the most egregious lies, or make movies like this:

In the most expensive Turkish movie ever made, American soldiers in Iraq crash a wedding and pump a little boy full of lead in front of his mother.

Advance tickets are selling out all around Turkey for 'Valley of the Wolves Iraq.' In the movie, U.S. soldiers storm a wedding party, killing dozens.

They kill dozens of innocent people with random machine gun fire, shoot the groom in the head, and drag those left alive to Abu Ghraib prison - where a Jewish doctor cuts out their organs, which he sells to rich people in New York, London and Tel Aviv.

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/movies/article.adp?id=20060202084309990001

 

[BillCA]

There has been a lot of talk about "Freedom of speech" in the news lately, much of it over these cartoons and the Islamist insistence on apology and punishment of the "offenders".

I find it a bit warped that the Islamists use the same freedom of speech to denegrate the U.S., U.K. and other western nations without a thought as to how those people react.

Freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences of that speech.

Standing in front of Muslims and slandering their religious icons will certainly garner a swift reaction. So will standing in front of a group of Baptists, Protestants, Catholics or Jews and trying to depict Jesus as a stoned, philandering drunkard. The difference is that you are more likely to end up dead (in many small pieces) in a Muslim country.

When tolerance is one-way, it is not tolerance, it is Tyranny.

 

[TABING]

I'm in my apartment right now watching an anti Western demonstration (something that rarely ever happens here as the security forces keep a VERY tight control on things) pass by a few hundred yards from my building.
I want you to know that I'm doing my part by bombarding them with my potato gun, an eight foot barreled weapon with an extremely long range.

Keep the faith!

 

[BillCA]

Y'know, you'll get more range outta that potato gun if you lube your "bullets" with a little pork fat....

 

[GHT]

We are in a war with Islam.
Not "Radical Islam"
Not "Islamofascism"
Not "Islamic Terrorists"

Slowly this important fact might be percolating through the "Religion of Peace" Borg.

Not holding my breath.

G

 

[Mikeyboy]

European Press has got a pair

First off like Crosshair, I too am a catholic...when Maplethorp put a statue of Mary in a jar of Urine and called it art...Did anything get burned down??? Urine...The mother of Christ??? Some protest, Some outrage, That is it. When a group of Muslim Terrorist took over the Church of the the Nativity, and used the Altar area as a bathroom..did anything get burned down??? Some protest, Some outrage, That is it. Some Dutch paper Draws a cartoon of Mohammed, and now Dutch embassies are BURNING because of it???

As a sign of solidarity other European papers also printed the picture. Has the US media done the same?? No. Who's side are the on??? Let's just get this over with, they already hate use anyway.

I apologize to TLF staff and readers but I will also present a cartoon of Mohammed on this post.

---> <---------I made Mohammed sad because of the way some of the people who worship him act.

 

[Marko Kloos]

We are in a war with Islam.

Silly me...and here I thought we were burning up $100 billion a year in the War on Terrorism.

As much as some folks want to turn this into a religious war because they're oh-so-happy to have a Crusade in their lifetimes (and because they need an easy to understand "them"), this is not a religious war.

There are millions of American citizens and immigrants who are Muslims. How do you, GHT, personally prosecute the war on them?

 

[alan]

TABING wrote:


Here is a link to the "offending" cartoons. If this doesn't work, google "mohammed cartoons" and you'll find them somewhere.

http://www.di2.nu/files/Muhammed_Car...ds_Posten.html

Clicking on the provided link brings the following error message.

THE WEB SITE ADDRESS YOU ENTERED CANNOT BE FOUND.

Except for one instance that I found on google.com, these cartoons seem to have disappeared or have become "non-available". The above mentioned reference was a French newspaper, that featured some small screen shots of the cartoons. Interestingly, they would not copy and paste in the usual manner, though possibly I did something wrong. The cartoons also appear to have disappeared from several web sites, where they had appeared.

Strikes me as curious, though perhaps I'm off base.

 

[GHT]

this is not a religious war

Hmmm... so all that Islamic posturing; not to mention the killing and maiming is not about "religion".
This DESPITE the fact that all the perpetrators of the posturing/killing/maiming invoke Allah and/or the prophet to justify and yes, sanctify their behavior.
This DESPITE the fact that all the posturers, killers and maimers declared intent is to destroy Western Civilization and substitute a STRICTLY religious Islamic rule.

Look, I don't have any problem with you living in a dream world; just don't expect me to live there with you. OK?

G

 

[Marko Kloos]

All terrorists are Muslim; therefore all Muslims are terrorists.

Do I need to point out the logical fallacy in that inference, or can you look it up yourself?

Oh, and you haven't answered my question: There are millions of American citizens and immigrants who are Muslims. How do you, GHT, personally prosecute the war on them?

 

[Petre]

here's the cartoons ... if you guys don't want them on here My apologies and just delete them

 

[Petre]

Some more

 

[Petre]

Now you want to see something really disturbing .... HOW'S THIS???

This is on the streets of London ...captions from the pickets read :

- Massacre those who insult islam

- Kill those who insult islam

- You dug your graves: lie in them

- Europe: Your 9/11 is on it's way (It actually reads 3/11 ... does this guy know something ???)

- Be prepared for the real Holocaust

- Europe will pay, Bin Ladin is on his way
- 99 petrol on sale 2.99!

- Europe take some lessons from 9/11

- Annihilate those who insult Islam

- As Muslims we unite and are prepared to fight

- Behead those who insult Islam

- Europe is the cancer Islam is the answer

- Butcher those who mock Islam

I think anyone holding a sign like that , advocating murder should be arrested and deported.

 

[SevenRoundMags]

I have an unfortunate feeling it will come down to us or them someday. We both obviously can't share this world in peace.

 

[Eghad]

There do happen to be moderate muslims in the world who recognize the need for Islam to undergo a reformation much like christianity did...

Even the most educated and vocal critics of Fundmentalist Islam recognize that not every muslim in the world is not out to be a martyr/terrorist nor take on westens civilization. We are our own worst enemies when it comes to Islam.

Who keeps the regime in power in Saudi Arabia who supports Wahbism? They are even exporting Wahbism to the US thorugh contributions to schools and Mosques in the US. What strange hold do the Saudis have over us that makes us turn a blind eye to them and keep them in power? When perhaps we should export a little democracy to that land. If we were truthful Saudi Arabia probably isnt any less brutal than Saddam when it comes to keeping the regime in power. They are just quieter about it. In Saudi you can get arrested and imprisoned for having Chrisitan/Buhddist/Hindu religious service in your own home or even owning a Bible. This is where the Bush line about making a democracy in an Arab/muslim country doesnt hold water and leaks profusely. I think maybe the next war should be with Saudi Arabia to import some democracy into that country to end tyrrany by a few and the exportation of Wahbism around the world. If our cause is democracy and to end terrorism.

So I think the fault lies in our policy towards fundamentalist Islam. The administrations turn a blind eye towards some of them while going to war with others.....confuses the heck outa me..wonder what it does to muslims?

 

[gc70]

So I think the fault lies in our policy towards fundamentalist Islam. The administrations turn a blind eye towards some of them while going to war with others.....confuses the heck outa me..wonder what it does to muslims?