'Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble.' -- The Koran

'Citizens have the right to express views, no matter how offensive' – Salman Rushdie

Free speech is an important right. Not an absolute right like the right to life, but nonetheless an important right and one we do not give up lightly.

Commenting on the publication in several European newspapers of the cartoons depicting the prophet, a member of the Syrian government described it as a holocaust. She was more reticent on why the Syrian government failed to protect a Danish Embassy, claiming the security forces did not wish to engage in confrontation and see people get hurt.

This from a government that has no qualms about wading in on human rights protesters when they hold a peaceful demonstration.

A Danish newspaper publishes a dozen cartoons depicting the prophet in reaction to illustrators not daring to illustrate a children's book on the prophet for fear of their lives. The cartoonists have since gone into hiding for fear of their lives.

 http://www.faithfreedom.org/Gallery/Mo_Cartoons.jpg

It cannot be claimed, as some have tried to claim, that the intention of the publishers was to cause offence. The cartoons are fairly innocuous, some are quite funny. The newspaper had several other cartoons which they chose not to publish as they would have caused gratuitous offence.

The edict not to display portraits of the prophet does not come from the prophet.

Portraits of the prophet going about his daily business used to be commonplace.

The edict was on idolatry, and dates from the Old Testament (a book common to Jews, Christians and Muslims). The prophet told his people not to elevate him to the status of God, not to worship him. And yet is that not what is now happening? The prophet has been elevated to that of a deity.

The current furore did not arise when the cartoons were first published. It has occurred four months later, following the activities of Muslim fundamentalists who went from Denmark to the Middle East to stir up religious hatred.

Less than three weeks after the original publication in a Danish newspaper, an Egyptian newspaper published the cartoons, including one on the front page, together with critical comment. The publication of the cartoons in Egypt passed without incident. Publication passed without incident, even though it was during Ramadan, the holiest part of the Muslim calender.

And yet now, four months later, we have burning of Embassies, Muslim mobs taking to the streets. The latest has been hate-filled mobs taking to the streets in Pakistan.

Danish Muslim extremists are deliberately stirring up racial and religious hatred.

They took with them to the Middle East, not only the 12 published cartoons, but three bestial drawings of the prophet, drawings that were nothing to do with the published 12 cartoons, drawings that were intended to cause gratuitous offence. They also told their audience that Mosques were being attacked and burnt, that copies of the Koran were being burnt.

The additional cartoons that were taken to the Middle East, cartoons that were not published by the Danish newspaper, showed the prophet as a pig, as a paedophile and engaged in bestiality.

Muslim fundamentalists are using the 12 cartoons as an excuse to promote their own agenda. Any dissenting voice has to be suppressed.

In Iran, a cartoonist is serving a ten year sentence for daring to publish a cartoon to which the supreme ayatollah took offence. In Jordan, three newspaper editors are facing criminal charges for publishing the Danish cartoons.

As the Political Editor of New Statesman has admitted, British newspapers did not publish the Danish cartoons out of respect for Muslim sensibilities, they did so out of fear.

Indymedia UK was established to counter the mainstream media, to expose the truth. But Indymedia UK is now bringing itself into disrepute. Happy to promote Islamic fundamentalism, but censoring any critical comment.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/333349.html

Former Home Secretary David Blunkett has admitted that no action was taken against Abu Hamza (hook-clawed preacher of hate at the Finsbury Park Mosque) for fear of offending Muslim sensibilities.

There are believed to be 20-100 extremist clerics preaching hatred in Mosques across the UK. Including the imam of a Mosque in Leeds who praised the suicide bombers of July 2005.

Thanks to the Muslim extremists who took to the streets two weekends ago, we now have (unless the House of Lords throws it out) the offence of 'glorifying terrorism'.

It could even be argued, that the Police took a softly softly approach to the Muslim extremists, so Tony Blair could argue we have no powers to deal with these people.

Those behind the demonstration claim only they are 'true Muslims' and it is right to kill anyone who insults the prophet. Groups like the now-disbanded Al-Muhajiroun, and its off-shoots Ahl ul-Sunnah Wa al-Jamma (ASWJ) and Al-Ghurabaa (whose website calls for Muslims to kill anyone who insults the prophet).

Muslims complain that they and their religion are not treated with respect, that they are stereotyped and caricatured as hate-filled suicide bombers. But who is to blame, a handful of Danish cartoonists or the public face of Islam, hate-filled mobs taking to the streets?

Reference

British imam praises London Tube bombers, The Sunday Times, 12 February 2006

Denmark: In the eye of a cartoon storm, BBC Radio 4, 9 February 2006

Francis Elliot et al, The two faces of Islam UK, The Independent on Sunday, 12 February 2006

Sophie Goodchild, Trail of terror that led to the radical embassy protests, The Independent on Sunday, 12 February 2006

Keith Parkins, Clash of civilisations, Indymedia UK, 7 February 2006
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/333242.html

Keith Parkins, Islamic fundamentalists stirring up hatred, Indymedia UK, 9 February 2006 {Censored by Indymedia UK}
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/333349.html

Salman Rushdie, The good news: we have a victory to celebrate The Independent on Sunday, 12 February 2006

Thomas Wilkins, Double standards in dealing with Islam, letters, The Times, 7 February 2006