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Trial opens of magazine that published Mohammed caricatures
Feb 7, 2007, 9:50 GMT
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Older Talkback
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sad to see a europe dominated by muslims....
Typical islamic reaction- they can't stand anything negative being said about their precious religion, yet not a word of protest is raised when one of their brainwashed 'mujahedin' blows himself up in a crowded market, or beheads some poor foreign bastard on video.
Everyone has the right to their religious views, so long as they conform to the laws and behaviousr of modern secular society, but the flip side of that coin is that people who are not of your religious persuasion have every right to mock, criticize, and yes, even 'blaspheme'it.
As long as they are not inciting hatred of that group- which the cartoons weren't, they were simply showing how islam is a violent, primitive religion that is totally art odds with, and ultimately opposed to, the modern world.
The only good thing about this story is that at least they are taking legal action in a court, instead of driving a car bomb into the publisher's office.
Still, i wouldn't be surprised if that happens anyways...
Muslims in France and elsewhere need to lighten up. In my dictionary a caricature is 'a likeness so exaggerated or distorted as to appear ridiculous' As far as I know, no-one really knows what Mohammad actually looked like, so how can a so-called caricature of him even exist ?
These cartoon images that appear to have caused offence are mere fantasies and therefore totally harmless. Christians might just as well take offence over the image of God sitting on a cloud surrounded by harp-playing angels.
The prosecutors in France have brought ridicule upon themselves and their country by bringing this ludicrous case to court.
sounds like the dark ages are starting again in France
It is absolutely disgusting and reprehensible that a person could ever be brought to trial for publishing an opinion. The entire foundation of a democratic republic - which France claims to be - is that everyone must be free to make their voice heard, even to the discomfort of others.
I find it interesting that this article mentions nothing of the riots set off by the cartoons in SE Asia and the Middle East, the irony of the situation being that they riot with indignance at being called violent.
This is pathetic. I can not believe that this is even in a court. If this guy gets convicted, it will be one of the great travesties of our time, not to mention how censored everyone will have to be, so as not to offend the Muslim. What a joke.
Sam Harris is right. If there's something wrong with Islamic fundamentalists there is something wrong with the fundamentals of Islam. These are humorless folks who are quick to kill those who they perceive to have said mean things about their imaginary friends. While I lived in Saudi Arabia the GOVERNMENT ITSELF murdered a man who had the audacity to say he thought Islam was a human invention. Those of us who continue to quietly watch the naked emperor of religion from the sidelines without actively trying to help the world population move beyond it's mythology addiction are complicit in the continuing disasters committed in the name of religion.
Why don't these Muslim groups sue the mullahs, Imams and whatever who have hijacked their religion in the name of terror and hate? Far too many Islamic 'clerics' spew hate and filth in mosques in the name of Allah and Muhammad. Who does more harm to the precious image of the Prophet? A silly cartoon or some overfed cleric fantasizing about bringing harm to infidels? Could it be the Muslim groups that are suing silently agree with the hate their religion is becoming associated with? Their silence and misguided attacks speak volumes.
There is a difference between freedom of speech and hate crimes. Freedom of speech is not necessarily negative, but if it is, should only be directed at one's own people. Hate crimes are always critical, and are always directed at someone else, and at someone else's expense.
To clarity....
So are you saying that publishing a cartoon caricature is a 'HATE' crime?
It's a friggin cartoon!!!!!
clarity:
Ever read '1984'? If you have, do you remember 'thought-crimes'? What's worse? Disparaging cartoons or Islamic suicide bombers and terrorists? One is an opinion. The other is an overt act. We do not need 'hate crimes'. We have penalties for assault and murder.
Seems pretty unanimous here that this trial should not be happening. Too bad our so-called 'leaders' don't listen to us. Here in the US we call it Political Correctness, camouflage for state-approved bigotry.
Disgrace that this has even gone to trial. This is a democratic country with hard won freedom of speech. That speech includes the right to criticize and satirize religion. When religion thinks it is above critisism, then that is the end of rational thought and the return of religious despotism. NO to Islamic censorship!
ban rock n roll now
I'm surprised and relieved to see that everybody here disapproves of this trial, which I was about to call silly, except for its ramifications. Someday we are all going to wake up and realize that we are under full blown attack by Islam and these muslims are not going to quit until there are no more 'infidels'. The 'religion of peace'? I don't think so; we had better brace ourselves, it's going to get alot worse before it gets better.
these backward primitive people do not believe in freedom of speech ... the ethos of their religeon is anti-free speech ... take a look at islamic countries and see how quick they are to restrict freedom of speech .. e.g. the recent trial of journalists in Morrocco (who discussed some jokes).
Islam is a restrictive, and does not tolerate dissent.
O! Read what the defenseuers de droits de L'Homme speak up above.All comments above starting with ' Sad to see so many Muslims in Europe' are inherently and explicitly racist and prejudical against Muslims.Those who lived in dark ages and got their renaissance from the world of Islam should learn a few bits and peices of respect.Muslims should themselves create cartoons of Jesus in compromising position with children to show how Poedophilia is rampant among Christian priests, that will carry a great message and be an expression of testing of the limits of freedom of expression in the west. (Though as a Muslim I am taught Jesus is God's prophet - and such an act is morally unthinkable - but should as a Muslim should we not assume that the Jesus of Christianity is not the same as our own perception of Jesus...God will pardon me for expressing myself in this way..Hopefully)
Kostunia, you are an idiot.
The West is not full of religious fanatics like the Islamic areas of the world. Most people outside of the middle east have a very high tolerance of stupidity by a group of people.
Some day Muslims will learn tolerance, until then it will just keep being barbaric as always.
No Muslims will not learn to be tolerant, you will have to learn that..because West has never learnt to be tolerant, West lives in its own world being the dominant culture of the time.Dominant means dominant through resources it has plundered from others...over centuries...West knows how to say I am not raceest (Ms. Goodie's words) in words but not in deeds.Fanaticism is rather a vague term..let us think there was no religion ..there would have been then fanatics who would fight for say class...or language..they do exist rather now too..but the west has taken cudgels against Islam..Tolerance is a two way process mate - and it never comes when you denigrate others symbols...say they are ignorant or idiots..Yes, I hold my prophet sacred may be those killers or suicide bombers do so too..but it does not give you the right to attack my Prophet and vilify him...By the way - see your papers rapes, murders, mothers killing children refrigerating them - drugs, teenage abortions,destructon of envirtonment if these are any indicators of a great culture then thanks - you may as well have that with your freedom of expression.
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