Should they be published in the UK?

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Damien

and I do think the cartoons were insulting and unjustifyed.

As I said earlier Islam is supremist religion littered with double standards and contradiction.

I mean, god forbid we should have cartoons about mohammad, but it's quite acceptable for the Arab world to produce anti-semitic cartoons such as in the attached link.

http://www.honestreporting.com/artic...e_Cartoons.asp

[punky]

This is getting beyond the pale, now...

Originally Posted by http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060207/ap_on_re_mi_ea/prophet_drawings

Earlier in the day, 200 student demonstrators threw stones at the Austrian Embassy, breaking windows and starting small fires. The mission was targeted because Austria holds the presidency of the
European Union.

So Austria is being targetted for no other reason than its in the same continent as Denmark? Something has to be done about these protests before that mentality spreads to outside Iran.

---------- Post added at 10:03 ---------- Previous post was at 09:45 ----------

And also from that same article...

Afghan troops shot and killed four protesters, some as they tried to storm a U.S. military base outside Bagram †� the first time a protest over the issue has targeted the United States

I'm just wondering how long it would be before Muslim police start refusing to engage the protesters...

[Saaf_laandon_mo]

Originally Posted by Pierre

As I said earlier Islam is supremist religion littered with double standards and contradiction.

I mean, god forbid we should have cartoons about mohammad, but it's quite acceptable for the Arab world to produce anti-semitic cartoons such as in the attached link.

http://www.honestreporting.com/artic...e_Cartoons.asp

The argument here is regarding the characterisation of the prophet Muhammed. The link you mention shows pictures characterising people/a race, so its slightly different.

Like I said in earlier posts I dont agree in the manner in which the violent/extreme protesters have been going about their business and in the UK they have most definately been the minority.

If the cartoons had depicted normal muslims (i.e not the prophet) as terrorists there would have been nothing like we've witnessed so far. I am a muslim and i was offended by the pictures, displaying my anger through the medium of petitions. If those cartoons were showing a group of arabs in the middle east carrying bombs under their turbans I would have laughed it off. This is why I see the accusation of double standards does not wash well.

I have yet to see any cartoons by mainstream muslim artists/publications depicting prophets including Jesus in an offensive manner.

By the way every mainstream muslim spokesperson (representing muslim communities in the UK) thats appeared on breakfast news programmes, heaven and earth show on sunday, the radio and the press has disagreed with the violence seen at demonstrations and dissaproved at the placards on display, asking the police to take appropriate action against the perpertrators. Even Hizbut Tahir (sp) a rather extreme group, and not representative of the magority of muslims in the UK today said it was inappropriate for that guy to turn up looking liek a suicide bomber and that they distance themselves from such acts.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Saaf_laandon_mo

I have yet to see any cartoons by mainstream muslim artists/publications depicting prophets including Jesus in an offensive manner.

We've had years of comedians making fun of Jesus. Recently Ricky Gervais had a dig at God on his stand-up show. Even some people on this site enjoy getting offensive about Christianity.

What do we do about it? Nothing - we put up with it and pity the individual.

'Bomb' Protester has now been arrested:-

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...503868,00.html

The argument here is regarding the characterisation of the prophet Muhammed. The link you mention shows pictures characterising people/a race, so its slightly different.

I think it is a point that has to be made however, those pictures are quite sicking and downplaying the holocaust to deeply offensive

[basa]

Originally Posted by Mick

'Bomb' Protester has now been arrested:-

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...503868,00.html

Yep ... and so were counter demonstrators arrested at the time of the protests !!

"Counter-demonstrators who handed out copies of the cartoon depicting the prophet were arrested yet protesters chanting slogans calling on the enemies of Islam to be killed were allowed to demonstrate.

[Derek]

Originally Posted by Damien

I think it is a point that has to be made however, those pictures are quite sicking and downplaying the holocaust to deeply offensive

http://www.guardian.co.uk/cartoonpro...703925,00.html

Yep and purposely running cartoons satirising it is asking for trouble. (Well asking for more trouble)

[Nugget]

Originally Posted by basa

Yep ... and so were counter demonstrators arrested at the time of the protests !!

Yeah, but that wasn't the most intelligent thing that they could have done, was it? There's what basically amounts to a riot going on, so they hand out copies of the very pictures that have caused it in the first place.

I'm not sure that they should have been arrested, but they definitely deserve a slap around the back of the head for being morons.

[basa]

Originally Posted by Nugget

Yeah, but that wasn't the most intelligent thing that they could have done, was it? There's what basically amounts to a riot going on, so they hand out copies of the very pictures that have caused it in the first place.

I'm not sure that they should have been arrested, but they definitely deserve a slap around the back of the head for being morons.

I agree 100% and it is quite obvious what they were up to, but I'll bet these people get prosecuted more robustly than any protestors.

IMO this country and its legislators are running scared of muslims for fear of retaliation.

[punky]

Originally Posted by Saaf_laandon_mo

I have yet to see any cartoons by mainstream muslim artists/publications depicting prophets including Jesus in an offensive manner.

What about Dogma, the movie? Sure there were some murmurings from catholics, but not violent protests. Noone wanted anyone beheaded. Noone dressed up as suicide bombers. Noone felt the need to burn anything down. Noone felt the need to attack countries that had nothing to do with the movie. Noone used their free speech to condemn, err, free speech.

And how about this? http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...&postcount=391

Noone's reported it. No death threats (that I know of) to Gareth, and I very much doubt he ever will. Christians, among other people are laughing with it.

---------- Post added at 10:46 ---------- Previous post was at 10:39 ----------

Originally Posted by dezzo

http://www.guardian.co.uk/cartoonpro...703925,00.html

Yep and purposely running cartoons satirising it is asking for trouble. (Well asking for more trouble)

Not that Iran needs much excuse... Notice how they decide to retailiate against Jews, and not Christians, who make up 95% of Denmark (excluding the 3% Catholics).

Still, I bet no Jews will be asking for people to be beheaded, commiting arson, etc.

[etccarmageddon]

Originally Posted by Mick

'Bomb' Protester has now been arrested:-

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...503868,00.html

yeah I'm happy with this result.

http://www.itn.co.uk/news/index_1751622.html

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Saaf_laandon_mo

The argument here is regarding the characterisation of the prophet Muhammed. The link you mention shows pictures characterising people/a race, so its slightly different.

Different in your eyes

It shows the defacing of the Star of David which is a religious symbol.

Which I'm sure is very offensive to Jews

I think it is a point that has to be made however, those pictures are quite sicking and downplaying the holocaust to deeply offensive

Indeed , well said.

[punky]

Originally Posted by Saaf_laandon_mo

The argument here is regarding the characterisation of the prophet Muhammed. The link you mention shows pictures characterising people/a race, so its slightly different.

So by your logic, its worse to insult once person, who is dead, than to insult 14 million (Jewish) or 2 billion (Christian) live people?

[Ramrod]

From the Guardian letters pages:

The images that should concern Muslims

Monday February 6, 2006

I am a Muslim. I believe in and recite the Kalima. I am in a rage over the cartoons. I have managed to see them, since there are many sites now where they are available, and my rage is that they are an accurate representation. Political cartoons are wonderful. They are a mirror which cuts away the superficial and shows by exaggeration what the cartoonist sees as the heart of the issue.

There are no physical likenesses of the holy prophet, but there are certainly depictions. His life was meticulously recorded, as all Muslims are supposed to study and follow his example. So if a Danish newspaper commissions cartoonists to find an image of the Prophet Muhammad, where are they going to find the imagery to capture in their cartoons? They are going to see it in the face that the Muslim world presents. And it isn't pretty.

It is the face of the bomb ticking away above the brain, destroying reason. It is the face of the sword guarding repressed, hidden and frightened women. About a vision of paradise as a male voluptuous fantasy inspiring people to kill innocents and themselves. They could have shown other ugly scenes from state executions to anti-semitism and intolerance of other religions and viewpoints. The scariest image I saw was of the placards outside the Regent's Park mosque saying: "To Hell with free speech" and "Behead those who insult the prophet". The Qur'an and the Al-hadith are venerated and recited, but not read, studied and acted upon.
Rafiq Mahmood
Edinburgh