Danish cartoon controversy

Pompey · Feb 3, 2006, 04:09 AM

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JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- About 200 Muslims demonstrated Friday outside the Danish Embassy to protest caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad originally published in a Danish newspaper, Danish Ambassador Neils Erik Andersen told CNN.

About a dozen of the demonstrators, members of Defenders of Islam, or FPI, broke through security and, once on the embassy grounds, demanded to meet with Andersen, who agreed to do so.

During the meeting, Andersen reiterated an apology made earlier by Jyllands-Posten, the Danish newspaper, whose publication last September of the caricature offended some Muslims. Afterward, he described the meeting as productive.

The issue emerged last fall, when the illustrator of a Danish book on the life of Mohammad demanded to remain anonymous, since the cover depicted the prophet.

In an article last September about the issue, Jyllands-Posten published 12 of the drawings. Other newspapers picked up the story and followed suit, including France's Le Monde and Italy's La Stampa.

On Wednesday, two European newspapers -- Die Welt in Berlin and France Soir in Paris -- also reprinted them, characterizing the publication as a matter of free speech.

Outrage has spread widely in the Muslim world, with Morocco and Tunisia confiscating copies of France Soir.

Demonstrations were slated to be held Friday outside the Danish Embassy in London.

On Thursday, Palestinian gunmen shut down the European Union's office in Gaza City, demanding an apology for the cartoons' publication in Europe. (Full story)

Masked members of the militant groups Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinians' former ruling party, Fatah, fired bullets into the air, and a man read the group's demands. (Watch masked gunmen demand an apology -- 2:48)

Depicting the picture of the prophet is prohibited under Sharia law.

The publication of the cartoons in Shihan, a weekly tabloid newspaper in Jordan, resulted in the firing of its editor. Shihan published the drawings with an editorial urging Muslims to "be reasonable." It is illegal in Jordan for a publication to defile religion and disturb civil order.

A spokesman for the paper said editor Jihad Momeni, a former member of the Jordanian Senate, had been fired.

In his editorial, Momeni asked, "Who offends Islam more? A foreigner who endeavors to draw the prophet as described by his followers in the world, or a Muslim with an explosive belt who commits suicide in a wedding party in Amman or elsewhere?"

A suicide bombing last November killed 57 people at a wedding party in Amman, which is the capital of Jordan. Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility for that attack.

Some supermarkets in Jordan pulled Danish butter and dairy products from their shelves, and several firms in Jordan with foreign-sounding names bought newspaper ads declaring they aren't Danish.

French editor fired

The French newspaper Le Monde reported that, after the cartoons were published in France Soir, its publisher, Raymond Lakah, fired France Soir's director, Jacques Lefranc. (Full story)

Le Monde described Lakah as "Franco-Egyptian" and said he had issued a statement saying he had fired Lefranc in "a strong sign of respect to the intimate convictions and beliefs of each individual."

The statement continued: "We present our regrets to the Muslim community and to all people who have been shocked or made indignant by this publication."

Le Monde said that distribution of the edition of France Soir had been blocked in Morocco and copies were seized in Tunisia.

'Incomprehension' over firing

The journalism advocacy group Reporters Without Borders voiced "incomprehension" at the decision by France Soir's owner to fire his editor.

The group said a statement by Lakah referring to the need to "respect the beliefs and convictions of each individual" is "particularly inopportune at a time that the newspaper is being censored in Tunisia and Morocco and French citizens are being threatened as a result of the publication of the cartoons," the press freedom organization said.

Flemming Rose, the cultural editor of Jyllands-Posten, told CNN that the ongoing violence in the Middle East has "very little to do with the cartoons we've printed."

He said the initial uproar "came right after ... radical imams from Denmark traveled to the Middle East, deliberately lying about these cartoons, and deliberately lying about the context."

The imams "were saying that my newspaper was owned by the Danish government, they were saying that we are preparing a new version of the Koran, a new translation of the Koran in Denmark, censoring the word of Allah, which is a grave sin according to Islam," Rose said. "This is a lie."

Still, he apologized for the publication of the cartoons, saying the newspaper did not mean to offend Muslims and said the cartoons had to be understood in context.

Another paper publishes cartoons

Both France Soir and Die Welt said they were publishing the cartoons in solidarity with Jyllands-Posten, which they said has the right to publish the cartoons in a free society with a free press. France Soir published the cartoons under the headline, "Yes, one has the right to caricature God."

On Friday, the French newspaper Liberation published two of the cartoons, on page 3. At the French television network TF1, the main newscast broadcast at least one of the cartoons in a full-screen graphic, and the BBC has also been showing them.

CNN has chosen to not show the cartoons out of respect for Islam.

The Arabic-language news channel Al-Jazeera broadcast a report with the cartoons heavily distorted.

One of the images showed the Prophet Mohammad wearing a turban shaped like a bomb with a lit fuse.

Im surprise this wasn’t started sooner.

violat3 · Feb 4, 2006, 03:10 PM

you only have to see picture of the denmark embassy burning in Syria to see what are shower of lowlife scum the muslims are

chants of 9/11 & 7/7 in the london protest, time to get rid of the PC stuff and repatriate the scvm back to whatever backward country they came from in the first place and if they we're born here .. ship them off to the country their parents/grandparents came from because it is clear they fvckin hate us

Sandok · Feb 4, 2006, 03:45 PM

Bah, religion causing havok again... These kinda people are just so nit picky and ANNOYING... Who cares? Honestly, I wouldn't if one of my indian gods was made in a blasemphemous way...

SFOSOK · Feb 4, 2006, 06:01 PM

I believe journalism and the news should be free but the company itself should not make a profit off of it. If there was one news network that was not biased and only stated absolute fact with evidence then the world would be better off.

The news it to political and such is worthless in my eyes.

calidan · Feb 4, 2006, 06:12 PM

I voted, "The media shouldn’t be censored but shouldn’t have published something so offensive." The media needs to show more respect to people and their religions. And religion doesn't cause problems, people cause the problems. It just like guns don't kill people, people kill people. And I don't agree with the violent protests. Peaceful protests are okay but violent ones just show that you are no better than the people or thing you are protesting.

Alistair · Feb 4, 2006, 11:01 PM

I really don't see the extremist reaction to this cartoon as justifiable. When their extremists commit attrocities in the name of their religion, they should EXPECT such reactions. This is especiially true when others in their region turn a blind eye to homicide bombings or openly support such actions in the name of their religion.

Should we go burn the embassies of middle eastern embassies when people burn western flags or effigies of our leaders? You might not feel the burning of a flag is comparable to these cartoons, but in my mind and the minds of others it is. The flag is a "religious" symbol to me, a symbol of life, liberty, and the persuit of happiness.

If they wanted an eye for an eye over this cartoon they should have just made and broadcasted a cartoon of jesus (since thats the predominant religion in the west). No, instead they resort immediately to violence, go looking to take hostages, and begin burning buildings. Yeah their response to this is sooo incredibly justified

Why use peaceful methods of protest when violence is quicker and easier.

As far as I'm concern, bravo to the news network for displaying these cartoons. If arab channels can display beheadings of westerners and broadcast open lies about the actions of Western Cultures, why can't we poke some fun at theirs?

Pompey · Feb 5, 2006, 03:03 AM

Many people in the Media have called this a clash of cultures. Western values of freedom vs. Islamic taboos.

They have boycotted Danish and other European goods. The middle east has been a major market for us since we lost Brittan. They are now buying NZ products in greater quantities.
TWO newspapers have published them here, and TVNZ (the state broadcasting company) have broadcasted them during prime time. So long as they dont find out, we could do very well out of this.

School starts back in a few days, I will try and find a "support free speech" badge to wear. It will match my friends "Lets talk about feelings" one.

TJ- · Feb 6, 2006, 08:57 PM

where is the cartoon i want to see it

TJ- · Feb 6, 2006, 09:03 PM

got em

Pompey · Feb 7, 2006, 03:26 AM

No one (I dont think) is denying they are offensive. The press still have a right to print them.
Nothing is sacred in a western democracy, including religious beliefs and taboos. Muslims need to accept that their beliefs, along with everyone else’s are up for debate and criticism.

These cartoons dont impose a belief on westerners, they merely reflect a common opinion or feeling that many westerners (wrongly) have. I for one, dont judge 1.4 billion people, or one person on a cartoon published in a newspaper on the other side of the world.

Just a question to all you Christians out there, how would you react if a cartoon portrayed Jesus as a child molester? You would obviously be offended but would you still say the media has the right to print what it wants? Or, would you react in the same way the many Muslims have reacted?

mkk · Feb 7, 2006, 04:00 AM

The original publication isn't very important anymore, not after the danish prime ministers handling the situation like an asshat. By further stepping on justly senstive toes when twice denying to even speak to a delegation of diplomats, he took the matter to another level. The freedom of speech in denmark was never in jeopardy, while many hide behind it as if it were. Speaking of Jesus, that danish newspaper recently withdrew publication of just one such image. In the present danish political climate where the government relies on the support of an openly racist party it's simply quite popular to deface muslims, and that does not seem likely to change soon.

**dj_stick** · Feb 7, 2006, 04:18 AM

i don't see what all the fuss is really, it's just a caricature, the amount of caricatures made based on christian beliefs is insane, but you don't see this sort of stuff happening there…

niceguyrichy · Feb 7, 2006, 05:10 AM

anyone remember Monty Python

the life of brian has got to be the biggest jesus piss-take ever, but you don't see anyone burning down british emabasy's all over the place

the whole cartoon thing is just a joke...

esa666 · Feb 7, 2006, 08:53 AM

Well,
This has gone mad ,last night on tv they were saying that this is the start of a global conflict between islam and the west.
With the kind of things weve been doing in the middle east anything we (the west do) against the muslims seems to send em crazy. Salmon rushdie pie anyone?.
I can see why people get mad when their religeon is ridiculed, but this big kick off about it all around the world is more to do with other problems than just the cartoons.

I have got some respect for people who follow a faith in a carefull and mindfull way whatever faith it is, but people who want to commit violence will allways commit violence be it a president over Oil or some mullah wanting blood for revenge because of it.
whats the point to it,It's just the same old thing ,men wanting to kill each other because they dont understand.

mkk · Feb 7, 2006, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by niceguyrichy

the life of brian has got to be the biggest jesus piss-take ever,

Wich was promptly banned in a number of christian countries.

Quote:

Originally Posted by esa666

I can see why people get mad when their religeon is ridiculed, but this big kick off about it all around the world is more to do with other problems than just the cartoons.

Yes, there is of course so much more. Denmark for instance was an active participant in the occupation of both Afghanistan and Irak. Then the publication of the drawings themselves sparked mostly local protests, so it wasn't until after further fueling of the fire that it became a more global issue. Other non related issues like the palestinian elections probably helped too. As with many things in life this is a complex story, and the drawings themselves aren't really part of the problem. Neither is freedom of speech truly under fire.

**Vikingod** · Feb 7, 2006, 09:48 AM

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/45207

the onion summed it up pretty well in the Feb 6. entry.

Lakevren · Feb 7, 2006, 11:43 PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4685886.stm

And the media elevates/exaggerates stupid crap.

Pompey · Feb 8, 2006, 04:29 AM

Anyone is allowed to voice their opinions (even the idiots who deny the holocaust) so long as they don’t advocate violence against others.

The cartoons did not tell people to kill or attack Muslims so they were allowed to be printed.
The contest an Iranian paper is running is extremely offensive but I believe it has the right to hold it, so long as the cartoons dont advocate violence against Jews.

I live in a western democracy and just as I claim the right to criticise other peoples beliefs I accept that others have the right to criticise mine.
Muslims have the right to protest, they have the right to boycott Danish goods. They dont have the right to burn Scandinavian embassies.

Callandor · Feb 8, 2006, 08:53 AM

An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind, but why would you do something to someone when you know what it will cause? Unless ofcourse you want it to cause that. Just like mkk said, they're pushing it fully knowing that they'll only incite more senseless violence and possible bloodshed. As someone said in this thread, man is an animal, and if it weren't for law and morals, which form the last line against lawlessness and anarchy should the law be absent, we would all be dead or killing one another. It's sad.

Sandok · Feb 8, 2006, 10:51 AM

I think the reactions are out of order and being pushed to far... There has been enough caricatures of gods and this has been done before without anger but these islamist are taking things too far...

There are many ways to prove that they can't really help it (very young religion compared to others and all) but still, we have a brain. USE it.