Clash of civs, Pt.1: Denmark vs Islam

[Footie Mad]

What the seem to fail to understand is that Denmark isn't a totalitarian regime where the state is in control of the media. Why do they demand not only apologies but penalties for the responsible persons?
There is an obvious lack of understanding for the way society functions in the west. The state cannot punish someone that hasn't broken any law of the nation.

[BlackCat]

Ehrmm Footie, I think that 99.9999999999999999 % of polytubbies is quite aware of this fact

[Mr. President]

Denmark

Islam

[germanos]

Originally posted by BlackCat
@Hueij : Could you please confirm/deny my understanding of

http://www.volkskrant.nl/buitenland/1138600971016.html

Some dutch drawers seems to suggest a "draw-mohammad-week" should be organised to protect cartoonists rights. Is that a short interpretation of it ?

What kind of newpaper is "de volkskrant" ?

Your understanding is largely correct:

(translated from the article)
some draftsmen (cartoonists) want an international 'draw-Mohammed-week' to be orginized to defend freedom of speech for cartoonists. They are not willing to sign with their name right now

Three cartoonists are named at the beginning of the article (and thus not necesserily associated with the call for the 'week'.) express their reluctance to draw Mohammed.
Two of them do not even make political cartoons as far as I know, and the third (whom I don't know but described in the article as a political cartoonist) says "drawing Mohammed gives such a mess, why would I throw oil on the fire?"

'De Volkskrant' is a center-somewhat-left newspaper.

[Winston]

For those interested here's a link to a 3 minute video statement in English by the Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen on the crisis. It's from Tuesday's weekly press briefing.

Link to video statement

[Dr Strangelove]

Have they considered resurrecting the Vikings and sending them down the Don river to deal with the middle eastern threat?

[Winston]

Hehe, might be an idea.

Following the total halt of the $500 million export of dairy products to the region, one satirical column reported that the Foreign Minister was preparing to launch a PR offensive aimed at reconciliation, by having a public statement printed on all milk cartons.

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Footie Mad
What the seem to fail to understand is that Denmark isn't a totalitarian regime where the state is in control of the media. Why do they demand not only apologies but penalties for the responsible persons?
There is an obvious lack of understanding for the way society functions in the west. The state cannot punish someone that hasn't broken any law of the nation.

Yes, but I think it goes even deeper, the core of the problem seems to me the fundamental difference between most (all? - not sure) Muslim states and "western" states in the question of the role of religious principles in society.

[BeBMan]

Woah, just read something about it, the hysteria goes on - Danish Muslims don't accept the statements by the guy from the newspapaer as apology; 17 foreign ministers/secretaries of state demand punishment for those responsible (according to what I read here in German news)?

OTOH a French paper/tabloid named "France-Soir" has published the stuff out of solidarity. Does anybody know "France-Soir", Spiff maybe?

As I posted on another place, WWIII starts with cartoons

[VetLegion]

This ended in the worst possible way. They should have not published those cartoons to begin with, but now that they have they shouldn't be caving in to pressure. But I understand their dilemma. Either apologize and quit, or risk having someone killed because of this.

[Axxaer]

Originally posted by BlackCat
Is there a risk/chance that the christian world could ally with the muslims in an attack on Norway ?

http://www.hedning.no/humor/cartoons...r%20store.html

I think you'll find that quite unlikely. First of all there are fewer Christian 'extremists' and secondly I imagine even those are not the types to organise terrorist attacks.

[Pekka]

"We are being reasonable and moderate about this thing. It is our right that we get an apology from state officials, of a cartoon made by private citizens of your infidel countries. We will not apologize for the bomb threats made to the magazine, we will not try to talk against encouraging hatred against Denmark or Scandinavia, we want what we want, period, we want it now, submit or ELSE!"

SC respondes "Eat ****"

[Pekka]

Our local imam says the community here in Finland is also boycotting Denmark, because they have insulted the whole muslim word with their aggressive and insultive cartoons.

(No, not the cartoons!)

Ironically enough, the imam says the fault is the Danes fault, for not apologizing and promising it will never happen again.

The Danes also are breaking the Taliban rule of listening radio and drawing pictures portraying people. Sometimes, even women. They have no shame.

Continuing the irony, the imam says, well, what about the Jews. You can not talk about denying the holocaust, becasue it's illegal. Of course imam is having a selective memory once again about sides, since it's not a crime in Finland. You can deny all you want in here.

Yep.. boycott all you want, that's my message. But let's leave it at that. And the imam's comments made it very clear how the moderate mind works, talking about Jews, how they control the world apparently and how everyone should bow down to them or get ****ed.

Well I have a message for him also. Eat ****.

I would love to see them boycotting FInland. Would they throw their Nokia phones to the carbage and refuse to use the state services? What would they do? They'd have to move out, the extreme ones that is, the actually moderate ones would stay. Over a cartoon. I'd say, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Footie Mad
What the seem to fail to understand is that Denmark isn't a totalitarian regime where the state is in control of the media. Why do they demand not only apologies but penalties for the responsible persons?
There is an obvious lack of understanding for the way society functions in the west. The state cannot punish someone that hasn't broken any law of the nation.

I think Footie is on to something bigger. This is not as much about islam, clash of civs, as about the evolution of political cultures. The need for a deeper understanding of democratic norms.

[Az]

a big giant to all organizers of movements of solidarity with Danish newspapers and against *******s.