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Cartoon jihad By Melanie Phillips.
February 2, 2006
It was back in November when I first wrote about the Danish cartoon furore. At that time, Muslims were rioting in Denmark over the images published in Jyllands-Posten and no-one was taking any notice. Now the issue has snowballed into a conflict which is spreading across Europe.
It is worth reminding ourselves at this juncture what the issue was about from the start of the affair. Gratuitous offensiveness towards Islam or any other religion is not to be approved of. But not only is censorship of such offensiveness another matter, and violence and intimidation arising from it another matter still, this was not in any event gratuitous offence.
The offending cartoons, playing on the violence committed in the name of Islam, illustrated an article about the perils of self-censorship on the subject of this religion following the difficulties encountered by a children’s author in obtaining any illustrations for his book on the subject because the artists he approached were frightened for their lives. It was to draw attention to this disturbing state of affairs, in which people were being intimidated in the name of Islam into censoring perfectly innocent free speech, that the cartoons were published. They were therefore levelling a satirical criticism not at the Prophet but at the intimidation being practised in the name of the religion, a very different matter.
The truth behind that criticism has now been reinforced and amplified many times over to create an international crisis. The Danish Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, took a commendably firm line when he said: ‘I will never accept that respect for a religious stance leads to the curtailment of criticism, humour and satire in the press.’ Carsten Juste, the editor of Jyllands-Posten bravely held the line, saying ‘We will not apologise, because we live in Denmark under Danish law, and we have freedom of speech in this country. If we apologised, we would betray the generations who have fought for this right, and the moderate Muslims who are democratically minded.’
But the Muslim world then targeted Denmark for intimidation. Danish Muslim leaders and imams fomented hatred against Denmark within the Islamic world by distributing vile pictures of the Prophet which Jyllands-Posten had never published. This outright fabrication and incitement by Danish citizens appalled Prime Minister Rasmussen, who said: ‘I am speechless that those people, whom we have given the right to live in Denmark and where they freely have chosen to stay, are now touring Arab countries and inciting antipathy towards Denmark and the Danish people’.
The cartoonists then received death threats, along with Danish citizens in Saudi Arabia. Denmark was threatened with human bomb attacks. Danish goods were boycotted around the Arab world. The Saudi and Libyan ambassadors to Denmark were recalled. The hysteria engulfed Norwegians and Swedes too, who found themselves threatened too simply for being part of Scandinavia along with Norway. Yet for becoming the latest unlikely front in the war declared upon civilisation by religious fascism, Denmark has not been supported but criticised from the United Nations and the EU. This was a staggering reaction when one considers the fact that relatively mild images making a valid political point were condemned by the EU and UN; while the truly hate-filled, disgusting images about Jews that pour out of the Arab and Muslim world portraying them as diabolical, Satanic, bestial, repellent and inhuman – in the service of lies and libels designed to incite mass murder – attract no opprobrium from the EU or UN at all.
Jyllands-Posten has now apologised for causing offence. But the furore has moved up yet another notch. Publications in various countries – France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain – have re-published the Danish cartoons in a gesture of solidarity and to show that the core western value of freedom of expression would not be cowed by clerical fascism. This was marred by the abrupt sacking of the editor of one of these publications, France- Soir, by its French-Egyptian owner. More heartening was the reaction by the Jordanian independent tabloid al-Shihan which reprinted three of the cartoons on Thursday. As the BBC reported:
‘Muslims of the world be reasonable,’ wrote editor Jihad Momani. ‘What brings more prejudice against Islam, these caricatures or pictures of a hostage-taker slashing the throat of his victim in front of the cameras or a suicide bomber who blows himself up during a wedding ceremony in Amman?’
The New York Times reports that Carsten Juste, the editor in chief of Jyllands-Posten, has concluded from all this that freedom of speech has lost.
‘My guess is that no one will draw the Prophet Muhammad in Denmark in the next generation, and therefore I must say with deep shame that they have won,’ he said in an interview with the Danish newspaper Berlingske Tiden.
And people still say there is no clash of civilisations. There is – and on this evidence, the west is losing it.
The moral maze of Hamastan
February 2, 2006
Anyone who would like further enlightenment about the intellectual feebleness, confusion and downright moral bankruptcy that now characterise British public debate should grit their teeth and listen to last night's BBC Radio Four Moral Maze, in which I took part, and which discussed the implications of the creation of the democratic republic of Hamastan.
Madness.
January 31, 2006
According to the Daily Mirror, this is what’s going on in Belmarsh prison where a number of Muslim Brotherhood terror suspects are being held:
Violent Islamic extremists are terrorising inmates at Britain's toughest jail with an iron fist as they trawl for al-Qaeda recruits. The gang of thugs - known as The Muslim Boys - intimidate frightened inmates at Belmarsh into joining their faith, beating those who refuse their bullying demands.Some bloodied victims have been slashed by razor blades attached to toothbrushes. Others have had boiling water hurled over them. Prisoners say they are in fear for their lives.
A leaked report by the prison’s head of security apparently says:
Prisoners reported abuse, assaults, intimidation and threats. Some of the atrocities were carried out with impunity during associations causing victims to fear for their lives.’Most of the perpetrators are believed to be members of the Muslim Boys gang who intensified their drive to recruit other prisoners to the fold.They force prisoners to accept the Muslim faith - those who refuse suffer assaults. They promise potential converts protection from other prisoners and staff who they challenge at every opportunity.’
A source said: ‘These people are terrifying. Extreme Muslims are pulling together and the jail has experienced a surge in violence, drugs and intimidation.The Muslim Boys' gangmaster orders most of the assaults on fellow prisoners. They rule through fear and are very hard to infiltrate.’
Security chiefs are most worried at the weekly seminars held by the gang in Belmarsh's multi-faith chapel. Our source said: ‘Belmarsh has got a huge problem tackling the recruitment of terrorist cells. These people hold religious services every week. Around 125 Muslims attend and top members of al-Qaeda preach.None of the staff has a clue what they're talking about. Six officers attend each service, but all they can do is stand and watch.Those in the chapel could be planning a major terrorist attack but the officers wouldn't know.We can't even tape the service and get it translated because it is against Human Rights. It's frightening.’
Question: why are ‘top members of al-Qaeda’ being allowed to preach in Britain’s prisons? Answer: it’s called promoting ‘diversity’, ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘combating Islamophobia’. Isn’t it wonderful to know that the British establishment is now taking the terrorist threat seriously!
Didn't see any police today at the demo arresting any Muslims for shouting death and holding banners with death slogans on. Silly me, the police only turn up in force when there's a fox hunting march on and batter law abiding peaceful old and young citizens across the head with their batons. Muslims can do what they like in this country and it seems any other country as well. Even Jack wanker straw butted in and apologised for his European buddies for upsetting Muslims.
February 2, 2006
It was back in November when I first wrote about the Danish cartoon furore. At that time, Muslims were rioting in Denmark over the images published in Jyllands-Posten and no-one was taking any notice. Now the issue has snowballed into a conflict which is spreading across Europe.
It is worth reminding ourselves at this juncture what the issue was about from the start of the affair. Gratuitous offensiveness towards Islam or any other religion is not to be approved of. But not only is censorship of such offensiveness another matter, and violence and intimidation arising from it another matter still, this was not in any event gratuitous offence.
The offending cartoons, playing on the violence committed in the name of Islam, illustrated an article about the perils of self-censorship on the subject of this religion following the difficulties encountered by a children’s author in obtaining any illustrations for his book on the subject because the artists he approached were frightened for their lives. It was to draw attention to this disturbing state of affairs, in which people were being intimidated in the name of Islam into censoring perfectly innocent free speech, that the cartoons were published. They were therefore levelling a satirical criticism not at the Prophet but at the intimidation being practised in the name of the religion, a very different matter.
The truth behind that criticism has now been reinforced and amplified many times over to create an international crisis. The Danish Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, took a commendably firm line when he said: ‘I will never accept that respect for a religious stance leads to the curtailment of criticism, humour and satire in the press.’ Carsten Juste, the editor of Jyllands-Posten bravely held the line, saying ‘We will not apologise, because we live in Denmark under Danish law, and we have freedom of speech in this country. If we apologised, we would betray the generations who have fought for this right, and the moderate Muslims who are democratically minded.’
But the Muslim world then targeted Denmark for intimidation. Danish Muslim leaders and imams fomented hatred against Denmark within the Islamic world by distributing vile pictures of the Prophet which Jyllands-Posten had never published. This outright fabrication and incitement by Danish citizens appalled Prime Minister Rasmussen, who said: ‘I am speechless that those people, whom we have given the right to live in Denmark and where they freely have chosen to stay, are now touring Arab countries and inciting antipathy towards Denmark and the Danish people’.
The cartoonists then received death threats, along with Danish citizens in Saudi Arabia. Denmark was threatened with human bomb attacks. Danish goods were boycotted around the Arab world. The Saudi and Libyan ambassadors to Denmark were recalled. The hysteria engulfed Norwegians and Swedes too, who found themselves threatened too simply for being part of Scandinavia along with Norway. Yet for becoming the latest unlikely front in the war declared upon civilisation by religious fascism, Denmark has not been supported but criticised from the United Nations and the EU. This was a staggering reaction when one considers the fact that relatively mild images making a valid political point were condemned by the EU and UN; while the truly hate-filled, disgusting images about Jews that pour out of the Arab and Muslim world portraying them as diabolical, Satanic, bestial, repellent and inhuman – in the service of lies and libels designed to incite mass murder – attract no opprobrium from the EU or UN at all.
Jyllands-Posten has now apologised for causing offence. But the furore has moved up yet another notch. Publications in various countries – France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain – have re-published the Danish cartoons in a gesture of solidarity and to show that the core western value of freedom of expression would not be cowed by clerical fascism. This was marred by the abrupt sacking of the editor of one of these publications, France- Soir, by its French-Egyptian owner. More heartening was the reaction by the Jordanian independent tabloid al-Shihan which reprinted three of the cartoons on Thursday. As the BBC reported:
‘Muslims of the world be reasonable,’ wrote editor Jihad Momani. ‘What brings more prejudice against Islam, these caricatures or pictures of a hostage-taker slashing the throat of his victim in front of the cameras or a suicide bomber who blows himself up during a wedding ceremony in Amman?’
The New York Times reports that Carsten Juste, the editor in chief of Jyllands-Posten, has concluded from all this that freedom of speech has lost.
‘My guess is that no one will draw the Prophet Muhammad in Denmark in the next generation, and therefore I must say with deep shame that they have won,’ he said in an interview with the Danish newspaper Berlingske Tiden.
And people still say there is no clash of civilisations. There is – and on this evidence, the west is losing it.
The moral maze of Hamastan
February 2, 2006
Anyone who would like further enlightenment about the intellectual feebleness, confusion and downright moral bankruptcy that now characterise British public debate should grit their teeth and listen to last night's BBC Radio Four Moral Maze, in which I took part, and which discussed the implications of the creation of the democratic republic of Hamastan.
Madness.
January 31, 2006
According to the Daily Mirror, this is what’s going on in Belmarsh prison where a number of Muslim Brotherhood terror suspects are being held:
Violent Islamic extremists are terrorising inmates at Britain's toughest jail with an iron fist as they trawl for al-Qaeda recruits. The gang of thugs - known as The Muslim Boys - intimidate frightened inmates at Belmarsh into joining their faith, beating those who refuse their bullying demands.Some bloodied victims have been slashed by razor blades attached to toothbrushes. Others have had boiling water hurled over them. Prisoners say they are in fear for their lives.
A leaked report by the prison’s head of security apparently says:
Prisoners reported abuse, assaults, intimidation and threats. Some of the atrocities were carried out with impunity during associations causing victims to fear for their lives.’Most of the perpetrators are believed to be members of the Muslim Boys gang who intensified their drive to recruit other prisoners to the fold.They force prisoners to accept the Muslim faith - those who refuse suffer assaults. They promise potential converts protection from other prisoners and staff who they challenge at every opportunity.’
A source said: ‘These people are terrifying. Extreme Muslims are pulling together and the jail has experienced a surge in violence, drugs and intimidation.The Muslim Boys' gangmaster orders most of the assaults on fellow prisoners. They rule through fear and are very hard to infiltrate.’
Security chiefs are most worried at the weekly seminars held by the gang in Belmarsh's multi-faith chapel. Our source said: ‘Belmarsh has got a huge problem tackling the recruitment of terrorist cells. These people hold religious services every week. Around 125 Muslims attend and top members of al-Qaeda preach.None of the staff has a clue what they're talking about. Six officers attend each service, but all they can do is stand and watch.Those in the chapel could be planning a major terrorist attack but the officers wouldn't know.We can't even tape the service and get it translated because it is against Human Rights. It's frightening.’
Question: why are ‘top members of al-Qaeda’ being allowed to preach in Britain’s prisons? Answer: it’s called promoting ‘diversity’, ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘combating Islamophobia’. Isn’t it wonderful to know that the British establishment is now taking the terrorist threat seriously!
Didn't see any police today at the demo arresting any Muslims for shouting death and holding banners with death slogans on. Silly me, the police only turn up in force when there's a fox hunting march on and batter law abiding peaceful old and young citizens across the head with their batons. Muslims can do what they like in this country and it seems any other country as well. Even Jack wanker straw butted in and apologised for his European buddies for upsetting Muslims.
