Freedom of Speech: radical Islam bites the European hand
It was bound to happen. Despite the Europeans bending over backwards to accommodate radical Islam and their silly demands in the name of "tolerance", radical Islam has declared war on Europeans over a few cartoons.
Yes, cartoons. And not even the kind that routinely portray politicians as evil, or in compromising positions or deliberately offensive, as western cartoonists often are.
They are just images of figures in Islam such as Muhammad and/or God. However, since Islam proscribes images (one would think is prohibition is against followers drawing or worshiping images) some in the Islamic world have decided that no one is allowed to draw such images.
So the Islamic world clashes with the western world once again. And once again radical Islam demands that the west bow to the wishes of radical Islam. Europe routinely finds ways to do so, but apparently this conflict even has some Europeans crying "enough!"
Not surprisingly, the US State Department has sided with radical Islam. It is sad that many in the State Department view themselves as advocates for foreign powers rather than as emissaries from the United States. It was, after all, the State Department that was more horrified over the use of the term "Evil Empire" by Ronald Reagan than the Soviet Union was.
Already European governments are starting to crack, however. Danish officials apologetically stated that they condemned attacks against Islam but could not punish newspapers. Newspaper officials are finding themselves targets despite official government denials. Several have lost their jobs as a result of the (re)publication of these images.
Contrast that with the silence from the Washington Post after military officials expressed outrage over cartoon depicting a limbless soldier as a pawn and target of the administration and the military.
Will this be enough to turn the MSM against radical Islam? Probably not. They will find a way to blame this on President Bush and absolve the radicals of any blame.
Yes, cartoons. And not even the kind that routinely portray politicians as evil, or in compromising positions or deliberately offensive, as western cartoonists often are.
They are just images of figures in Islam such as Muhammad and/or God. However, since Islam proscribes images (one would think is prohibition is against followers drawing or worshiping images) some in the Islamic world have decided that no one is allowed to draw such images.
So the Islamic world clashes with the western world once again. And once again radical Islam demands that the west bow to the wishes of radical Islam. Europe routinely finds ways to do so, but apparently this conflict even has some Europeans crying "enough!"
Not surprisingly, the US State Department has sided with radical Islam. It is sad that many in the State Department view themselves as advocates for foreign powers rather than as emissaries from the United States. It was, after all, the State Department that was more horrified over the use of the term "Evil Empire" by Ronald Reagan than the Soviet Union was.
Already European governments are starting to crack, however. Danish officials apologetically stated that they condemned attacks against Islam but could not punish newspapers. Newspaper officials are finding themselves targets despite official government denials. Several have lost their jobs as a result of the (re)publication of these images.
Contrast that with the silence from the Washington Post after military officials expressed outrage over cartoon depicting a limbless soldier as a pawn and target of the administration and the military.
Will this be enough to turn the MSM against radical Islam? Probably not. They will find a way to blame this on President Bush and absolve the radicals of any blame.