Nanny's man of Straw, Jack, waded into the "cartoon debate" on Friday; by attacking the European papers who printed the offending cartoons.
He said:
"I believe that the republication of these cartoons has been unnecessary, it has been insensitive, it has been disrespectful and it has been wrong.
There are taboos in every religion. We have to be very careful about showing the proper respect in this situation."
A cynic might suggest that his concerns about causing offence may be down to the fact there is a large Muslim community in his constituency.
There are several points that the man of Straw should remember:
1 The cartoons were published by Western media organisations in Western countries. The state does not control the media in the West.
2 We, and the rest of Europe, are not Muslim nations.
3 Muslim media organisations regularly print anti Semitic cartoons.
4 The placards being brandished by the radicals in the London demonstrations called for a repeat of 7/7, that is incitement to murder is it not?
Isn't that a crime in this country?
5 The Western media regularly pillories other religions, which no doubt annoys/offends some of the more fundamental followers of those religions, why should Islam be a sacred cow?
6 The cartoons are now easily accessible on line, does that mean that all ISP's and net based companies are also going to be subject to this campaign of abuse and intimidation?
7 The cartoons were also published in Lebanon.
8 Many in the West may well object to the offensive and derogatory use of the word "infidel" by some Muslims to describe "non believers", yet they do not take to the streets and riot.
9 An Iranian newspaper has launched a competition for cartoonists to submit cartoons about the Holocaust. However, I doubt that (as immature and as pathetic as the competition may be) there will be mass protests by non Muslims in the streets or that the Iranian Embassies in Europe will be attacked.
10 In 2001 an episode of South Park featured an animated all singing, all dancing Mohammed. Why were there no large scale protests then?
11 Whilst it is reasonable to believe that there are piles of British, American and Israeli flags ready to burn in the Middle East; I find it unlikely that there is a such a ready stock of Danish and Norwegian flags.
The fact that the protesters have managed to lay their hands on such a large number of flags, indicates that the "protests" are being co-ordinated and orchestrated by "higher" authorities.
Basically what he was saying is that we have the right to free speech, but only if we (Government)agree with what's being said.
ReplyDeleteThe situation here abnd abroad is getting worse, with Embassies burning and threats of beheading infidels etc.
In London there were over 400 protestors carrying offensive and quite scary placards and you could see real hatred in their eyes and yet the police arrested no one at all. A man dressed as suicide bomber - not arrested.
Yet a woman a while back read out a list of the war dead from Iraq and (it's reported) had 14 police officers come and arrest her, DOUBLE STANDARDS.
I have always held our rights to freedom of thought and speech in the highest esteem. These were, after all, just some silly cartoons which were printed, not incitements to "Behead those who insult Islam" or "Slay those who insult Islam" as we are reading the Muslims have written on their placards!!
ReplyDeleteWe look to our Authorities to treat us all in the same even-handed way that they should treat all lawbreakers, be they British, Muslim or whatever colour or creed. Failure to do so are considered serious failings, and the Minister responsible should resign.
However, what has also, in my opinion, not helped matters are the lies told us these past few years by this Government in getting us all to back Blair in going to war in Iraq. I have, this week, added my own name in support for Blair's impeachment (http://www.impeachblair.org). As Blair says when arguing for ID cards, if you have nothing to hide, Blair, why should you be worried?
Furthermore there are now some serious concerns about the truth of the September 11th bombings in America. Has Bush also lied to us? Blair has, after all, jumped on the 'terrorist' bandwagon with Bush. Where is the wreckage of the planes which smashed into the Pentagon and Twin Towers (see the French site at www.asile.org/citoyens/numero13/pentagone/erreurs_en.htm and also www.911inplanesite.com). And what are those strange bulges on the bottom of the 'passenger' plane which crashed into the South Tower?
You must form your own opinion on the very serious and troubling questions raised.
You missed one:
ReplyDelete8) There are many publications in the middle east that regularly run rabidly anti-semitic cartoons, without any comment from the local populace, so there is a huge dose of hypocrisy in all these protests.
I suspect this is not a real grass roots anger at all - if it has taken since Septembr to inflame any passions one has to consider the possibility that someone somewhere with influence in parts of the Muslim world had need of a diversion for some reason.
ReplyDeleteA few months ago it was riots in Paris. Now its protests around the world and burn a few embassies. All rather immature and a very good demonstration of why these people, so susceptible to fanaticism in all its forms, are nowhere near being trustworthy as far as such things are understood in the so called 'western' society.
One has to suspect that the Russians understand this very well, in the light of which it seems rather ironic that the western world seeks to admonish Russia for its attempts to control the formerly Russian states which have stong Muslim related influences.
No doubt the belief itself is no more harmful then Christianity - but the minority of people who can actively manipulate within and using that belief system seem to be, as the phrase goes, 'punching above their weight'. Unfortunately our politicians are punching under their weight - except the Bar Steward of course, but he stays in a different ring being too lardy to get through the ropes.
Grant
railwayman39, sorry, I think my reference to September 11 was misunderstood. As far as I am aware, the cartoons have only recently been published.
ReplyDeleteMy reference to September 11th was towards the so called "hijackings" of the four planes on September 11, 2001, two of which were flown into the Twin Towers, one into the Pentagon and one crashed - supposedly - as a result of the passengers overcoming the hijackers.
What has this to do with cartoons and the current demonstrations by extremists?
Well, I have recently watched the documentary "911 In Plane Site", and am left profoundly disturbed in that the replays of the news videos we all saw at that time do indeed indicate a complete contradiction of the story of Arab terrorists having done their dastardly deeds in this affair. I am therefore questioning Bush's motives for trying to turn our 'Western World' opinions against Arabs, Muslims, Islam and associated matters.
I would encourage everyone to look at the links given above, or perhaps type into Google the words "911 planes". Alternatively read this article at http://thepowerhour.com/911_analysis/report.htm which will start to lead you to the disturbing questions. Judge for yourself the evidence, did you see any plane wreckage at all during that awful day of September 11, 2001? Four planes supposedly crashed, but I couldn't see any wreckage!!!
Take off that tin-foil hat Spiv, you're just making yourself sound like a nutter with that 911 conspiricy tripe.
ReplyDeleteTake a dose of common sense.
Read this.
Bah, you'll have to edit the link, blogger have fcuked it up.
ReplyDeleteMoriarty
ReplyDeleteA tin foil hat?
That might be a good way to stop Nanny messing with my head when I post artciles on this site:)
Ken
Moriarty, you have your own opinions, and I respect those.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I find it very difficult to question what my eyes are telling me. I trust my eyes far more than I trust the tripe we are subjected to from Blair, Bush and the rest of their cronies.
If anybody else thinks I've lost my senses, can they let me know -but only AFTER they have watched the video clips taken at those dark times!!!
Oh, and Moriarty, another point, having studied the website your link is pointing to, can you please tell me where is the wreckage of the four planes?? This point does not seem to be covered!! In particular, where is the wreckage of the aircraft which crashed into the Pentagon and the one which crashed into the field?? One engine a mile away, c'mon??
ReplyDeleteEvery news item I have seen concerning plane accidents, even the worst ones, do leave wreckage, including the jumbo at Lockerby!!!
The wreckage is mentioned on pages 6 & 7. How much visible wreckage you'll see after a crash depends on how the plane impacts, how fast it's going, and how much flamable material is on board. An aluminium airplane will squash flat like a beer can and burn like a torch under the right conditions - such as being flown at speed directly into something with lots of fuel onboard.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, if GW Bush wants to fake up a terrorist attack to justify future policy what do you think is more likely -
a) a big, anonymous truck bomb or
b) Am insanely complicated plot involving airliners, planned demolition of the busiest buildings in New York, the cooperation of foriegn nationals hostile to the US, and which needs the willing silence of the hundreds of people needed to pull all of this off.
Not even Hollywood could take that kind of plot seriously for f***s sake.
Spiv
ReplyDeleteThe Sky series "Conspiracies" knocked these conspiracy theories wrt 9/11 on the head well over over a year ago.
Also watch "Why The Twin Towers Collapsed" if still not convinced.
Ken
Ok, well Moriarty, I shall re-read those pages. But whatever you and I believe, I remain unconvinced about the aircraft and I have become very suspicious of the way that the UK and American Governments have been 'hyping up' terrorism, as you may have gleaned from comments I have made on this blog for some months.
ReplyDeleteThe two most aggresive countries in this world are Britain and America. The majority of insidious UK legislation introduced by Blair over the past couple of years has been linked with 'terrorism'. I refer here to Money Laundering regulations, proposed ID cards, DNA databases, holding suspects for 90 days etc etc. Our rights and freedoms are being taken away each day, much of it under the cloak of 'anti-terrorism'. So are, indeed, the Americans' rights and freedoms being steadily taken away. How very convenient for Blair and Bush to be able to point the finger of excuse elsewhere. It is also an excuse to illegally occupy foreign countries, on the back of lies told then!!!
And as for Blair the copper, have you noticed how he also assists in 'hyping' terrorism at the most opportune times, he did it again just before the last UK Generanl election and also just before the House of Commons was voting on terrorism laws recently. Keep the populace in fear and they will eat out of your hands.
well, it does not cut with me, I'm afraid.
As Winner would say - It's only a Cartoon!
ReplyDeleteNow they are seemingly going to do 2 marches through the streets of London..When are they going to give it a rest? it's becoming really boring now. I noticed in more news footage of an English van driver being treated really badly by an obnoxious PC for trying to speak out about the demo...Just how much money is being wasted on these demos by policing and shutting off streets? It's ridiculous.. And that Chowdry on Newsnight was downright disgraceful when he said that we don't own Britain, Allah does. I find it hard to believe that people like this are allowed to remain here, and of course Hamza's wife is still receiving £1200 p/w and she is known to hate Britain too, if these morons will not accept our country and ways, then they can bloody well go back home...
ReplyDelete