Posted on 01/15/2007 9:25:04 AM PST by Alouette
CASABLANCA, Morocco - The editor and a journalist at a Moroccan news weekly that published jokes relating to Islam were convicted Monday of insulting the religion, court officials said.
The court gave three-year suspended sentences to Driss Ksikes, editor of Nichane, and to journalist Sanaa al-Aji, court officials said.
Both were barred from any journalistic activity for two months and the independent Arab-language magazine was suspended for two months. They were fined $9,280 each.
The sentence was milder than the three to five years in prison that prosecutors had requested.
The journalists would not comment as they left the courthouse. Lawyer Taoufik Benyoub said they would appeal the verdict.
But Ksikes last week told The Associated Press that the 10-page article was meant as a thoughtful examination of Moroccan popular humor.
"We just wanted to explain what Moroccans laugh about," Ksikes said.
Prime Minister Driss Jettou ordered Nichane banned on Dec. 20 in response to complaints posted on an Islamist Web site, Khorafa.org, and complaints from the Kuwaiti government about the article. Ksikes and al-Aji were swiftly tried for insulting Islam, a crime in Morocco.
Morocco's National Press Union condemned the trial.
The trial and a government-supported libel suit against another magazine, Le Journal Hebdomadaire, have led to concerns that the North African kingdom may be backsliding on moves in recent years to relax long-standing restrictions on the media.
Paris-based watchdog Reporters Without Borders has said that the government, by punishing Nichane, was seeking to burnish its Islamic credentials before parliamentary elections this year that the Islamist opposition Justice and Development Party is expected to win.
How about covering up Rosie O'Donnel? (and the rest of the far left on " The View from the far left")
He's the idiot that went on their show.
Is it more moderate than Dearborn?
Did anyone watch 24 last night? They sure pegged the "Nice little muslim nieghbor boy next door" scene. That's what will happen to those Freepers(?) who say their muslim nieghbors aren't "like that".
Eeeeh, I know you're trying to make a point, but I do NOT support a FINE for someone running an anti-Christian cartoon.
Nor I, but CAIR has been trying to bring such issues into court several times already. It's only a matter of time before it falls in front of a Muslim jihadist judge who has infiltrated the system, and it's likely to be in a certain state with a Muslim senator I'll bet.
How about a beheading? stoning? Chop off a limb? /s
May the fleas of a thousand camels infest this guys armpits!!!
There, is that considered an insult???
Gosh I hope so...
Because I want him, and people like him, to know that I have the "freedom" to kick him, and the rest of his ilk, right in the [expletive deleted]...
There, I feel better...
A former president sold us out by endorsing Islamic supremacy. X42 never made such remarks when Christians were offended by the NEA using taxpayer funds to pay for a crucifix in urine.
I'd say Morocco is a liberal Moslem country. In a moderate Moslem country they would have had a hand cut off.
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