Posted on 02/02/2006 7:11:45 AM PST by Cornpone
PARIS, Feb 2, 2006 (AFP) - France's respected daily newspaper Le Monde joined a European press campaign for freedom of expression Thursday with a front-page cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed and an editorial defending the right to ridicule religions.
The drawing by the paper's long-time cartoonist Plantu featured a head of the prophet made up of the words "I must not draw Mohammed" written repeatedly in long-hand.
"Religions are systems of thought, constructions of the spirit, beliefs which are to be respected certainly, but also freely analysed, criticised and even turned to ridicule," Le Monde said.
"A Muslim may well be shocked by a picture of Mohammed, especially an ill-intentioned one. But a democracy cannot start policing people's opinions, except by trampling the rights of man underfoot," it said.
Plantu told the newspaper that cartoonists and other humourists find it increasingly hard to touch on religion in their work.
"People do not understand to what point -- outside the Catholic Church which we can attack and which is, one has to say, very lenient -- it has become impossible to criticise religious things," he said.
LMAO!! Pass the popcorn. First the Danes and now the Frenchies!
>> the Catholic Church which we can attack <<
*sigh*
French and German Papers Reprint Danish Cartoons That Sparked Muslim Protests
By E&P Staff
Published: February 01, 2006 UPDATED 2:40 PM ET
NEW YORK French and German newspapers Wednesday reprinted Danish newspaper cartoons that sparked protests in the Muslim world, according to Reuters and Associated Press stories.
Also, widely syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker of the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel and Tribune Media Services wrote about the cartoon controversy in her Wednesday piece.
Paris-based France Soir said it ran the cartoons to support freedom of expression and fight religious intolerance. AP reported that Mohammed Bechari, president of the National Federation of the Muslims of France, said his group would start legal proceedings again France-Noir.
"The publication of 12 cartoons in the Danish press has shocked the Muslim world for whom the representation of Allah and his prophet is banned," France-Soir said in a front-page comment below one of the controversial drawings. "But because no religious dogma can impose its view on a democratic and secular society, France Soir publishes the incriminated cartoons."
Under a headline that read, "Yes, we have the right to caricature God," the paper also ran a front-page cartoon showing Buddha, the Christian and Jewish Gods, and the Prophet Mohammad sitting on a cloud above Earth. The Christian God says: "Don't complain, Mohammad, we've all been caricatured here."
Other papers reprinting the Danish cartoons included Germany's Die Welt and Berliner Zeitung. Die Welt said a "right to blasphemy" is a democratic freedom.
The cartoons set off waves of protests after their initial publication in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten newspaper in September and in a Norwegian paper last month.
Islam sees images of its prophet as disrespectful and caricatures as blasphemous, noted the Reuters piece.
Kathleen Parker said in her column: "One could make a quick argument against publishing some of the cartoons for being mediocre, but free speech makes no demand for quality. More to the point, the Danish cartoon controversy proves the larger truth that those groups most vocal in demanding tolerance from others are usually themselves the least tolerant."
LOL!! The Germans are doing it, too!! Great news!!
>> the Catholic Church which we can attack <<
don't we know it!
Another French Paper did it yesterday and the Editor in Chief was promptly fired, lets see if this paper has more of a spine. An Italian, a Spanish and a German newspaper threw thier hats in the ring yesterday as well.
Sheesh, Christians endured a crucifix in a beaker of urine as a piece of "art." The Muzzies have no idea, but I'm hoping the lefties don't make that POS religion an exception to their rule of trashing religions.
According to this article, the editor was fired
French editor fired over Muhammad drawings
2/2/2006, 9:09 a.m. ET
By ANGELA CHARLTON
The Associated Press
PARIS (AP) — The managing editor of a French newspaper was fired after it republished caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad that sparked fresh anger among Muslims, employees at the paper said Thursday.....
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/topstories/index.ssf?/base/international-16/1138885163123710.xml&storylist=
Ping...perhaps there is hope for western civilization and democratic values in Europe.
"....the Editor in Chief was promptly fired"
Would you happen to have a link to that?
Wow, I sense a suicide bombing of Le Monde's offices sometime soon...
http://www2.rnw.nl/rnw/en/currentaffairs/ger060202?view=Standard
The editor of a French newspaper that reprinted a cartoon featuring the Prophet Muhammad on its front page has been sacked for offending Muslims. Jacques Lefranc was dismissed by the Egyptian owner of the paper, France Soir, in a developing row between Muslims and European press. Danish paper Jyllands Posten first printed the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in September 2005. Their publication has since sparked protests by Muslims around the world, who say the pictures are offensive.
( SAME ONE?)
See post 15
Interesting!
Looks like Islam is dumb enough to make this a hotbutton issue.
But I am surprised that the EU media, of all things, has decided to throw out the rhetoric of appeasement and offend the Muslims. It just shows that getting killed is no big deal to them, but having your right of free expression curbed--that is a big deal.
Since when does a misfit minority get to call the shots? That's like me jumping onto the stage while Frank Sinatra is singing and demanding he sing the songs I like and to sing them *my way*
They'd better step up production at the Renault plant.
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