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French satirical paper firebombed after publishing Mohammad cartoon

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Sadly while its nice to hear the head Moussaoui denounce it as criminal, one can still only take his words at face value. Unfortunately with Islam it is no problem for a muslim to lie to a non-muslim if it helps propagate the spread of Islam or submission of others to Islam. This has happened before where an Imam said, "We're with the citizens of the UK and won't tolerate this..." while behind closed doors praised the actions of the terrorists against the western societies. Not surprising that this happened, but I hate it when Islamic fundies refuse to deal with humour and satire. The Onion had a small article/cartoon that made fun of Mohammed, but I guess it went largely unnoticed for some reason.

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Thanks Honest DIctator, I think France needs to reclaim their country, from what I hear they have way too many Muslims there and they are trying to tell the French and others what to do with their country. This would not happen in Mexico, we see any foreigners ok, but once they try to tell us what to do in our OWN country, you would have people chasing down these religious Talibanis right into their homes and it would not be pretty. Stupid French better wake up and smell the coffee before they know it they will be living UNDER SHARIA LAW. And I guess it is not just the French but many Europeans need to stand up and protect their culture, their countries before they are slaves to the Taliban.

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The person or people behind this will be made to represent all 1.5 billion Muslims.

But all the imans among the 1.5 billion who failed to issue a death fatwa will be conveniently overlooked.

But this was still a completely stupid thing to do. If you want to challenge the freedom of speech, don't make cartoons of Mohammad. Instead, go on national television and use the F-word. Or try to use the F-word here on this forum. See what it gets you. We all have different standards. The problem is not that you cannot use the F-word so publicly, or that you cannot draw Mohammad so publicly. The problem is that some people want to pick and choose who and what to respect along religious, national, and ethnic lines.

Go to a Thai restaurant and loudly insult the king of Thailand just to see how upset you can make the Thais working there. They probably won't firebomb you. But ticking off a bunch of Thais for no good reason is just as bad as drawing pictures of Mohammad even if a handful will firebomb you.

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Not too sure if comparing the F word and drawing the god of the Muslims is exactly a good comparison, but it sounds like a decent start.

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Elbuda, yes, I agree with you. It's an interesting angle and can help people to see things both ways.

BTW they were not drawing the "god of the Muslims", who is the same god of the Christians and the god of the Jews.

They were drawing a representation of Mohammed, who was, like Jesus, a human prophet who spoke about the existence of a single all-encompassing God.

The message on the hacked web page: "There is no god but Allah" means exactly the same thing. There is no God but God. There is only one God.

Unfortunately some people spend more time shouting it and less time understanding the true meaning...

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Interestingly, at the same time in Paris there is a theater play showing Jesus covered in excrement. Some Christians went and made peaceful protest (which is completely understandable and legal), and where to portrayed in the media as "far-right Christian extremists". Google for the story.

Now just imagine the reverse.... Jesus Christ as copy editor for Charlie Hebdo (yawn), and Mohammed covered in excrement. Would the theater building still be standing?

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ShootandScoot:

" The person or people behind this will be made to represent all 1.5 billion Muslims. "

That is the standard excuse. The problem with that is the amazing lack of enthusiasm among the 1.5 billion muslim majority to confront the "tiny minority of violent misunderstanders" (c) among them. If they did that, your excuse would have more legitimacy.

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" Some Christians went and made peaceful protest (which is completely understandable and legal"

You've got it wrong again willi, the fundies you cite forcefully broke into the theatre and threw stink bombs at people in the crowd shrieking about Jesus. One step from the idiot(s) that bombed Charlie Hebdo IMO. Because of a painting at the back of the stage that "appeared" to have excrement on it.

'"A spectator described the protesters as "very young people who are very angry but very well dressed." Faced with a police cordon, they threw eggs and oil at the theatre and those going in, chanting in Latin or praying on their knees."

http://www.thelocal.fr/1594/20111027/#

Heh, apparently the same christian fundies protested in April against US artist Andres Serrano's renowned "Immersion Piss Christ" photograph in the southern papal city of Avignon.

It's called freedom of speech willi. And with presidential elections here next year and a lot of people pissed with immigrants, you may just get what you wish for in the form of Marine le Pen in the second round. But as you always say, be careful what you wish for.

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Maybe a conspiracy. You would think they'd hire overnight security and/or put more lights/security cameras and/or ask the local police to be extra vigilant around the place prior to the event, in anticipation of possible backlash, given past circumstances when such backlash had happened.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Next they'll be torching cars or something. Then the government will start to crack down.

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Certain sectors of French society are living up to their reputation. This is in keeping with the arson attack on an Embassy a couple of years ago.

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I can understand the freedom of speech stuff but at the same TIME if something is OFFENSIVE, if some is say racist, violent , sexist etc..to me it is a form of VIOLENCE, and this form of violence PROVOKES a reaction on certain people, so if you are playing with fire, do not be surprised if sooner or later you get burned.

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Elbuda Mexicano

Most French are sick and tired about the muslim immigrants but they can't express it publically without being called a na zi, threated by the governement and the numerous pro muslim associations and see their social life destroyed. And these muslims cost a LOT of money to the taxpayers. T

ShootandScoot :

The person or people behind this will be made to represent all 1.5 billion Muslims.

A survey was just published in France : most of the muslims from France and in Nord African countries do agree with the attack against Charlie Hebdo. Violence and absence of liberty are integral parts of the muslim culture.

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"Next they'll be torching cars or something."

Heh, from someone who thought the Catholic religion was alien to France.....well Old Friend, y'know....

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" This is in keeping with the arson attack on an Embassy a couple of years ago."

One incident is enough for you to make hudgements on "Certain sectors of French society living up to their reputation"?

You're freet to despise the French but at least try and be credible. Otherwise you'll end up like our registered bud.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Hope they catch the firebombers, book them on charges of arson and attempted murder, lock them up and burn their possessions.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Nah, but if they can be deported back to where they came from, they will be. France winds me up so much sometimes for the petty administrative stupidity, but when dealing with religious nuts they are the Daddies. In fact, I would think muslim leaders in France will be nipping over this incident, it will probably be they who turn the arsonist in.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Ulrick,

"Most French are sick and tired about the muslim immigrants but they can't express it publically without being called a na zi, threated by the governement and the numerous pro muslim associations and see their social life destroyed. "

As a foreigner living in France I disagree on the expression of discontentment, but not on the sick and tired part. Politically correct nonesense is for the UK, people here will be showing their discontent in the presidentials of next year.

The sad thing is the scumbags are the by-product of France's colonial past, plus decades of denial ever since. Short of the mass cull of muslims that willb dreams of but daren't admit to, I don't really see a quick fix to the problem.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I think every non-Muslim in the world should draw a cartoon of Mohammad and put it on Facebook and every social media possible. They can't kill us all....right?

Maybe they should firebomb the makers of the new Looney Tunes cartoons - Bugs Bunny domesticated and living in a house with Daffy? Come on.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The problem with that is the amazing lack of enthusiasm among the 1.5 billion muslim majority to confront the "tiny minority of violent misunderstanders" (c) among them. If they did that, your excuse would have more legitimacy.

Look above WillB and you get one possible answer as to why you don't see that. One person or group firebombs over Mohammad and Tigermoth declares that everyone should do their utmost to piss off the entire Muslim world. And I ask you: where is your enthusiasm to tell Tigermoth that drawing pictures of Mohammad for the express purpose of pissing off the entire Muslim world is wrong? I will defend anyone's right to draw Mohammad, right up until their only reason to do it is to cause a ruckus.

And Muslims are not going to rush to teeter on the fine line between condeming the attacks and condoning the pictures, no more than anti-abortion Christians ran in to decry attacks on abortion clinics.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Counterpunch:

" One person or group firebombs over Mohammad "

Yes, and with deadly predictability every time Mohammed is cartooned everywhere. Even in Japan. Remember, the Japanese translator of the Rushdies book was murdered here. And where is the condemnation of such violence in the muslim world? Nowhere. To the contrary, Komeinis death fatwa against Rushdie still stands, and so do the numerous death fatwas about Danish and Norwegian cartoonists.

" will defend anyone's right to draw Mohammad, right up until their only reason to do it is to cause a ruckus. "

The reason is irrelevant. Free speech is free speech. And if you are offended with something, there acceptable ways to express that. Letters to the editor, lawsuits, peaceful demonstrations (such as you saw in Paris on the same day by Christians against the "Jesus in excrement" theater play in Paris.)

A peaceful demonstration is a acceptable way to protest. Terrorism is not.

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Tigermoth:

" I think every non-Muslim in the world should draw a cartoon of Mohammad and put it on Facebook and every social media possible. They can't kill us all....right? "

Well, but whoever sticks out his head first will get the predictable death threads. Remember Molly Norris, the American artist? She, like we, found the idea of not being allowed to cartoon on particular historical figure ludicrious (and the ideao of being offended by a cartoon anyway, like we all do).

So, she called for a "draw Mohammed day" on Facebook in good humour. And immediately harvested a storm of virulent, serious death threats. On islamis sites, discussions sprang up on how to get to her and would kill her first.

So now, on advice from the FBI, she had to take a new identiy and never go back to her old life, including her old friends and family.

De facto, Nolly Morris is dead. For the crime of suggesting a cartoon.

So, you want to be next?

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Madverts:

" The sad thing is the scumbags are the by-product of France's colonial past, plus decades of denial ever since. Short of the mass cull of muslims that willb dreams of but daren't admit to, I don't really see a quick fix to the problem. "

Even though this is an anonymous forum, slander like this should not be tolerated. I never asked for a"mass cull" of anybody.

A solid recognition of the problem and addressing it straight-ahead should suffice. No Shariah for France, period. And foreign policy should concentrate working against Shariah in other countries, instead of promoting it (like our current leaders do).

Your apology is accepted.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

You've got it wrong again willi, the fundies you cite forcefully broke into the theatre and threw stink bombs at people in the crowd shrieking about Jesus. One step from the idiot(s) that bombed Charlie Hebdo IMO.

Right. Just one step away from arson and potential murder, huh.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

"Right. Just one step away from arson and potential murder, huh."

Perhaps. It's fanatical behaviour by religious cranks.

Are you going to make the case that Christianity is innocent in blood-letting? I'll be interested to hear that argument.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

"The reason is irrelevant. Free speech is free speech. And if you are offended with something, there acceptable ways to express that."

willib, throwing oil eggs and stink bombs at people in the theatre is not acceptable means of free speech. Just because you initialy lied about the fundementalist christians at the start of the thread to make you anti-Islamic case does not make it so........

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The problem is when certain things get more respect than others, when certain belief systems such as religion are granted special protection.

A previous poster wrote that offensive words are like violence, so dont be surprised if they provoke a reaction. What nonsense. Words are just that- words. I see/hear things every day that offend me, but they do not give me free licence to be violent. Rather, I can use MY words back, or ignore it, or boycott the company that offended me, or socially shun whoever offended me.

Violence is the last resort of the ignorant and primitive.

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Are you going to make the case that Christianity is innocent in blood-letting? I'll be interested to hear that argument.

Of course not - but there's a pretty significant difference between stink bombing a theater and fire bombing said theater. Putting aside the issue of religion, I just think it's dangerous to suggest that the two groups are completely one in the same. The way I see it, one group is immature and juvenile. The other is deranged.

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