Norway stands up against Islam for Free Speech...Just kidding, they outlawed blashemy

[HueyCobra8151]

Edit: Yes...I see that I misspelled blasphemy...can't fix it now.

http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2006-02/15/article04.shtml

By Farahat Al-Abbar, IOL Correspondent

DOHA, February 15, 2006 (IslamOnline.net) – A delegation of the Norwegian magazine that has reprinted the Danish cartoons lampooning Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) met on Tuesday, February 15, with renowned Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi to offer an apology.

"We accepted the apology in principle," Qaradawi said after the meeting, also attended by Mohamed Hamdan, the chairman of the Supreme Islamic Council in Norway and Norway's Deputy Archbishop Oliva Howika.

"We do appreciate the Norwegian stance which is different from that taken by Denmark," said Qaradawi, the chairman of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS).

"The Norwegian prime minister has condemned the cartoons at the very outset," noted the prominent scholar.

Last September, Denmark's mass circulation daily Jyllands-Posten ran 12 cartoons of Prophet Muhammad.

One of the photos showed the prophet wearing a bomb-shaped turban and another showed him as a knife-wielding nomad flanked by shrouded women.

Many European newspapers, including the Norwegian Magazinet, reprinted the drawings, triggering an outcry across the Muslim world and calls to boycott Danish products and Norwegian products.

Vebjoern Selbekk, the editor of the Norwegian magazine, apologized to Muslims on February 10, for publishing the cartoons.

After initially defending his January 10 publication of the cartoons as an expression of press freedom, he appeared before TV cameras shaking hands with Muslim leaders after his apology.

Ban Blasphemy

Qaradawi called anew on the United Nations to adopt a resolution banning blasphemy to head off similar incidents in the future.

He also urged the European Union to criminalize blasphemy against any religion, including pagan religions.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is pressing for a ban on religious intolerance to be part of the bedrock of a planned new United Nations human rights body.

"Muslims want all people to live in peace, cooperation and love. We don't call for strife. All people are created by God, so there was no need for this strife," Qaradawi told reporters.

(HC8151: The Danish embassy in Damascus called, they want their sense of irony back)

"We were deeply hurt by the cartoons. The Danish newspaper could have defused the crisis by offering an immediate apology to the Muslims. Had it apologized, the issue would have been resolved," he said.

Qaradawi pointed out that there is a difference between freedom of expression and freedom of insulting.

"Freedom of expression is all about expressing an opinion. In the cartoons case, there is no opinion or counter-opinion," he said.

The Norwegian delegation assured the renowned scholar that Article 135-A of the Norwegian Penal Code orders a maximum penalty of three years in jail for publishing articles mocking religions or ethnic groups.

 

[Whalebite]

This is why freedom of speech has a wide interpretation, who's to say what blasphemy? Do religious leaders sit as judges? Does one sect get to enact legislation over another sect because they are in power? Do courts begin to legislate religion? Its a very slippery slope. Or wait there is the alternative: freedom. Have we forgotten the consequences for restricting the freedom of speach? How about enforcing the little laws, like oh, its wrong to murder because someone drew a cartoon you didnt find funny.

 

[batman527]

Awesomely put, Whalebite.

 

[samuel]

THat is totally awsome dude

 

[KBayDog]

This is why freedom of speech has a wide interpretation, who's to say what blasphemy? Do religious leaders sit as judges?

MATTHIAS: "Look. I-- I'd had a lovely supper, and all I said to my wife was, 'That piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah.'"

OFFICIAL: "BLASPHEMY! HE'S SAID IT AGAIN!"
MATTHIAS: "Look. I don't think it ought to be blasphemy, just saying 'Jehovah'."
OFFICIAL: "You're only making it worse for yourself!"
MATTHIAS: "Making it worse?! How could it be worse?! Jehovah! Jehovah! Jehovah!"

 

[HueyCobra8151]

Europe never ceases to amaze me.

They are pretty much militarily-reliant on the United States...and even with that they don't have the backbone to stand up for what is right.

 

[Brett327]

MATTHIAS: "Look. I-- I'd had a lovely supper, and all I said to my wife was, 'That piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah.'"

OFFICIAL: "BLASPHEMY! HE'S SAID IT AGAIN!"
MATTHIAS: "Look. I don't think it ought to be blasphemy, just saying 'Jehovah'."
OFFICIAL: "You're only making it worse for yourself!"
MATTHIAS: "Making it worse?! How could it be worse?! Jehovah! Jehovah! Jehovah!"

What a great angle. Are we to assume, should this nonsense be taken to its logical conclusion, that Monty Python would be banned in Norway? Now THAT is blasphemy.

Brett

 

[FlyingBeagle]

has anyone seen this article yet:
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/02/17/D8FR44IO0.html

If I had a million dollars, I'd sure as hell have better things to do with it than kill some Danish cartoonist. Pretty interesting how putting a price on someone's head gets you in less trouble than drawing a cartoon. Then again, I guess that in some parts of the world making fun of a religious figure is completely unacceptable, but murder is what goes for free speech

 

[KBayDog]

What a great angle. Are we to assume, should this nonsense be taken to its logical conclusion, that Monty Python would be banned in Norway? Now THAT is blasphemy.

Brett

No. The Life of Brian pokes fun at Christianity, which as we know, is quite acceptable (and in most places these days, highly encouraged).

Now, if the plot were re-worked and "Brian of Nazareth" became "Brian of Mecca," we could expect World War V.

 

[Brett327]

No. The Life of Brian pokes fun at Christianity, which as we know, is quite acceptable (and in most places these days, highly encouraged).

Now, if the plot were re-worked and "Brian of Nazareth" became "Brian of Mecca," we could expect World War V.

Well, that's just what you Christians get for kicking so much Muslim a$$ during the crusades.

Brett