Canada gets in on the act

[RichardE]

Cartoon controversy ignites in Canada
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A woman supporter of a Pakistani religious party raises a placard during a rally to condemn the publication of cartoons depicting Islamic Prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper, Sunday, Feb.12, 2006 in Islamabad, Pakistan. Pakistan's ruling party and hardline Islamic groups issued a joint call to hold a nationwide strike to condemn the publication of the cartoons in Western media. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
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Font: * * * * CanWest News Service
Published: Monday, February 13, 2006
OTTAWA - The Western Standard magazine has republished the controversial cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, which have ignited riots and protests around the world.




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Reprinting the cartoons, which many Muslims consider to be blasphemous, increases the risk to Canadian embassies and troops, especially those serving in Afghanistan, said Peter Marwitz, a retired RCMP and CSIS agent.

?The troops in Kandahar already have an entire set of issues to deal with,? Marwitz said Monday. ?At the end of the day, Canadians are going to discover that there are a lot of agendas out there that are going to be similarly pointed at Canadians? interests abroad. Look out there?s going to be trouble.?

The Calgary-based magazine stood by its decision to publish eight of the 12 cartoons - which first appeared in a Danish newspaper in September - as a necessary defence of press freedom.

One depicts the Prophet Muhammad wearing a turban that?s shaped like a bomb.

?It would seem to me that if we were to do our readers a service and report the news, . . . perhaps we ought to show the most important news item of the month,? publisher Ezra Levant said Monday.

Levant admits he fears for his personal safety, but stands by his decision to print the cartoons. He has hired security and taken other personal safety precautions, which he declined to describe in detail, in case there is any violent response to the Standard?s latest edition.

While Canadians have a right to free speech, it?s unfortunate that the cartoons have been republished here, considering the controversy and outrage they have sparked worldwide, said Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Kim Girtel.

?Canada attaches importance to both freedom of speech and to respect for cultural diversity and ethnic and religious differences,? she said. ?The government of Canada does not determine the content of media publications. The cartoons are offensive to many, and given the impact they may have, it is regrettable that they?ve been republished.?

The Canadian Islamic Congress has vowed to seek hate-crimes charges against the magazine because they feel the cartoons incite hatred and portray Muslims in a negative fashion.

?I think there is a fine line between freedom of the press and freedom to incite hate. These cartoons cross that line,? national president Mohamed Elmasry said. ?Canada has a hate literature law and we will be able to test it to see indeed if the law protects the well-being of minorities.?

Considering the cartoons have sparked violence and riots around the world, Indigo Books and Music Inc., Canada?s largest bookstore chain, is refusing to put the latest issue of the Western Standard on its shelves.

Air Canada, which normally carries the Western Standard in its lounges and on some flights, has also decided pull this issue of the magazine.

I support this magazine totally.

Text

 

[judasmachine]

weeeee! here we go again.

just a thought, but why don't we burn all flags?

 

[palehorse]

Originally posted by: RichardE
?I think there is a fine line between freedom of the press and freedom to incite hate. These cartoons cross that line,? national president Mohamed Elmasry said. ?Canada has a hate literature law and we will be able to test it to see indeed if the law protects the well-being of minorities.?

I wonder how that law reads.

 

[CSMR]

Originally posted by: RichardEI support this magazine totally.

Putting international relations and lives at risk - for what sake? To flex one's "freedom" in this manner except is to put maintaining the ideology of freedom above these practical questions and is morally reprehensible.

 

[magomago]

Originally posted by: judasmachine
weeeee! here we go again.

just a thought, but why don't we burn all flags?

Its just a trick that flag producers want us to do we we spent more on flags...a conspiracy I tell you!

 

[Orignal Earl]

Most media in Canada and the United States have refused to publish the cartoons. But Levant dismissed the notion that the decision is based on respect for Islam, saying the real reason is "out of fear."

He said news organizations are more than willing to publish items that Christians find offensive because Christians only react by writing a letter to the editor.

"They don't bomb embassies and behead journalists," Levant said.

"Don't tell me the CBC respects religion. It's afraid of one religion."

Western Canadian magazine publishes Muhammad cartoons

There have been journalists beheaded over this? What's this guy yapping about?

Edit- Nevermind, I found out for myself
Text

 

[ntdz]

Originally posted by: RichardE
I support this magazine totally.

Same here, personally I was suprised when the French newspaper ran those cartoons, but I respect them for doing it, and same with this Canadian magazine.

 

[RbSX]

Originally posted by: ntdz

Originally posted by: RichardE
I support this magazine totally.

Same here, personally I was suprised when the French newspaper ran those cartoons, but I respect them for doing it, and same with this Canadian magazine.

Makes me proud to be Canadian.

A large portion of the Islamic population openly clowns the rest of the world's conduct and culture as totally abhorrent, now we're clowning them back.

 

[magomago]

Originally posted by: RyanSengara

Originally posted by: ntdz

Originally posted by: RichardE
I support this magazine totally.

Same here, personally I was suprised when the French newspaper ran those cartoons, but I respect them for doing it, and same with this Canadian magazine.

Makes me proud to be Canadian.

A large portion of the Islamic population openly clowns the rest of the world's conduct and culture as totally abhorrent, now we're clowning them back.

:roll: A large portion of our own society openly clowns our OWN conduct

either way, good to see that many people and businesses are distancing themselves from this.

 

[dahunan]

Their reactions tell us that we will either do things their way or we will be threatened and have embassies burned down and face death threats...

NOBODY SHOULD GIVE INTO THESE THREATS

The people making these threats need to be exposed and stopped... If this creates a war then so be it.. CIVILIZATION DEPENDS ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

 

[magomago]

Well from the article I see nothing beyond protesting that hasn't gone sour, and plans to sue.
I think the other problem is we assume that if we don't publish these, then THEY HAVE WON AND ITS OVER....which clearly isn't the case~

 

[RichardE]

Originally posted by: magomago
Well from the article I see nothing beyond protesting that hasn't gone sour, and plans to sue.
I think the other problem is we assume that if we don't publish these, then THEY HAVE WON AND ITS OVER....which clearly isn't the case~

Yes, it is the case

 

[1prophet]

From link above

Most media in Canada and the United States have refused to publish the cartoons. But Levant dismissed the notion that the decision is based on respect for Islam, saying the real reason is "out of fear."

He said news organizations are more than willing to publish items that Christians find offensive because Christians only react by writing a letter to the editor.

"They don't bomb embassies and behead journalists," Levant said.

"Don't tell me the CBC respects religion. It's afraid of one religion."


At least this man points out the hypocrisy in the news media that claims it isn't publishing the cartoons out of respect for Islam especially if they previously published items that offended Christians.

 

[sandorski]

Don't support this at all. I seriously question this magazines motives, it sure the Hell isn't "Freedom of the Press". When they interviewed the guy(Editor I assume) he was drueling at the thought of publishing the cartoons. Attention whore or sh1t disturber, that's what this magazines role seems to be.

 

[GoPackGo]

So will it be these stupid cartoons that ignites World War 3?

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: sandorski
Don't support this at all. I seriously question this magazines motives, it sure the Hell isn't "Freedom of the Press". When they interviewed the guy(Editor I assume) he was drueling at the thought of publishing the cartoons. Attention whore or sh1t disturber, that's what this magazines role seems to be.

What the hell do you think the media is?!

 

[RichardE]

Originally posted by: GoPackGo
So will it be these stupid cartoons that ignites World War 3?

as good a reason as any..

though I can't see WW3.... just one side of people running with bombs straped to them, vs people just shooting indiscriminantly

 

[1prophet]

Originally posted by: sandorski
Don't support this at all. I seriously question this magazines motives, it sure the Hell isn't "Freedom of the Press". When they interviewed the guy(Editor I assume) he was drueling at the thought of publishing the cartoons. Attention whore or sh1t disturber, that's what this magazines role seems to be.

If I owned that magazine I would tell the editor not to print those cartoons and fire him if he did, but since I do not own the paper I do not have the right or authority to tell him what to print or not to print.

If I believe it is offensive the only correct way to seek redress is through the courts, boycotts, letters to the editor, and or peaceful public protests. I most certainly do not have the right to threaten him, his family, his employees, or the embassies of his country or their personnel because doing so will justify what he prints.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: Looney

Originally posted by: sandorski
Don't support this at all. I seriously question this magazines motives, it sure the Hell isn't "Freedom of the Press". When they interviewed the guy(Editor I assume) he was drueling at the thought of publishing the cartoons. Attention whore or sh1t disturber, that's what this magazines role seems to be.

What the hell do you think the media is?!

Not that, at least the good News Media uses some sense.

 

[judasmachine]

I realize we're talking about Canada here, but isn't it illegal (in the US) for an individual to take foreign relations into their own hands? Ala, Pat Robertson, Harry Belefonte, and cartoon printers?

 

[1prophet]

Originally posted by: judasmachine
I realize we're talking about Canada here, but isn't it illegal (in the US) for an individual to take foreign relations into their own hands? Ala, Pat Robertson, Harry Belefonte, and cartoon printers?

If that was the case they would have locked her up and thrown the key away.

Hanoi Jane


Even though I did not like what she did she was exercising a right that some here are willing to give up for the sake of appeasement and political correctness.

 

[JayHu]

I find it mildly ironic that the person saying that he's going to press the charges (Mohamed Elmasry, head of the Canadian Islamic Congress), was himself in the midst of a hate crime controvesy a couple years ago.

See Wikipedia Entry on Mohamed Elmasry