The cartoons are available here:
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004413.htm

And here are some of the things coming out of the Arab media for years:

http://www.tomgrossmedia.com/ArabCartoons.htm

And yet, the West isn’t rising up.

Of course, i haven’t seen a US paper with the guts to print the cartoons yet.

Tera

For the first time I have to tell you what I really think…

If you think that ‘freedom of speech and terrorism’ can’t go hand in hand, go look in any Turner paper.

George Bush had someone who wore a shirt protesting the war in Iraq at his ‘state of the union’ address arrested and removed in handcuffs. Free to agree…

Oh yes, you have freedom of speech. America is all about spreading this freedom to the world. That’s why the British had to talk you all out of bombing middle eastern news agencies located in countries purported to be your allies. Free to agree…

If the editor of the New York Times ran a picture of Jesus looking something like George Bush with a crown of American fighters on his head I would count his remaining time at the helm in miliseconds…. His severence would be applied directly to personal protection from his own countrymen! Surely you cannot believe that the outcry at the blashphemy would be on par with that of the ‘terrorists’ you revile. Free to agree…

Shame on you. You can’t find Palestine on a map yet you dain to pass judgement on the people and condem them for actions your own religious right support (attacks on abortion clinics as one example). Hey can you find Oklahoma City on a map?

Big picture tera. You are obviously an intellegent and insightful individual. In this case you deserve your own (sorry I can’t remember the exact honour you bestow, but something like) Journalist looser of the month award. Spend some time learning where palistine, iraq, iran are. Read both the Christian and the Islamic right and think about the differences in what you find. after that, send me an email and I would, in the spirit of attempting to understand, love to discuss the cartoon..

Love ya

John

Well…

George Bush didn’t arrest anybody.  Overzealous security guards did that, and most likely GB didn’t even know.  Did you also know that a pro-war t-shirt wearing wife of a US Representative was also escorted out?  Neither one was right, but it’s a stretch to blame Gb for every bad thing that happens.

As for the Jesus/George Bush thing you bring up - yeah, the guy might be canned - but not because people were planning to bomb the offices of the paper, burn down churches, or kidnap foreigners (as the Muslim extremists have threatened to do).

I’m sure Tera knows where “Palestine” *will be*, but there’s no such country right now is I believe her point.

Have you seen the cartoons in question?  Do you really think that because of them, people should be kidnapped, offices threatened with bombing, or churches should be destroyed?  I have no problem with people performing economic boycotts or burning flags (legally obtained, not torn from someone else’s flagpole), or marching *peacefully* in the streets.  But that’s not what’s happening.

Have you looked at the types of cartoons published in the Arab press? Do you not think that the huge outrage from Muslims appears somewhat hypocritical when you see what they print?  Why can only *they* be offended?  Must we walk on eggshells around the Islamic world?

John, you’e waaaaaay off base and obviously took Tera’s comments wrong, out of context, or just don’t understand what was meant, let alone the problems in the Mideast.

What Tera said in whole and summarized at the end, and I agree, is that, “Freedom of speech and terroristic threatening donít walk hand in hand.” They don’t. They never have.

Terroristic threatening, advocated by many against those who have differing beliefs, harms freedom of speech. While a cartoonist and editior may exercise the ‘freedom’ to create and publish such a cartoon, doing so provides nothing of value if the result is purely inflammation. Likewise, terroristic threatening and outright death threats against those with differing beliefs provides nothing of value to a cause or to humanity.

Tera’s points are well taken. Extremism is dangerous to all, right or left. I could not find her defending or advocating either, yet you choose to accuse. Shame on you, John. Your narrow view of the world’s complexities does not appear to provide a solution to a difficult situation, when one is so desperately required.

Tera, honey, you handled a sensitive news item with facts and grace, without preaching. I love the remark about the ham.

I completely agree Jack. my point to tera is not to condone what *they* (I’m not sure what the significance of the astericks is/are) say and do. Only to say that we (for I too am culpable) are not really different in our response to percieved insults to our icons and personal safety. The icons and towers may change, we all are human.

For there to be any end to this crap, someone has to eventually say… Oh, yea, I can see how that might piss you off.. sorry.

Sorry.

John

What’s a “Turner paper?”

Palestine isn’t “on” a map. Maybe one day it will be. I find it remarkable that three major religions of the world, all with the same historical roots, treat each other the way they do. Based on what I see of adherents to each, and based on what I know of scripture (probably more than most), whether it be Torah, Old Testament, New Testament, or Quran, the God of each is probably not too happy with any of their leaders.

Thanks Tera. Nice touch. Good to see you healthy and wise.

John, you’re a little over the top on that one. Yes, I know where Palestine “is” or, rather, will be one day. Please do not equate my voice as synonymous with American governmental policy. As with most countries, those in the Mideast included, this one does NOT speak with a single voice, but is made up of many voices, and the chorus changes from time to time. Jack’s point is well taken.

“Have you looked at the types of cartoons published in the Arab press? Do you not think that the huge outrage from Muslims appears somewhat hypocritical when you see what they print?  Why can only *they* be offended?  Must we walk on eggshells around the Islamic world?”

I don’t have an answer that’ll solve much over there, but asking those questions and doing so in a search for appropriate answers is a start. Is it not hypocritical of Muslim news organizations to condemn such cartoons and images when their very own papers and broadcasts do the same? It’s a question, not an accusation.

In the cartoons mentioned at Tom Gross’ web site, there is a HUGE diffference between them and the ones that are offending many Muslims: not a single one of those cartoons depict a RELIGIOUS figure in an offensive light. That certainly doesn’t make the cartoons any less offensive, but the distinction has to be made.

Anyone who knows anything about Islam knows that the Koran regards Jesus as “the greatest prophet”, therefore holds the Christian deity in a very high regard. The cartoons shown in Arab papers are not attacks on Christianity; rather on the policies of Israel and western governments. Please try not to confuse the two, as so many of us do over and over again.