Screenshots

Great article Talveen! Can't agree with you more :-).

nice layout and colours but you should think about the width of the text.

As for the newspaper publication of the cartoons, having never seen them I cannot know how provocative these pictures are. A free press does not mean an irresponsible press that does not take into consideration market forces - it would interesting to see how this controversy would affect the circulation figures of Jyllands-Posten.

I feel that Muslim anger is misdirected - in a country that practises freedom of the press, they do not understand that the paper and the creators of the carciatures are responsible for their actions alone - not the government of that country. Publications for other countries that choose to republish those photos also should recognize their actions has repercussions.

This is what we Chinese would like to call nothing better to do after having a full stomach.

This is how the 'muslim' react each time this type of thing happen. They will burn, destroy and kill and they expect us the non muslim to understand them. So who do you blame for islamphobia. I do not see these 'muslim' protest in any way the 'civilised' manner. All they know is burn, destry and kill.

I love the main stream media. All they portray is muslim as is terorist animals. Then the muslim bashers like this two post above but Omega Lee and nckeat comes and say "I feel that Muslim anger is misdirected", "All they know is burn, destry and kill". You people need to read and see what else is happening. The best example i can give u is here in Malysia.Do u see any anger or burning, destroy and kill? So maybe some extremist are doing this does that mean all muslims are Bad? Stop beliving anthing u see in the media. Also just to point out to you bashers out there, there educated views out there. Also there is a boycott by the Middle east on all Danish product. So don't be a Islamphobic like the westerners.

http://akramsrazor.typepad.com/islam_america/2006/02/jp.html

Good write up.

Omega Lee,

If you look at the countries that protest the most fierce, perhaps that is the problem ... no jobs, not enough education, no food in the stomach?? If the literacy is higher (I am just guessing), perhaps their reasoning ability would be more sensible? So, then we must ask ourselves WHY the ruling power wants to keep turning the clock back to the middle-ages? What are they afraid of the modern days communications tools? Few months ago, when the new Iranian president came into power, talks were on banning music, internet etc. Same as when Khomini went back to Iran from France in 1974(??)... Can I equate the scenario to the Cultural revolution of Mao? Or present day China censoring the internet? Although I am furious at the way the Moslims are messing up the country I live in (not all of them), at the sametime I feel sad. Sad at the way they are being caged in by their religion.

hey all, wikipedia has an entry on this 'saga' (including the cartoons).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyllands-Posten_Muhammad_cartoons

Cindy,

"Caged" is probably the right way to described it but I don't think it is the fault of "religion". Muslims countries flourished a long time ago while Europe was in darkness. Why was this. Those days...the Europeans even burned people for saying things scientific (forgot already..was it that earth was round or soemthing) Religion guides. But if the people...all flesh and blood...are corrupt, ignorant...then...

On that note, the attacks in Syria was nothing short of shameful. Tho this is not an excuse, I suspect after being pushed...they just react la...

Hello MY, Yarla

MY -- I think I will have to disagree. Religion is what caused most wars. Just look at N. Ireland for example. OR Europe in the middle ages as you mentioned. Why there is May Flower to the US of A? If you are suspected of being a witch (good religion not suppose to have witches!) they would throw you in the well or river. If you drowned you are OK !! If you float they would burn you on the stake! Would you think there is any different than throwing stones as the Moslim would according to the Sharia law??

Yarla -- "So don't be a Islamphobic like the westerners." OH well, not ALL westerners are Islamphobic either! I would just consider it bad proof-reading :-))

One local newspaper accidently published the cartoon and the editor lost his job

http://www.nadai.name/images/misc/stribune5feb.jpg

I think non-Muslims may not have understood that while they consider "freedom of speech" as sacred, we Muslims consider the Prophet Muhammad (P) (and for that matter, all the Prophets of God such as Moses and Jesus) to be sacred and above depictions. They will have to learn that drawing horrible cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad or pissing on the Qur'an is not art or an expression of freedom, but BLASPHEMY to a Muslim. Plain and simple.

- MENJ

P.S.: Jeff, please delete the article by "Ayesha Ahmad" posted by Observer. It is taken from FFI, an extremely Islamophobic website.

To Menj, NO do not remove the article by Ayesha Ahmad posted by Observer, unless you prove the recited verses are not true.
Whether it comes from an anti Islam or Islamophobic website, is totally irrelevant

When come to religion, I believe only the expert can comment. Allowing non-expert, especialy non-muslim to comment something regarding Islam using "common-sense" or "logic" is un-called for. Freedom of speech and religion is totally two different matters.

The word "religion" means "bond" as in "binding with an oath." Religions are mostly static, living in the past, not open to change.

I don't think we must forget what happened in the past (those events that actually DID occur), but not to relive them year after year. I think if we haven't learned anything from the past, we have missed the lesson and may need to repeat it until we get it.

But for those who get it - get on with your lives.

One of the tragedies of Islam in the modern world is that too little has been done by those who know the practice of that religion to communicate to the rest of the world the essence and relevance of Islam, and more importantly, to point out where certain practices are not entirely founded on the faith but on human interpretations built up in different, harsher, settings ages ago.

Given that many of modern day's cataclysms have been attributed to acts by specific members of that faith, these gaps must be filled properly and systematically, some will say with greater sensitivity by all parties, especially who practise faiths without the benefit of rational thinking.

Defiling the image of the Prophet is in extremely bad taste, wrong even, but the moment the act is labelled blasphemous, it assumes that the faith is sole custodian of all that is true.

Both sides are wrong, the reduction of which calls for one side to be more respectful, if not of the faith, then of the other side's respect for their own faith as one would expect others to respect one's own, and for the other side to think why is that people would take jibes like that knowing it is wrong, and from tat perhaps find more positive steps to bridge gaps through better actions, progressive interpretations and enlightened initiatives befitting the age and setting.

When we see how small we all are in this huge universe, and yet how even the smallest of living things strive to live against the most intemperate of conditions, don't these observations bespeak of a God independent of the images and customs historically leavened by men of all ages from different roots? A God Who would have cried for the things men do to their brethren on this planet?

Anyone wants some honey-sweet mandarin oranges, now?

http://www.courrierinternational.com/dessins/galeriedessin.asp?dos_id=2295&provenance=europe

Just a caveat: Its in french and some of our readers here may find it really offensive in their personal taste. So if you are not willing to look at the bigger picture then don't look at these then. These are for those who have not seen the pictures and may not understand what is the fuss all about. Thanks.

Cheerz.

Jeff

I did not want to give the URL to that article only because it is not a site I want to be accused of introducing to Malaysians. I use it for my own private consumption!

JEFF OOI says: Bloody lame excuse. If it's for your private consumption, then you should have maintained that way. My blogsite is in public domain, bloody hell, how could you so posted something you considered fit for your private consumption in my public blogsite?

But now Menj has confirmed for you where it is from.

JEFF OOI says: Let me remind all Observer-wannabe that you and YOU alone should responsible for what you post in my blogsite. Don't conveniently relegate this Social Responsibility to someone else.

However, just because he describes the site as an Islamophobic web site, it does not make it one. Just like just because he might call some people Black Metal fans, that does not make them so! And even if we agree (which I don't) that that site is not one with credentials, it is this particular article and its contents whose accuracy I wish to have confirmed. If I had wished to give weight to the article by giving it reference I would have. Instead I would rather that it stands on its own and be subject to scrutiny as it stands.

Maybe Menj would oblige me by debunking each and every one of those allegations there or show me how wrong it is or maybe even that these don't exist in those references! I will accept what he says.

But please don't give me polemics about the capacity of non=Muslims to understand or misunderstand!

JEFF OOI says: I am going to relegate your IRRESPONSIBLE commentary -- the one you said were meant for your private consumption and yet exposed in my public domain -- into JUNK COMMENT status. The blog publishing engine will compute the frequency of such Junk Comments, and oncethe threshold, you will automatically be listed by the MovableType Blog Engine as BANNED COMMENTER. Please don;t say you have not be forewarned.

Your said JUNK COMMENT has this for record:

I just saw this in another site....maybe someone can help to confirm if this is true!

Observer

JEFF OOI says: You are required to post the URL to the article you republished in full to ascertain authenticity. Failing which, you post will be relegated to "Junk Comment" category. Under this new blog engine I now use -- MovableType 3.2 -- "junk comment" excedding certain frequency will render the commenter to "Banned Commenter" automatically by default.

by Ayesha Ahmed

2006/02/04

The original 12 cartoons were bad enough, but attracted little attention outside of Denmark since they were published in Sep 2005. However, it seems 3 extra cartoons were added by Danish Muslims who went on a tour of the Muslim world to convince them how offensive the Danish cartoons were. Now this is adding fuel to fire.

These 3 are in extremely bad taste and from the quality and Arabic scribbled on it, one can tell they are not part of the original 12. They were added by the Danish Muslims to inflame feelings.

I don't think I should post these 3 wicked pictures or even provide the link as it is too crude and vulgar. Those who wish to find out more can use turboscout to google for them using "Danish cartoons".

those danish muslim.
are they finding excuse to disturb others?

another sad story of the year.

Hi All,

Greetings. As a muslim, i would like to condemn the blasphameous cartoons mockering Prophet Muhammad published by European newspapers. I am also strongly disagree with all the violence protest by my fellow muslim brother. The burning of Danish flags, storming diplomat building, and the latest burning of Danish and Norwegian ambassies in Syria is absolutely a despicable act. Fortunately the peaceful protest by PAS and Islamic activist in Malaysia by sending Memorandum is very commendable and should be set as an example on how muslim should react on this issue.

The article by Ayesha Ahmed which posted by NC Keat is quite interesting. The "quoted verses" in the article are mostly just an over simplified summary of the actual verses. To fully understand the context of the verses one has to read the verses before and after it. I would like to recommend http://www.islamonline.net/surah/english/index.asp as one of the best resources for Quran translation in the Internet.

Misunderstanding is a symptom of ignorence. I will not blame non muslim for all the misconseptions. But nothing much i could do to disperse the confusion. Therefore for those who wanted to learn more about Islam for whatever purpose please go to http://www.islaam.net/main/display.php?category=15
also and http://www.islamonline.net/english/introducingislam/index.shtml
and there is a good lecture on Islam and the purpose of life by Khalid Yasin

http://www.islamicawakening.com/playaudio.php?audioID=39&

Also i would like to share something about the word "Allah". "Allah" is an arabic word which the nearest translation in english is "God". However, the word "Allah" is prefered by muslim due to the uniqueness of the word. Muslim believe that God has no gender, and there is no feminine word for Allah. On the other hand "God" has "Goddess" and "Lord" has "Lourdess".

Lets share and learn from each other so we could find the truth.

May peace and justice triumph in this world!

Jeff

kociriemann, answered the question that I had asked. And I want to thank him for that. At least he is giving me context and pointers.

yours is public domain. All our opinions and our thoughts are private domain. You solicit our private opinions on to your blog and make it public. Not because we want it public.

Sometimes we see a conflict in a discussion and we also see contradictions. Sometimes we see what appears confusing. We bring it out and we ask. You provided the context and within that context we ask!

If you think what is for my private consumption should not be posted on to your blog then really, you should also be telling your posters to keep their private opinions to themselves.

JEFF OOI says: You speak with a fork-tongue. You are the one who decides what goes goes public what is reserved for your private consumption. Shut up when you want private belonging remain private, and speak up when it's for public consumption. You screwed up on your turf -- we didn't deny you your own conscious choice, did we>? -- and you now wanted to find scapegoat.

Cindy,

It's cool to disagree though I still say that it is people and how they use religion for their own. I also do not agree with your examples between people being burned by the old age Europeans because in those cases, they were simply ignorant while under the Sharia Law, the punishments were meted because of actions contrary to the Shariah law.

But I suspect you won't agree with that too :) The space here is too small for me to go through it. If you're interested, there are books on this available in our local book stores :)

Nckeat |

Your original comment above about not all Muslims are terrorists was very good. However you seem to not allow the same for Westerners and are guilty of the very thing you are upset at Omega Lee when you make the comment, and I quote: " So don't be a Islamphobic like the westerners."

Not all Wesnters are Islamphobic, in fact many are not. Thus your point was very well put, however you loose credit in your argument when you turn around and make the same generalizations. Perhaps it would have been better to just make your point and not highlight what others do.

I know I will get a lot of flack for what I am about to say, however I feel I should anyway. I read on here what should and should not be allowed, that only experts in religion should be allow to comment on it, that prophets and gods are above wriiting upon or commenting on and that they are sacred and should not be depicted. However your views (and all of them are worthy) are just that, your own beliefs and not the same as every other culture.

In the US and in most parts of the West, governments have no legal course to follow against newspapers or the media, whatsmore, is that nolt every culture holds the same attitude of not touching upon religions. In the US there have been countless cartoons showing Jesus, God, and many other gods and religious figures in very damning ways, people get upset, people protests, people call talk show radios and compplain, however, they still persist, and (although it has happaned) seldom does it turn violent.

Now here is a paper in another country and culture and it published these cartoons and then people in a totally different culture who have different values in religion and free speach are upset, that is fine, however the cartoons I assume we meant for the local publications in Denmark, and yet people in other countries saw them and got mad, that is their right, just as it is the right of people in other countries to speak about what ever topic in what ever way they want. The west believes in total free speach unless it is dangerous speach such as yelling fire when there is not a fire etc. When free speach goes over the line then a law suit can be made, however no one is arrested or punished except if in a civil suit then they may have to pay money.

Also in the West iut is believed that all people have the right to speak about any religion they want even if they do not follow that religion and they certainly do not believe only experts should speak about it. In the past, only churches were allowed to have the bible, it was forbidden for the general public to read for they felt they were unable to understand what was being written and was not educated enough, well we today no longer will be that way. I do not believe Muslims, Christians, etc are any better or worse then others, what I do believe is that if you do not agree with something that was said, written or shown, then it is your full right to disagree with that and not buy the product, not watch the television channel etc, but you have not right ever to limit another person's view, even if it is a view that depicts belief in a bad light. Your do not want people to depict a god in a bad way, however it could very well be another person's belief that that particular god is not a god or is less than a god and that is their right to believe that and discuss it if they want to. What if a country does not believe in religion, or if someone does not beleive in gods and there are a lot of them out there, do they not have the right to believe that if they wish. Perhaps newspapers depict a Prime Minister or a President or a Sports figure in an bad cartoon, people do nto get too upset over that, but maybe some people hold their president above gods and religion, well that is their belief and right and maybe they will tell us over here in Malaysia we have no right to do that, we have no right to say wstern culture is bad or that western culture is changing our ways over here, after all you are talking about their beliefs and way of life. Not everyone believes in gods, and those that do not all of them hold them to be untouchable. We have a right to read and not read, but never should we ever have the right to tell another what to think or not to say, if you do not like it, just turn the other way. And lastly, if a newspaper disrespects any religion, writes a bad article, draws a horrible cartoon, at the end of the day, really, no really what damage has been done in the sense that, no one has died, no one is left with no money or home becuase of it, no one is physically hurt by it, just emotionally, and for that all I can say is then do not read that paper anymore.

rmo,

On your last para, yeah..I suppose no one actually "lose" anything but I think thats too simplistic. In the real world, if I were to diss your mother...you would actually want to do bodily harm to me or vice versa. The cartoons caricatured the Prophet and Islam to represent terrorism among oter things. Those who know...very well know that this is very far from the truth so why did they persist in publishing that? For example, when Sabra and Shatilla happend, is it right for us to caricature Moses, Abraham and David to represent what Ariel Sharon did?

Have you read Richard Itani's article on this whole fiasco and what it has to do with freedom of speech. ( http://www.counterpunch.org/itani02022006.html ) Do you really think the west is all about "freedom of speech"?

Gosh,

How irony is this?...Now the Lebanese have followed suit (like the Syrians) and torched the Danish embassy... *sigh*

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4682560.stm

(All this...to clear my mind, I'd better watch Anugerah Juara Lagu....and see if boy wonder Mawi would win tho I am think Jac would do good)

To the above the commented on my remark being to simplistic and that "if I were to diss your mother...you would actually want to do bodily harm to me or vice versa." Well you are right to adegree in that I would "want" to do bodily harm, but I would not actualy do harm, nor would I try to have your voice limited. I do have people say things about things I believe in, My religion people have made countless cartoons abotu things I believe in even as much as showing my god as a baby in dipers and as a vampire and money chaser, I have seen people talk about the rulers in my country in very negative ways, but I disagree with them, don't like their comments but I would never ever try to limit their speech in any way, cause you know why, if I do not like what they say I have two great options at my hands: 1 I can just smiply hear it / read it and then disagree and walk away, or even better yet I can turn around and make my own comments and disagree that way without causing harm or violence.

It is a beliefe nothing more or less then that and everyone has their rights, if you say non-muslims must repsect muslims belief and can never make a comment in a negative light, then you are not allolwing non-muslims their own rights in their own cultures. Same to for Christians, or Judaism, or any other religion. Again I stress, perhaps I do not believe in any religion what so ever, there for religion would nto be sacred to me or my beliefs, perhaps I vew governments as sacred, yet we all know weveryone speaks badly about governments and yet if I was to say you have no right to speak anything about my government at all since you are not a So and So citizen then you would tel me I am wrong. OR better yet, some cultures hold the cow as sacred (now I am being very serious here) however there are thousands of cartoons showing cows in very commical ways, yet we would never think twice about not doing that. All I am saying is if you are in a culture or a religion and someone outside of your culture or religion or country makes a comment that you do not like then take it for that, it is someone in their own country, or culture asserting their right and you ahv e the right to comment or walk away, again you are not being physically harmed, you did not loose your money, your home, your family, it is only words not a bomb or war. I will always welcome words to war any day. and If someone is disrespectful and mean to other religions as some (Inot all) the cartoons were then that is that person sad sick life for doing that, but he / she has the right. I do not try ane make other cutlures follow my beliefs of what is right and wrong, thus why should they insist I follow theirs.

Oh well cindy i beg the differ with CNN and an other NEWS ALL WESTERNERS ARE ISLAMPHOBIC. Have u seen the news lately every 5 mins after the Hamas won the election fair and sqare the media is warning and telling the world how bad that place is and how
Israel is a country. If u are a Malaysian even your passport don't reconise Isreal as a country. I also want to point this out. If u have ever traveled with any Malay's with a Muslim name to Euro or even Austrlia for that matter than u understand why i say all westerners are Islamphbic.

War started in a very simple reason: I want to conquer you. If you are mericon, I will use Jihad! If you are japanese, I will use Nanking's shame. If you are Muslim, I will use terror as excuse.

It's all excuse. They are hijacking everything, you and me.

By the way, the mericon use 9-11 to start the war. You know what thing they secure first the moment they are in Iraq? The oil plant.

From the very begining, they knew Sadamm is not involve and he doesn't have any WMD. But they just don't like him.

it is unfortunate that the newspaper decided to publish those cartoons depicting muslims as terrorists and it's also unfortunate that certain quarters of the islamic world have ironically proven the cartoons right by choosing to protest through violence with guns blazing.

Yarlah,

"all westerners are Islamphobic" Can we blame them? Though I admit not ALL Muslims are terrorists, but it is an indeniable fact those who kidnap innocent civilians and cut their head off in front of the camera are Muslims.

Oh, another thing, asking CIndy to move if she's not happy living in a Muslim country is exactly the kind of mentality we're talking about here. Why should she? With all the prejudices Muslims in Western countries are complainning, why are they not moving back to the Middle East? I don't see any 'Muslim countries' refusing financial aid from those corrupted, Islamphobic Western countries?

If you do not like a place then move out, yes all westerners are islamphobic, you should not talk about some things, etc etc.

What is the points here? Nothing, foolsihness!

First people here get upset when western's call islam a terrorist religion, yet some (not all) of these same people say westerners are all islamicphobe. So who wins, no one wins, all loose and it is pointless, everyone wants to have their cake and eat all of it and take the cake from others as well.

Look not all Muslims are terrorist, in fact most are not of course. And not all Westerners are islamicphobes, this to is is obvious especially here in Malaysia, there are countless numbers of wesnters here everyday vacationing and doing business etc and have amny friends whom are Muslims, thus are not.

The main point with all of this is the right of people to discuss, draw or print what they want. Differnt countries have different laws regarding freedom of speach period. Malaysia's laws are different than that of several countries in the West just as these are different then those in the mid-east.

Yes in Germany it is against the law to print articles that depict the jewish holocaust as a lie (I think this is wrong as they shoudl have all rights) howeve their reason for this is becasuae it was their country that was the source of the holocaust
. Yet the US and amny other countries do print articles that claim it never really happened.

You mAy not agree with the laws of other countries but that is your right. just as it is their right to go ahead and print articles if they wish to.

But when people start demanding that we respect their belief in another country and that we should not practice this, or not print this, or we should nto talk about it, then you are telling other people what to do. And if the west tried to poke its nose in the affairs of these countries and tried to tell them not to do something then they would get a bashing. Case in point, what if governments start to pressure mid-east countries for the women being covered up saying well this is an offence to our beliefe in women's rights, that we believe women all over the world shoudl be equal it is a basic natural right and you must stop it it is offensive to us (yes this is not the same as a god) but it is still one culture asserting itself over another. Well all bloddy hell would come out of course and people would start yelling and screaming and protesting the west for getting into another culture (which the west does do all to often). I am just trying to make a point here is all. Cultures in the mid-east and perhaps S.E. Asia religion in a higher ground and light then cultures in the west. Thus these are differenct cultural values. The west believes more or less that nothing is above reproach in news or satire, or comics period. Wereas in the mid-east and parts of asia it is the opposite, where newspapers have to watch what they say somethimes about religion, race or government. It is just two diferent approaches. Unfortunetly to many peole try to impose their own personal belief on others, instead of relizing it is words, and you can call it simplistic, but it really is that. When there are things on the news I do nto liek to hear, I turn it over. I sit in coffee houses here all the time and hear people say the stupidest things, somethings funny, somet\imes very hurtful about my culture, I uaully walk away, but other times I just tune out, and sometimes I have offerend my opinion, but I have never gotten mad and attacked them even when they have put down my religion, government, even though they did not know I could understand them or hear them.

rmo U telling me that middle east is the only muslim country? o.o

A NOTE TO ALL

JEFF,

SEEMS THOUGH YOUR BLOG HAS A PROBLEM, I have posted about 6 letters on here and each time it says a different name has made the post. my name on here is RMO yet I ahev seen my post under names of different bloggers, I think who ever last logged in the automatically uses that same name for the next blogger then.

sorry i mean beagel :)

I never said that I did say S.E. Asia as well, I used the Mid-East since this is where the controversy started regarding the cartoons.

Please read my postings carefully.

For information regardin g Muslim populations around the world here: http://www.islamicweb.com/begin/population.htm

One more question who was the one provoking? Who drew the cartoons? Did the muslim retaliate OUT OF THE BLUE??

Cindy said:"Sad at the way they are being caged in by their religion"? I find this very offensive but hey everybody is entittled to their own opnion! IN MY POV if u don't like it MOVE respect mine.

JEFF OOI says: You are inflaming and challenging thegivernance model this blog employs: Argue your thoughts rationally, and learn to agree to disagree.

Wow. What a bloody big farce.

Those who are frothing at the mouth raging at the cartoons should just sit down, take a deep breath and think again. Whoever had heard of Jyllands-Posten before this issue? Thats right - almost no one. The paper's circulation is not even ten thousand, and it is only read by the far right conservatives in Denmark.

Thanks to the outrage everyone around Europe, and possibly the world has heard of Jyllands Posten. Thanks to the outrage those cartoons, which before this very few people saw and even less cared to remember have been re-printed dozens of times over by the European press in solidarity.

Those professing outrage and disgust are actually helping the cause of the paper by giving them free publicity.

Even more stupid are the idiots who are going and burning embassies or boycotting products. What they are doing is popularizing the stereotype that the far right wants the rest of Europe to have of muslims. What do you reckon the opinion of your average Dane when he sees people burning the embassies of his country over something as harmless as a cartoon, and one published in a newspaper he probably has and will never read? What do you reckon the opinion of the average Norwegian when he reads that extremist tools are threathening terrorist attacks over a few cartoons in an obscure newspaper?

Think.

All you people giving the paper and the problem airtime are Playing Right Into Their Hands. Just suck it up and leave it alone. If they blaspheme God why don't you leave it to Him to judge? Who do you think you are to do God's work for him?

Phoenikz
Has said it extremely well. It was not the cartoonist, nor even the paper that made this event so popular wouldwide. It was in fact the Danish Muslims that brought the articles to the Mid-East and brought it out in the open for all to know and it was in fact the fervor happening in those countries that made it into the story it is today, otherwise there have been literally thousands of articles, publications, cartoons and jokes made all around on different types of media throughout the world on all religions and most go un-noticed.

Why the Taliban muslim government could bombed the Buddha statue in Afganistan?

Does their religion preaches that it is alright to do commit such sin?

Did any the Buddhists take revenge by burning their holy books? Or maybe burning down the embassies of the muslim countries?

From The Age:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/aussie-papers-no-to-cartoons/2006/02/06/1139074142379.html?page=2
"
...
"To have a debate about pornography you don't have to publish pornographic pictures," he said.

"To have a debate about capital punishment you don't have to publish pictures of people swinging from the gallows. You can have a sensible discussion around this without publishing the images."
...
"

On Islamophobia
http://tinyurl.com/9lhf9

I haven't seen the pictures until now. I have a link that depicts the prophet muhammad dated back centuries to the present day. It is up to you if you want to publish the link. Thanks.

http://www.zombietime.com/mohammed_image_archive/

Two wrongs will never make one right ! And an eye for an eye will simply make the world blind.

Beagle,
It's undeniable as well that quite a number Catholic priests molested children, now do I blame him/them for the evil that they did or the fact that they are Catholic, made them do it.

Some suicide bombers are Tamils (in Sri Langka) but to say Hinduism is a violent religion is patently false.

I dare say that beheading innocents is NOT an islamic practice, even though the perpetrators are muslim.

Face it, we have bad people among us and they happened to be muslims, christians, atheists, agnostic or whatever.

They can be from a slum in Lahore or live White House.

Thank you for removing that Islamophobic article from FFI, Jeff. A much lauded move. It is unfortunate that some people are taking advantage of the Muslim angusih over the desecration of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

@Observer: You said "Maybe Menj would oblige me by debunking each and every one of those allegations there or show me how wrong it is or maybe even that these don't exist in those references! I will accept what he says."

We have debunked Ali Sina's allegations at Bismika Allahuma and even on my blog, if you had bothered to look. The problem with you Islamophobes is that you think with your [ DELETED ], instead of your God-given brain. Perhaps next time you should try the art of thinking before brandishing anti-Islamic websites you use for your "private consumption"!

Best regards.

- MENJ

Neurolept

Yes I agree people will always be people. Bad things are done by ppl of all faith for the mere fact people are not perfect.

Having said that, I don't see any people of other faith doing horrendous things in the name of their God or their faith. I know many would argue these extremists had misinterpreted the Holy Book. It is one thing to err as human and another to err in the name of their God.
Priests do not go around sodomizing young boys in the name of the Father.

I agree that Islam is a misunderstood religion. How can Muslims expect non-Muslims to understand when even so many Muslims around the world don't? (I meant those that go around burning buildings and kidnapping innocent civilians..)

The sad thing about this incident is that the only group that will benefit from this is the people who want to ensure division between muslim and non-muslim increased.

The western media is playing to the hand of the terrorist by highlighting the riots instead of the voice of reasons and calm that came from moderate muslim world wide.

So many peaceful protest and yet they highlighted the burning of embassies etc.

Their goal to increased their rating by highlihting the riots unfortunately will further paint Islam and violence in the same light in the eyes of many people.

While freedom of speech is a good thing but freedom of speech without the use of tack and consideration to others is irresponsible.

Like the newspapers in Australia have stated - you don't have to publish a porn picture if you want to discuss pornography. Similarly you don't have to publish offending pictures to discuss about the inappropriate nature of the pictures.

The cartoons werent even that funny. its just amusing and daring. i think the press which wanted to show support for 'freedom of speech' were being a bit silly, not fully appreciating the circumstances of the situation.
The angry and violent protesters are even more stupid. they media will always stay the same, ie: sensationalize any issue. so at least play by their rules if they wanna win. i think the so called silent and peaceful majority muslims should speak louder if they feel these few 'bad' muslims are giving islam a bad name. one protester i saw held a placard saying: "behead those who say islam is violent" the irony on multiple levels i just couldnt comprehend.