[The American Lion]

Muslims nations: Defame Islam, get sued?



By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI, Associated Press Writer Fri Mar 14, 6:26 PM ET

DAKAR, Senegal - The Muslim world has created a battle plan to defend its religion from political cartoonists and bigots.
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Concerned about what they see as a rise in the defamation of Islam, leaders of the world's Muslim nations are considering taking legal action against those that slight their religion or its sacred symbols. It was a key issue during a two-day summit that ended Friday in this western Africa capital.

The Muslim leaders are attempting to demand redress from nations like Denmark, which allowed the publication of cartoons portraying the Prophet Muhammad in 2006 and again last month, to the fury of the Muslim world.

Though the legal measures being considered have not been spelled out, the idea pits many Muslims against principles of freedom of speech enshrined in the constitutions of numerous Western governments.

"I don't think freedom of expression should mean freedom from blasphemy," said Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade, the chairman of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference. "There can be no freedom without limits."

Delegates were given a voluminous report by the OIC that recorded anti-Islamic speech and actions from around the world. The report concludes that Islam is under attack and that a defense must be mounted.

"Muslims are being targeted by a campaign of defamation, denigration, stereotyping, intolerance and discrimination," charged Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the secretary general of the group.

The report urges the creation of a "legal instrument" to crack down on defamation of Islam. Some delegates point to laws in Europe criminalizing the denial of the Holocaust and other anti-Semitic rhetoric. They also point to articles within various U.N. charters that condemn discrimination based on religion and argue that these should be ramped up.

"In our relation with the western world, we are going through a difficult time," Ihsanoglu told the summit's general assembly. "Islamophobia cannot be dealt with only through cultural activities but (through) a robust political engagement."

The International Humanist and Ethical Union in Geneva released a statement accusing the Islamic states of attempting to limit freedom of expression and of attempting to misuse the U.N.

Human Rights Watch said in a statement that objectionable depictions of the Prophet Muhammad do not "give them the right under international human rights law to insist that others abide by their views."

Hemayet Uddin, the lead author of the OIC report and head of cultural affairs for the group said legal action is needed because "this Islamophobia that we see in the world has gone far beyond a phobia. It is now at the level of hatred, of xenophobia, and we need to act."

A new charter drafted by the OIC commits the Muslim body "to protect and defend the true image of Islam" and "to combat the defamation of Islam."

To protect the faith, Muslim nations have created an "observatory" that meets regularly to monitor Islamophobia. It examines lectures and workshops taking place around the world and prints a monthly record of offensive content.

But some of the summit's delegates said a legal approach would be over the top.

"My general view would be that the confrontational approach is one my country would avoid," said Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Iftekhar Chowdhruy. Bangladesh is 90 percent Muslim.

While the Muslim world worries about the image of Islam in the West, the U.S. envoy to the OIC attended the summit to try to tackle the thorny question of America's image among Muslim states.

Sada Cumber calls his campaign the "soft power" of the U.S. — an effort to find common ground with Muslim nations by championing universal values the U.S. holds dear like religious tolerance and freedom of speech.

"America has a deep respect for the religion of Islam," Cumber told The Associated Press. "The freedom of faith that we exercise, that we enjoy in America, that is also a very important aspect of the American core values. Anyone who wants to practice any faith is never stopped or discouraged."

Also during the summit, Chad and Sudan signed a peace agreement to stop incursions of rebels across each other's borders, and the summit delegates committed themselves to addressing the spiraling violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080314/ap_ ... lamophobia

Thats right folks we could get sued for making fun of Islam.

"I don't think freedom of expression should mean freedom from blasphemy," said Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade, the chairman of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference. "There can be no freedom without limits."

[Verv]

What a genius take on western nations idea of free speech: no freedom from blasphemy.

The legal attacks Islam proposes on the West are founded in just as absurd rationale as their physical attacks.

Freedom of speech is freedom of speech, and other than outlawing specific speech that can be demonstrated to cause violent demises of people such as yelling "fire" in a crowded theater, it is really a no holds barred sort of world.

No one has freedom from blasphemy?

Now you define blasphemy as the defamation of Islam but I have a feeling that if we were to ever grant you as much soon blasphemy would be consumption of alcohol and eventually it would lead up to the point where everything starkly resembled Shariah law.

[Nets]

That basically sums up my feelings. I'll take them seriously when they stop being hypocrites about incitement.

[Vanasalus]

Muslims nations: Defame Islam, get sued?

Good.

Now, what they need is to hire a hundred first-class Jewish lawyers and unleash hell.

[MVictorP]

Well, that must be quite alien to TAL, who lives in a country where freedom of expression is somehow respected, but here, in Canada, we are used to such censure for the protection of our elites.

[DanishDynamite]

Will the unintended "shoot-yourself-in-the-foot" humorous antics of the religious fundies, take no end!

Idiotic any way you slice it.

[Verv]

Well, that must be quite alien to TAL, who lives in a country where freedom of expression is somehow respected, but here, in Canada, we are used to such censure for the protection of our elites.

On another hand a lot of legilation si designed for total protection of minority groups.

Protecting the basic rights of minorities is a great thing but when the government protects any group from criticism is reaks of bias and lack of free speechy.

[MVictorP]

On another hand a lot of legilation si designed for total protection of minority groups.

Laws against Holocaust denial were hardly made to protect some endangered minority; It was rather put into place to give more power to an oligarchy that stays very close to power.

Canada, as far as I know, is not a place where Jews ever were in any danger; However, the Holokult guilt-mongers sure made it easy to bulldoze such laws over freedom of expression.

Like i've said; Laws are made to protect those who made them.

Protecting the basic rights of minorities is a great thing but when the government protects any group from criticism is reaks of bias and lack of free speechy.

Total agreement here.

[Attica]

Now, what they need is to hire a hundred first-class Jewish lawyers and unleash hell.

You'd roll em all too.

What utter nonsense, from such a reactionary, backward system. Maybe they've been looking at Tom Cruise as of late.

[stalker]

Well, at least it's a step forward from whipping up riots and burning embassies.

[Potemkin]

Freedom of speech is freedom of speech, and other than outlawing specific speech that can be demonstrated to cause violent demises of people such as yelling "fire" in a crowded theater, it is really a no holds barred sort of world.

No one has freedom from blasphemy?

There are blasphemy laws in the UK and, I presume, elsewhere in the 'free' West as well. There is no absolute right to freedom of expression, and never has been. Certainly not any right that is protected by law.

And as stalker pointed out, this is an improvement on rioting and assassinating people. They are choosing to operate within the framework of Western legal systems. And they very well might hire those Jewish lawyers.

[Annatar]

In Swtizerland there is already a lawyer sueing people on the grounds of violating the law against racism because they criticised Islam. Europe has brought this upon itself by introducing laughable laws that restrict freedom of speech such as anti-racism laws and blasphemy laws.

[Nattering Nabob]

The International Humanist and Ethical Union in Geneva released a statement accusing the Islamic states of attempting to limit freedom of expression and of attempting to misuse the U.N.

I would like to see the Islamic conference's definition of blasphemy and I'd like to know what the "true image of Islam" is.

[Private]

NetsNJFan87


Thats misleading, firstly, the mohammed cartoon doesn't have a bomb on the turban. And anyway, the two cannot be compared, as one in regarded by 1.5 billion people as their phophet and the other is a 'the jew', an ordinary person without any importance to the____number of Jews world wide. Unless you are saying that "the Jew" is a "gods chosen person" and must be treated like a "prophet" or "God"?

[Ter]

Private:

And anyway, the two cannot be compared, as one in regarded by 1.5 billion people as their phophet and the other is a 'the jew', an ordinary person without any importance to the____number of Jews world wide. Unless you are saying that "the Jew" is a "gods chosen person" and must be treated like a "prophet" or "God"?

Private, are you defending the right of Muslims to debase Jews and champion hatred against the Jews but at the same time you think the prophet of the Muslims should be out of bounds of cartoonists or writers? You are really out of touch with reality in the West and you have no idea what freedom of speech means. I personally don't give a shit about any religion and I will not make an exception for Islam or their prophet. I will now exercise my freedom of speech and say "Shit on all religions, including Islam and their so-called prophet".

Sue me.

Ter

[Frank_Carbonni]

Thats misleading, firstly, the mohammed cartoon doesn't have a bomb on the turban. And anyway, the two cannot be compared, as one in regarded by 1.5 billion people as their phophet and the other is a 'the jew', an [sarcasm]ordinary person without any importance to the____number of Jews world wide. Unless you are saying that "the Jew" is a "gods chosen person" and must be treated like a "prophet" or "God"?

I completely agree. The murdering, slave-holding, warlord, rapist, Mohammad is greatly respected by the 1.5 billion people who in an imaginary sky man who hates women and homos. To show any disrespect, such as mentioning the truth as to what Mohammad actually did, is very hurtful to Muslims. So hurtful that a lawsuit is in order, which will be applied previous to the beheading by hacksaw.

The other is a filthy group human vermin: Jews. They deserve to be hated and persecuted wherever they go. They should be grouped together at all times. To admit their individuality and their differences with each other would be to acknowledge their humanity, and we all know that kikes can never be considered human. Also, Jetsfan doesn't understand that Jews are completely responsible for all Arab misery and poverty. So criticizing the Arab press for constant depictions of Jews that bare a striking similarity to Nazi propaganda (which didn't actually exist, the Jews and Allies with the support of the Illuminati, faked those pictures and the Holocaust so they could found Israel for the purpose of killing Palestinians and having base where they could control the financial markets), is grossly insensitive. We need to support the Arab world in all its Jew hating endeavors.[/sarcasm]

[Goranhammer]

I completely agree. The murdering, slave-holding, warlord, rapist, Mohammad is greatly respected by the 1.5 billion people who in an imaginary sky man who hates women and homos. To show any disrespect, such as mentioning the truth as to what Mohammad actually did, is very hurtful to Muslims. So hurtful that a lawsuit is in order, which will be applied previous to the beheading by hacksaw.

The other is a filthy group human vermin: Jews. They deserve to be hated and persecuted wherever they go. They should be grouped together at all times. To admit their individuality and their differences with each other would be to acknowledge their humanity, and we all know that kikes can never be considered human. Also, Jetsfan doesn't understand that Jews are completely responsible for all Arab misery and poverty. So criticizing the Arab press for constant depictions of Jews that bare a striking similarity to Nazi propaganda (which didn't actually exist, the Jews and Allies with the support of the Illuminati, faked those pictures and the Holocaust so they could found Israel for the purpose of killing Palestinians and having base where they could control the financial markets), is grossly insensitive. We need to support the Arab world in all its Jew hating endeavors

Win.

[Attila The Nun]

And there are still people in the US wanting to ban the Nazi Party and other racist organizations.

[Maas]

Thats right folks we could get sued for making fun of Islam.

Blasphemy is illegal is a lot of werstern countries (US, UK and EU) as well.
nothing new

[Private]

Frank_Carbonni, you're either a Zionist to are totally ignorant about history/religion. You seriously think that playing the holocaust card/using anti-islamic rhetoric will make me feel guilty?

You have no idea about Zionists. If you did, you'd superglue your nearest and dearest's @$$holes.

here is an example:

I can fill-up this whole forum with examples, but it would only make you look stupid and make terrorists look good.