Saudis recall envoy in Danish row

I think not

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Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador to Denmark in a row about cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad published by a best-selling newspaper.

A Saudi government spokesman said the ambassador had been recalled for talks following Denmark's failure to deal with the insults to the Prophet.

Some of the cartoons in Jyllands-Posten last September depicted him as a stereotype of an Islamic terrorist.

The paper said it was testing the boundaries of expression about Islam.

It said at the time that both the paper and the cartoonist had received threats.

Ambassadors from several Muslim countries complained to Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who had earlier said he could not tell papers what to print, or not to.

Islam bans any depiction of Muhammad or Allah.

Boycott

On Thursday, the Saudi government said it had recalled its ambassador "for consultations in light of the Danish government's lack of attention to insulting the Prophet Muhammad by its newspapers".

Danish food producers Arla Foods said the anger sparked by the cartoons had prompted a boycott of its dairy products in Saudi Arabia.

Arla director Finn Hansen said there had been calls for boycotting Danish products in Friday prayers and on Saudi television and in newspapers.

"We are certainly afraid this will spread across Saudi Arabia and affect our business," he told Reuters news agency.

There were street protests both in Denmark and in Muslim countries following the publication of the cartoons.
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Anybody remember the infamous book "The Satanic Verses" by Salman Rushdie? The guy is still in semi hiding.
 

FiveParadox

Governor General
Dec 20, 2005
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While an Islamic practice of restricting the depiction of the Prophet Muhammed or Allah should be respected in the context of relationships with predominantly Islamic nations, I would argue that such a restriction cannot be applied to citizens by the State — to do so would be a violation of the tenant of separation between the State and religion.

The cartoons were however, in my opinion, published without due consideration and care.
 

Andem

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Mar 24, 2002
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I don't expect Denmark to take any further actions on this issue. It is a free country, and the newspapers are not state property. Denmark is also a Christian country, so I doubt they're going to be bothered about making some jokes about Muslims. <Snip: Out of context>
 

Finder

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Though I think the paper didn't act in good taste and I would think the Saudis are going after a nation rather then a paper or the sponsers of that paper. As was said above, It's a free nation... Go after the news paper and sponcer's.

Man imagine if Canada acted like the Saudies do? We'd be at war with the USA from all the crisitisms we get from the far right news papers, TV and other media's. Grow up Saudia Arbia.
 

nitzomoe

Electoral Member
Dec 31, 2004
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RE: Saudis recall envoy i

Freedom fo speech is freedom of speech and though i disagree with the content I dont think this is the way to go.
However if the ppl want to follow a boycott then power to them, just means more lerpak butter for me
 

Calberty

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Dec 7, 2005
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Saudi Arabia is a dictatorship and the royal family are terrorists against their own people.

I say to the Saudi terrorist regime: "Tough royal shit".
 

Jersay

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Saudi Arabia is a dictatorship and the royal family are terrorists against their own people.

I say to the Saudi terrorist regime: "Tough royal shit".

This is not directed at the Saudi. Forget the Royal Family. It has to do with insulting someone else's religion.

Now, I don't think the Saudi's should have pulled their diplomat because it is not a government paper, the government can't do anything about it. But, it is just trying to antagonize the situation between Christian Europe and Muslim Middle East.
 

Calberty

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Dec 7, 2005
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Jersay said:
Saudi Arabia is a dictatorship and the royal family are terrorists against their own people.

I say to the Saudi terrorist regime: "Tough royal shit".

This is not directed at the Saudi. Forget the Royal Family. It has to do with insulting someone else's religion.

Now, I don't think the Saudi's should have pulled their diplomat because it is not a government paper, the government can't do anything about it. But, it is just trying to antagonize the situation between Christian Europe and Muslim Middle East.

I don't play the censorship game. I say tough shit. If they want to censor their own people then so be it and I don't approve. We don't lower are standards of freedom and free speech because a bunch of Saudi thugs are upset. Piss on them. They are terrorists in their own country.

I don't want our governmnet having a position on what can be said or not (or should be said) about anyone's opinion of the Pope, Allah or Mickey Mouse. It's not the government's place to approve or not approve that I think the Jesus dude is a dinkhead and that Allah, if he was real, is a perverted asshole. There's no need 'to respect' a bunch of lies and repressive religious ideology.
 

Jersay

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Dec 1, 2005
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I don't play the censorship game. I say tough shit. If they want to censor their own people then so be it and I don't approve. We don't lower are standards of freedom and free speech because a bunch of Saudi thugs are upset. Piss on them. They are terrorists in their own country.

I don't want our governmnet having a position on what can be said or not (or should be said) about anyone's opinion of the Pope, Allah or Mickey Mouse. It's not the government's place to approve or not approve that I think the Jesus dude is a dinkhead and that Allah, if he was real, is a perverted asshole. There's no need 'to respect' a bunch of lies and repressive religious ideology.

Christianity is just as repressive at times.
 

Toro

Senate Member
Jersay said:
Saudi Arabia is a dictatorship and the royal family are terrorists against their own people.

I say to the Saudi terrorist regime: "Tough royal shit".

This is not directed at the Saudi. Forget the Royal Family. It has to do with insulting someone else's religion.

Now, I don't think the Saudi's should have pulled their diplomat because it is not a government paper, the government can't do anything about it. But, it is just trying to antagonize the situation between Christian Europe and Muslim Middle East.

You'd say the same thing if Bush pulled his ambassador because a muslim insulted Jesus Christ or a Christian God? Or would he just be a crazy fundamentalist?
 

nitzomoe

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Dec 31, 2004
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Re: RE: Saudis recall envoy in Danish row

Calberty said:
Saudi Arabia is a dictatorship and the royal family are terrorists against their own people.

I say to the Saudi terrorist regime: "Tough royal shit".

The US is a dictatorship and Bush is a terrorist against his own ppl I say tothe US terrorist regime: Tough royal sh!t

thanks for coming out, your post is very important to us!
 

Calberty

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"Christianity is just as repressive at times."

so what? the Governmnet should use it's political clout to weigh in on someone who mocks Christianity?

No they shouldn't. None of their business to support or not support what people think about religion, no matter how ridiculous they may be. I feel quite right in mocking a religion like Christianity that advocates the eating the body and blood of Christ, bodies rising from the dead and so on. At any moment of the day I can turn on the radio and find some nutcase whose god claims I will burn in eternal hell...so I feel quite comfortable telling him that I hope his Jesus gets the trots and does a doo-doo in his pants. Likewise, I hope Mohammed trips on a carpet, knocks himself on the head and has another vision that women in Saudi Arabia should be trated as human beings and actually be allowed to drive a car.
 

Semperfi_dani

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RE: Saudis recall envoy i

I wonder how people would be responding if if was an inflammatory and derogatory image of Jesus? Hmm.

On the other hand, Denmark is a free and independant country. The newspaper is well within the laws of its own country. I don't see why attacking a religion is considered funny, but to each his own.

Saudi Arabia would be better off focussing on the problems of its own country instead of acting as the moral thought police of the world.
 

Calberty

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Dec 7, 2005
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This has nothing to do with the 'taste' of what the Danish newspaper publishes. I don't like 'the taste' of the garbage spewed forth by religious fundamentalists on the radio everyday but it's not the government's role in a democracy to comment or not on that bad taste.
 

I think not

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"I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of the Satanic Verses book which is against Islam, the Prophet and the Koran, and all involved in its publication who were aware of its content, are sentenced to death."

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
FATWA issued February, 1989, against Salman Rushdie

:roll:
 

Finder

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Re: RE: Saudis recall envoy i

Semperfi_dani said:
I wonder how people would be responding if if was an inflammatory and derogatory image of Jesus? Hmm.

On the other hand, Denmark is a free and independant country. The newspaper is well within the laws of its own country. I don't see why attacking a religion is considered funny, but to each his own.

Saudi Arabia would be better off focussing on the problems of its own country instead of acting as the moral thought police of the world.

You mean like on South Park or a half dozen other media outlets in north america and Europe. Yeah in the USA and Canada the christine right is always trying to fight against these type of images. But our government/courts, protect freedom of the press from the lonnie right.
 

Calberty

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Dec 7, 2005
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South Park had a parody this week exposing the insanity of Scientology. It was a hoot.

Watch out or the aliens behind scientology might demand the recall of their gallactic ambassador.
 

Doryman

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Nov 30, 2005
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Re: RE: Saudis recall envoy i

Semperfi_dani said:
I wonder how people would be responding if if was an inflammatory and derogatory image of Jesus? Hmm.

On the other hand, Denmark is a free and independant country. The newspaper is well within the laws of its own country. I don't see why attacking a religion is considered funny, but to each his own.

Saudi Arabia would be better off focussing on the problems of its own country instead of acting as the moral thought police of the world.

People see inflammatory and derogtary images of Jesus all the time. They either get pissed and write letters, or they laugh at them. The government does not get involved, and shouldn't. Personally I'm in favour of anything that spits on Political Correctness.

The Saudi's problem is that they can't comprehend that a paper can be seperate from a country. Which is a much bigger problem than showing a historical figure as a terrorist... Which by the way, one can argue Muhammad was. He did lead his followers in guerilla attacks on caravans and enemy towns. Depicting Muhammad as a militant is no different than depicting Jesus as some Pantywaist Hippy, really.