Danish Flag added to Canadian Content

[Finder]

I think the question is simple. You as a person, if you where a Muslim Canadian or even a Muslim from another nation coming to this site and you were offended by the cartoons would you feel welcomed to a place which just fly’s the Danish flag without a real statement saying why? That is not the first thing I would like to see. I would think it were anti-Muslim. Now Anti-Muslims who have posted that might be fine for you, but I think a Canadian community is to bridge the differences and talk them out and not to just simply take one side in an issue such as this.

I may agree with the Danish, I may even wear a Danish flag or symbol myself, but as a community I do not think it is right to place a label on all of us. I personally would like to see more Muslims here, more Hindu’s more anything. Unless you wish this site to become a red neck haven or just another neo-con site keep doing these actions.

Please re-think this.


Edit:
I'm not in fear of anyone or anything. I may disagree with many conservatives in the muslim world, but I also disagree with christine conservatives too. That doesn't mean I think we should have a symbol on our website which is against christine conservatism. I think we should have a site which welcomes everybody and not a select populice. This is not fear, what is fear is hatred, and racism, and ignorance, which I fear this is borderline right now.... To the admin, I ask you to read those who have supported this. Some of them are purely in it for the free speech, but you will find many... MANY are openly racist and anti-islam, is that what you want to say about Canadian Content.net?

 

[Hank C]

Like Paul Martin ships, I am now flying a flag of convenience, though mine is a flag of support.

Dissin mighty Paul( aint that what you call him out east) and you are an eastern lefty!!!.........im impressed :wink:

 

[Hank C]

Unless you wish this site to become a red neck haven or just another neo-con site keep doing these actions.

Calling white people who support freedom of speech rednecks or neo cons.............you have insulted me....I call for a jihad :lol:

 

[FiveParadox]

You are not helping the situation, Hank.

I would think that Finder was making such "neoconservative" references to racists, and outright anti-Islamists (on the basis of faith).

 

[Freethinker]

Dissin mighty Paul( aint that what you call him out east) and you are an eastern lefty!!!.........im impressed :wink:

I like PM and I voted Liberal. It is only dissin if I have a problem with the flag of convenience thing, which I don't, I think it is a reality of doing international shipping for profit.

But I don't follow any specific program of right or left. Just wanted to point out that not everyone that supports Denmark is western conservative.

 

[zoofer]

Giving in to fear fails democracy

National Post
Published: Saturday, February 11, 2006
I will take more care to avoid offending Muslim sensitivities when Muslims stop being anti-Semites and stop killing people they disagree with.

Today I bought some Danish cheese.

William Nicholls, professor emeritus of Religious Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

Letter to the Editor

Good cheese. A bit expensive but worth it.
I wonder if the good Prof is deemed a racist NeoCon by the far left?

 

[Hank C]

I could coulden't find any Danish beer at the liquor store today....so I settled for some Big Rock

 

[Cosmo]

Re: Agree With Finder

While I doubt that these opinions are going to change the action of the Administration on this topic, I would urge our administrative body to consider other options to express their support for Denmark — for example, publishing a statement on the Canadian Content.net forum.

Five ... I love that you speak up for what you believe. I'm glad this thread is here for people to air their feelings.

Having said that, I do hope Andem doesn't back down on this. He is the final word at Canadian Content, but since I look after forums, I'm going to add a couple of comments.

Canadian Content is more than just a forum. It's an entire site of more than half a million pages. Andem has spent thousands upon thousands of hours creating this website. This is not "public" site, but a privately owned one. Even if Andem were not as dedicated and as fair minded as he is, he would still maintain the right to have this entire site reflect what he deems appropriate.

People here have been invited to make their views and opinions known. Some agree with having the Danish flag, some disagree, but the majority of members haven't even posted here. They're off enjoying the forum and not bothered by it. Giving forum members the opportunity to speak their minds was a generous and courteous thing for Andem to do. We all know where people stand on the issue now and it's good to have that aired.

Giving people a chance to comment doesn't mean Andem should change his policy. Andem treats the forum members with respect and integrity but I think all of us have a duty to remember that Canadian Content is his site. He works on it endlessly, he makes a place available for us to meet and visit and debate (free of any charge), he pays the bills, maintains the complex technicalities of the site (including the forum) and he always takes the time to listen and consider suggestions and complaints. In the end, though, it is up to him what goes on the masthead. And that is as it should be.

That small flag is nothing more than a support of freedom of speech. Canadian Content aligns itself with that concept. Individual forum members are under no obligation to agree and are free to express their opinions.

I hope Andem leaves the flag where it is. It's become less about the actual issue facing the Danish people and more about Canadian Content forum members showing respect to Andem. This is his site and sometimes I think we all tend to forget that.

 

[Andem]

Thank You, Cosmo.

Let me state again that the Danish flag is on this site to promote freedom and freedom of speech and to stand with the Danish people in the new fight against people who are anti-western values and surely committing acts of terrorism against Danish embassies, boycotting Danish products and worst of all, attacking Danish people and businesses.

Whether I was Mulsim or not, left or right, I would still view this rationally and realise that Denmark is being attacked and I'm sure they could use our support right now.

For the people saying that the Danish flag on this site is anti-Muslim, get a grip on it. This isn't about YOU, it's about supporting what is right and Danes are still under fire from across the world and that's not right.

 

[MMMike]

It is a complete misconception to characterize this clash as Muslims against Denmark. The people and government of Denmark had nothing at all to do with the publication of the cartoons. This is simply the latest example of militant Islam lashing out against the West, and against any voice that dare criticize Islam.

I agree with your decision Andem. This is not taking a position against Muslims, it is standing up for free speech and human rights.

 

[FiveParadox]

Let me be very clear — I respect Andem, and his decisions in regards to his site, as I believe I made clear in my first post on this issue in this thread. When I registered for this site, I believe I agreed to consent to whatever the Administration wished, throughout the universe, forever (in slightly more legalistic terms).

However, having said that, I love the fact that he has provided a thread by which members have the opportunity to voice their disagreement — such is in keeping with the spirit of the free speech debate.

In two short months, I have grown to care greatly about the Canadian Content community. I have aired my opinion on this matter in concern of the membership of this site, and in hoping that this "protest" is not going to discourage certain people from feeling comfortable to register. I do not want CC.net to be seen as having taken sides in a debate so controversial on the world stage, thereby alienating certain users, either before or after their registration here.

But yes, Cosmo, I recognize that his is the final word, and that this is a privately-own and operated Web site. I am exceedingly grateful to have a place to discuss Canada, its beauties and its faults, in such a lively and upbeat community, and that is thanks to, more or less, one person in particular — thanks, Andem; but I'm not gonna agree with you on everything, lol.

 

[MMMike]

Sometimes you have to pick sides, Five! This present situation is not all shades of grey: it is black and white. Free speech and democracy against fundamentalism and Islamo facism.

 

[Curiosity]

I am stunned

There is more criticism of what Andem wishes to post on his forum, than what has been written by me in some of my posts regarding the Islamic community in New York for instance.

I wrote inflammatory comments I never thought I would think let alone write on a public forum.

Why has a flag become controversial when my own freedom of speech exercised in a flight of abusive rhetoric is untouched and uncriticized.

The concept of free speech apparently is alive and well here, and I am pleased to see it so - regardless of hurt feelings and disagreements.

I find it refreshing that administrators have demonstrated courage in their quest to find a style of debate and dialogue which leaves room for all - not a favored few - while censoring the odd man out.

It is when we are not allowed to voice our opinions, then the matter becomes seriously wrong.

 

[Toro]

RE: Danish Flag added to

 

[Curiosity]

Dear FiveParadox

I love your vision of life - I love that you can write it so clearly for us - it is the vision of youth - of the possibilities of change for the better - or your desire to remove outworn and destructive patterns in our society, and your questioning of issues.

It is wonderful you have a venue where you can object and you do it so well - stand up always for what you believe and leave a bit of wiggle room for reconsideration as the years go by.

As I wrote once before a few weeks ago....I wish one day we will all catch up to you.... think as you do.... react as you do..... declare your fairness and frankness as you do in such a gentle way...

Some day in our future - we may all reach the place where you now reside. I hope so.

 

[twotoques]

Just wanted to point out that not everyone that supports Denmark is western conservative.

Right on.

Because I disagree with the actions of some of the members of a particular ethnic group or religious cult does not make me a racist or a redneck or even a conservative.

 

[Finder]

I'm giving up on this now as I can see the admin doesn't really care that it is moving this community to the fringe. I look at the main stream like google.ca or many other sites which try to get a healthy community together and see nothing like this even at the CPC website. I'm all for Freedom of speech but the amount of anti-islamic support going behind this façade of freedom of speech is appalling to me when I would like to be apart of an open community and not which is opening placing a symbol on the website which may offend a large portion of the Canadian community.

I'm not saying you don't have the right to put the flag up. You do of course. I'm not saying your posistion is wrong, as I feel in my heart the reasons the admin has placed it up there are right. Put many of the people who are using the danish flag in this fight are anti-islamic and if you can not see that just from these posts in this one thread, I must say you are blind. I would say choosing to put the Danish flag up in a community area is painting a radical picture of the community to people who do not know why it was put up. People will come here and see it and just not bother with canadiancontent.net because they may think of this community as being radical. At a time were all the moderate politicians are asking Muslims and other wise to settle down I think aspirating the situation with this tit for tat approach is what only radicals who are trying to cause trouble would do. At this time you do not even see the Conservative government of the USA putting up Danish flags, nor the Conservatives of Canada, yet we as a community which are supposed to represent a apolitical atmosphere as a community have chosen to do so.

Well I've wasted enough of my time on this issue and that’s the last you will hear from me on this. I'm shocked that CC.net would go down to such a level.

 

[Haggis McBagpipe]

Just wanted to point out that not everyone that supports Denmark is western conservative.

Absolutely, and, in fact, the situation has, in large part, brought liberals and conservatives together in agreement about something. That's nothing short of a miracle.

 

[#juan]

Finder

Which Islam are we anti? Most of us are anti - burning and killing. Most of us are anti - going completely off our rockers over a few stupid cartoons in a newspaper in another country. Personally, if it were up to me, I would put the religious leaders in jail for inciting to riot. There wouldn't be any riots or burnings without the Mullas leading the way. I'm not anti-Islamic but I am certainly against so-called religious leaders who call for the deaths of cartoonists in another country.

 

[Andem]

On another note, I just realised that I'm completely surrounded by Danish flags.. I almost forgot about the ashtray (just for decoration) here on my desk: