Danish paper in trouble over Mohammed cartoons

mohammed cartoon
From the BBC: cartoonists for a Danish newspaper have received death threats for drawing cartoons of Mohammed. The newspaper Jyllands-Posten urged cartoonists to send in drawings of the prophet after an author had complained that nobody dared illustrate his book on Mohammed.

Twelve cartoonists responded, and their work was published in the daily paper. First, an Imam demanded an apology. The newspaper was forced to hire security guards to protect staff. A group calling themselves “The Glory Brigades of Northern Europe” starting putting threatening collages on the internet. Then, as the BBC reports, ambassadors from 10 Muslim countries complained to the Danish prime minister.

Apparently Islam forbids the pictorial representation of the prophet. That means that Muslims shouldn’t draw him… doesn’t it?

The twelve cartoons are available here, for your viewing pleasure.


200 Responses to “Danish paper in trouble over Mohammed cartoons”

  1. jose says:

    you fanatic religious idiots….allah and mohammed has horns and tails….like the virgins have dicks….

  2. ariel says:

    I just think that all muslims smell funny,

  3. Moab says:

    Makes a GREAT Screen Saver!!!!

  4. Mohamed says:

    Thank you Matt,
    you are totally right, we all need the world full of Peace, and all the governments to grow up , but till me what we have to do to defend about our religion , we could get over it as we told we need only apologies and as well to punish the one who was responsible …….. but the Denmark government refused …….. so please till what we have to do, we ar not looking for blood , we are not looking for war ….. but no one wants to understand

  5. JHWH says:

    STOP FIGHTING EACHOTHER…..
    To the Chistians:
    A few points to have in mind are these: (1) The Koran is their principal “holy book.” Some will agree that the Bible is God’s Word, but they believe that it is superseded by the Koran. (2) They believe that there is only one true God. (3) They say that Jesus was one of the prophets, as was Muhammad, and that Muhammad (570-632 C.E.) was the Comforter foretold by Jesus. They believe Muhammad was the last and most important prophet. (4) They strongly believe that God has no son.
    To the Muslims:
    The Qur’an calls the Torah and the Injil “the Book of Enlightenment.” (Al ‘Imran [3]:184; Fatir [35]:25) Scores of Qur’anic verses state that these books are from God. (Al-Baqarah [2]:89; Al-An‘am [6]:92) Concerning both the Torah and Injil, we read: “Wherein is guidance and a light.” (Al-Ma’idah [5]:44, 46, MMP) Furthermore, Al-Ma’idah [5]:46 says about the Torah: “Therein is the (plain) command of God.” Many of the great interpreters (such as Al-Jalalayn, Al-Fakhr Al-Razi, Al-Tabari, and Al-Baydawi) acknowledge that according to the Qur’an, the Torah is called “the Book of God” (Al ‘Imran [3]:23) and “the Book which helps to make things clear.” (Al-Saffat [37]:117)

    So, now that we know, that the bible is a book of God, and has to be respected by both Muslims and Christians, we can take the basic rule into consideration: In the book of Matthews Chapter 7 vers 12, Jesus says:
    “All things, therefore, that YOU want men to do to YOU, YOU also must likewise do to them; this, in fact, is what the Law and the Prophets mean.
    We know the vers also as: What you don’t want, that others do to you, then don’t do that to others. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 12:17: . “Return evil for evil to no one. . . . Do not let yourself be conquered by the evil, but keep conquering the evil with the good.”

    In short, RESPECT EACHOTHER.

  6. Do I get a fatwah for this? says:

    To Hassan (#127) saying to me: “you need treatment man go to a doctor.No gods no relegion no problem you probably some guy living on a computer eating from cans and has no goal in life.”

    *I* need treatment? *I* should go to a doctor? Look around you, brother! Do you see atheists telling people what they can or can’t say? Do you see atheists threatening to wipe other people’s country off the map? Do you see atheists strapping bombs to themselves and turning others into cat food? Do you see atheists condemning safe sex? Do you see atheists sending death threats to those who speak out against them and make fun of their beliefs (or lack of them)? Do you see atheists blowing up abortion clinics? Do you see atheists ganging up on and beating or killing non-atheists? Do you see atheists promising that when the day of atheism comes, everyone will repent or be punished for all eternity?

    We atheists are gentle people – “hate” barely even comes into our vocabulary (there are only two people I come anywhere close to “hating”, both ex-girlfriends who at the time I loved more than my own life itself). What possible reason could I have for hating someone over a difference of opinion? No brother, it is not me who is sick and needs to see a doctor, but you, who would draw the assumption that I’m sick from the fact that I actually think for myself, and don’t need or want a master.

    The most dangerous thing a human can do is let an external force (be it religion, politics, their friends) tell them what to do, or what to think. In order to survive, we MUST think for ourselves. Billions of people have died since the dawn of time, all because they willingly did what someone else told them to without engaging their own mind and questioning it. No gods, no masters, no problems. Be your own master, and let others be theirs.

    As for having no goals in life – you don’t have a clue about me in the slightest, so let me tell you. I have a list of goals so long that as long as I live, I will never complete it. Actually, my list of goals grows almost daily – here’s a few for you, just so you get the idea of the kind of driven person I am:

    * Campaign actively against religion and those who seek to use it to restrict freedom of speech.

    * Campaign actively against corrupt government, war-mongering “leaders” and their broken foreign policy that spreads war around the world for capitalist, imperialist or religious gain.

    * Spread and practise the ideals of an ecological self-sufficient lifestyle – no car, no animal products, grow your own vegetables, mend your own bike, build you own wind and solar power for your home, etc. (This one alone is a lifetime project, and will never be “completed”.)

    * Spread love, peace and joy by whatever means – my personal favourite is music, of which I am skilled in quite a few instruments, can play just about any other instrument to a limited degree, and know a lot about making recordings. I play, you smile and dance – it’s that simple. (Do you have any idea of the commitment and time required to become an expert on a musical instrument?)

    You see, the difference between you and I, is that I do not believe in any concept of a “next life”. There is no proof such a thing exists, and until such time as there is, as far as I know (and indeed, as far as you KNOW, even if you believe otherwise) this is the only life we get. So contrary to your stupid insinuation that I have no goals in life, I think if you’d met me, you’d realise that there are few people around with more goals in life. Even if I lived for 200 years, I would still never have enough time to complete everything I wish to do in this lifetime.

    That’s OK though, I don’t mind. My personal motto is pretty much: I wish to be able to die at any second, and still know that I lived to the best of my ability and achieved more than others can even imagine doing with their lives.

    I don’t watch much TV, for example – total waste of precious time. Life is short and afterwards, for all we know, there is nothing. As a Muslim, how many of your limited hours alive will be spent five times a day with your face to the floor, worshipping a god who may or may not exist? Do you have any proof he’s real, or is it just because you were brought up that way? Just get out there and be a good person, and stop wasting your life worshipping your imaginary friend!

    Perhaps you can also explain why you happen to be a Muslim, not a Christian or a Hindu or a Sikh or a Zoroastrian or a Wiccan or a Satanist? When you understand why you are an atheist in every religion except your own, you will understand why I just go one further than you. Although I’m sure you’ll tell me that yours is the one true religion, and the others are all false – well, if that’s what you say, I say: PROVE IT!! As far as I am able to determine (or care) they are ALL false, and I am better off to just spend my time making the world a better place, because actions speak louder than words.

    Back to you for a second: “You have to respect relegions they guided your family they guided civilizations with some contridictions in it and insimilarites but the issue in general is common, it is to guide people for a better life.”

    I do NOT have to respect religions at all! Respect is earned, not prescribed! What of the thousands of millennia before organised religion came along – people were doing just fine back then. Contrary to what you believe, morality comes from within, and is a natural thing to do. We do not need a threat of punishment to be good people – I am good because it is good, and it makes me feel good to do good, thus my life improves when I improve someone else’s life. Even chimpanzees and dolphins often work together or do altruistic things – it is a natural phenomenon, and has nothing to do with religion.

    If anything, atheists have the potential to be MORE moral than the religious, because they do good for the sake of doing good, and avoid being unkind, cruel or hateful towards others because we just know that those are not good things to be doing. I believe religion demeans humanity’s natural tendency to do the right thing, and often leads massive groups of people on a path that goes against our very survival. Religion is the cause of many of our darker tendencies.

    You continue: “Not to drink to much not to sleep with ur mother not to kill ur dad, it is a guide for us.”

    I like drinking in moderation. Do I get hangovers and regret overdoing it? Occasionally. Does my drinking ever cause problems for other people? No. Why should you care if I drink or not? You shouldn’t, because what I do to my own body is a matter for me alone.

    Why should god care if I’m circumcised or not? Why should god care if I shave my pubic and armpit hair or not? Why should god care if a woman wants to show her face or hair in public? Why should god care that I wash myself in a ritualistic manner before I speak to him? These are not god’s rules, but stupid human ideas that have got out of hand. (And further, if a foreskin and body hair are dirty, unnecessary things, why would god create us with them in the first place?)

    Personally, I have never slept with my mother or killed my dad (or anyone else for that matter) so your argument is a straw man to say the least. I would never kill because killing is wrong, end of story. These days, I don’t even kill animals or eat their flesh, because killing, ALL killing, is always wrong.

    You: “it will open a door on insulting islam everyday”

    So what if it does? Is your religion so fragile that it can’t take a few insults on the nose?

    Religion must be discussed, debated, changed, poked fun at, insulted and, if the time is right, discarded for something better. I think, no, I KNOW that is your real fear – that if free discussion of Islam is allowed, it will eventually result in people leaving your cult in their droves.

    Since I know how much Islam means to it’s followers, who could blame you? I abandoned Christianity as soon as I was old enough to work out what a bunch of crap it is. If free discussion of Islam were permitted, many of it’s followers would eventually do the same – especially in the age of free speech and the Internet. Modern ideas have a great way of destroying ancient indoctrinated practises, and the ability to spread ideas is made ever faster by easier communication (just look at this forum here, for example).

    As comment #93 from Fatimah says: “If ‘Freedom’ Means disrespecting other religions then we dont want it!!!!!”

    Freedom means you have the ability to do what you want, and so do others. It also means that don’t you DARE go supposing what other people want on their behalf.

    The reason you don’t want freedom is because your lives are completely based on a set of rules that must be followed without question, and that you are not prepared to give people the freedom to say “screw the rules and screw this religion” and go their own way. The success of organised religion is always dependent on control, which is why Christianity is dying out (since it started to allow freedom and not put heretics to death) and why followers of Islam are so determined to maintain a strict control over what can and can’t be said about Islam.

    Organised religion is not about “god”, it is not about morals, it is not about humanity, kindness, peace or love – it is, and has always been about one thing only: CONTROL.

    Well, I was not born to be a slave to any god, whether real or imaginary. I obey nobody except myself, and god (if there is such a thing) has to accept that. Believe me, on my “day of judgement” (again, if there is such a thing) I can justify my actions for just about everything I have ever done, since I decided to live as a moral atheist (when I consider that I reached maturity and thus accountability). Everything in my life has reason and purpose, and where I find it does not, I add them.

    I doubt you can even explain why it’s 5 times a day you have to pray, and not 4 or 6, or 19 for that matter!? Unquestioningly following a set of rules has neither reason or purpose involved in it, and unquestioning belief in a religion is unquestionably denying yourself a major part of what it means to be human.

    When was the last time you dared to think that maybe Islam is all a lie? Or are there corners of your imagination where your religion forbids you from going?

    I think for myself and do what I know to be right, with reason and purpose. No gods, no masters, no problem.

  7. Gospel says:

    Sheik Abu Mosaab Alzarqawi slaughters an American by his own hands and promises Bush More

    A declaration to the nation

    Praise to Allah who will make Moslems victorious and pagans losers

    Nation of Islam;
    Glad tidings. Dawn is approaching and the winds of victory are blowing. We were honored in Falouja by a victory and the credit goes to Allah alone.

    Nation of Islam;
    There is no excuse for not fighting. How could a free Moslem sound asleep as he watches Islam being slaughtered and the bleeding of dignity, the pictures of shame and satanic humiliation of Moslem men and women in Abi Ghuraib prison? Where is your jealousy and rage for the religion of Allah? Where is your the revenge for them?

    You, Scholars if Islam, we complain about you to Allah. The youth of Islam are humiliating the strongest power in history. Cannot you learn from them? Cannot you learn from them how to sacrifice? You are like women who know nothing but wailing and weeping.

    Some of you are calling on the free people of the world, others are begging Kofi Anan and Amr Mousa, others are calling for peaceful demonstrations as if they have not read the verse; “You prophet, call the believers to fighting”.

    Have not you had enough of jihad via conferences and wars via speeches? Is it not the time for jihad?

    Please, do not as usual, apologize to the Americans to please them. The prophet, you know how merciful he was, killed some prisoners in his first battle. He is our example.

    And you Bush. You will get news that will upset you. You will see tough days. You and your soldiers will regret the day you treaded on Iraqi land.

    And another message to the traitor Pervis Musharaf. We are eager to meet your soldiers. We will go after them before we go after the Americans. We will revenge the blood of our brothers in Wana and other locations.

    As for you, mothers and wives of American soldiers; we offered the American Administration an exchange of this POW with some POWs from Abi Ghuraib prison but it refused our offer.

    The dignity of Moslem men and women in that prison will be defended by blood and souls.

    You will get from us coffins, one after another being slaughter in this way ….

    Abu Mosaab Al-Zarqawi

    just something i found in google. does this sound like a religion that preaches peace and love.
    try and find me a christian that talks in this way and i will give you my bollox1

  8. mikael says:

    There seems to be a big misunderstanding from many muslims not living in the west. They think people in the west are christians. I can tell you that a great majority is not, they don´t belive in god, they don´t believe in Jesus. Sure the societies in the west are based on a christian culture but people dont´t use the bible as a guide to their lives or do what the priest tell them to do. That´s why people in the west doesn´t understand what is all the fuzz about. Two completely different mentalities, one where religion comes first in all matters and another where religion is something private and definitely not something that says what is right or wrong in the everyday life.

    I´m not from Denmark but I don´t think people in Denmark are very upset by seeing people burning the Danish flag or walking on it. They probably just wonder what is the mental status on a person who bother to buy a flag just to burn it.

    Maybee it´s time to start some cultural education on both sides because today it´s obvious that the communicaton isn´t working.

  9. Marie says:

    #155 I understand 🙂 even if I am a Dane. Those drawings were bad taste, and even though it is every newspapers right to bring stuff that is bad taste, it is also everyones right to be offended.
    I have good news for the muslims of the world however : the danish muslims and the ‘other’ danes have engaged in a dialogue now, and I think a lot of understanding will come of that dialogue. The danish muslims are people perfectly capable of defending Muhammed in Denmark if they deem it necessary (as they have), and as A LOT OF DANES ALSO THOUGHT THAT THE DRAWINGS WERE POOR TASTE, maybe everyone will now be more supportive of some communication where a common understanding is sought. I hope so.

  10. realboy says:

    Someone in an office somwhere drew a cartoon! So what? Are muslims so up their own arses and paranoid about it that embassies have to be closed and dutch flags have to burnt? The other commentators are right when they say that the people responsible will be put right by ‘god’. The more and more muslims go on about it the crazier they look! If your religion’s so great what does it matter? It’s all propaganda for your main aim to take over the world and make sure all women are covered up and so men can have 20 wives. Look at the things that hooked bastard has said and done whilst living off the British state, which I should remind has been a Christian country for a very long time! If you people don’t agree with the West fuck off back to the mud fields! One things for sure I won’t be going out there to set up a Church of England. You’rw in a Christian country so instead of adapting to your ways I think you should adapt to ours as youve got it pretty good! In relation to the cartoon…worse things have happened take 9/11. Finally just to confirm I am not rascist whatsoever and I have many Muslim freinds. I just believe that the extremism or even the comments on here that are just intense will cause people who’s families have been in this country for centuries to stand up to it!

  11. Matt Reives says:

    Hi,

    I have read much of the comment on this site and I have to say the overall impression is that there is a gulf of
    Understanding between Muslims and everyone else. It is my understanding that many if not all Muslims hold Mohammed
    In very high regard and that any slight on his reputation is intolerable to Muslims. On the other hand non-Muslims
    Cannot really comprehend this attitude. Why is it so intolerable to criticize Mohammed? From the outside it would
    Be easy to assume that Muslims have a weak confidence in their own religion and are therefore extremely sensitive to
    Any criticism. Actually if one studies the history of Christianity one does not have to look to far back in time to
    Find periods when these sorts of reactions would have been provoked by criticism of Christ. For instance the Catholic
    Inquisition regularly tortured and executed those who spoke out against the church.

    What we are dealing with here is the fact that the majority of Middle Eastern and Arabic countries where Islam is
    The dominant religion is also relatively insecure in various respects. I think the current conditions of many of
    These nations are not unlike the conditions of Western Europe during the middle ages (circa 1200 to 1600 AD). There
    Is little experience in the practice of freedom of speech, religious expression, free-press, democracy etc? Thus the
    People living in these areas are reacting to the cartoons (or anything else that challenges there world view) in a
    Way which would be not uncommon in Europe about 600 years ago.

    Question — Why this difference? What has happened in the west that has not happened in the Islamic areas? Answer–
    The enlightenment and the renaissance. Islam was closed to the outside world at the time of the enlightenment and the
    Renaissance, the Marmulks and Caliphates had pretty much isolated Muslim society from the rest of the world at this
    Time (actually this is similar to the way that successive Chinese emperors isolated China and Chinese society has
    Suffered as a result).

    Both the Chinese and Islamic empires were once great and highly developed, they were far advanced in comparison the
    The barbaric European nations at the start of the middle ages (1200-1500). However due to their (correct at the
    Time) impression that Europe had nothing to offer, they shut the door. 400 years later and the tables have turned,
    Now China is racing to catch up, but Islam is reluctant to develop because they maintain that western style progress
    Is un-Islamic. Of course it is, it developed in a non-Islamic context. What Islamic nations have to do is find a
    Way to progress whilst maintaining a sense of where they are coming from. As far as I know the only Arabic/middle
    Eastern nation to attempt this is Turkey (once part of the Ottoman Empire).

    If Turkey succeeds in bridging the gap between the west and the East then perhaps, the rest of the Islamic world may
    Follow.

    Right now Islam feels threatened, they are living in a world where they feel relatively powerless, the international
    Environment seems tilted against them – it is. But it need not be this way, to achieve a more harmonious world we
    Must all work towards a relationship that we can live with. Those of you who have written inflammatory statements on
    This site should reflect what your messages say about you, are you filled with hate because of how you feel about
    This cartoon issue, or does it have as much to do with how you feel about your own life and the world you live in.

    The best course of action is peace, if we cannot agree on something let us at least agree that we have the right to
    Hold opposing opinions. In time and with some luck the world will find a more peaceful accommodation. Islamic
    Societies are likely to undergo rapid development over the course of this century, as will the rest of the world. I
    Think it unlikely that we will sustain such different opinions over the long run, we just have to live through the
    Difficult period to come where different societies rub up against each other. What we must all avoid is giving in to
    Fear, when people are afraid they can react by fighting back, it is fear which is motivating some of the anger which
    I see in this post board. To those of you who are angry and fearful I say relax, if you are right then time will
    Prove you right, perhaps what you really fear is that you are wrong?

  12. steve says:

    Whether the drawings were in bad taste or not doesn’t matter. The point of them was to show that no one should be able to force the media into not printing something. Its not like they are singling out any. What gives muslims the right to tell other people what they can and can not print, don’t like it don’t do it. But other people will do what they want. That is the problem with that part of the world, everyone thinks that if you have enough guns you can force your thoughts on others. And the problem with the western world is that we give in all the time. Soon it will be time to say enough is enough, don’t like it the boycott us and we will boycott you.

  13. anon says:

    From matt.

    Maybe an apology wouldnt go amiss from the newspaper people. People can get attacked and be hurt easily by other people in this world. People need to be more understanding of each others cultures/religions. I like to respect other people and I have probably been prejedice/silly/immiture at somepoints in my life which I have had no reason to be for which i apologise unreservedly for – most people are guilty of this and I hate to soundgooey and sentimental – the world needs love, not hate.

    The stuff we see on tv now is very scary and makes me wonder how long we will be here.

  14. Do I get a fatwah for this? says:

    To Marie #159:

    How can we ever move on if it is prohibited to say things that offend others?

    I find the concept that it’s acceptable for a group of people to gang together and bully those who speak out or poke fun of *AN IDEA* far more offensive than anybody insulting my ideas.

    Religion is not race – religion is a choice, race is not. We are right to protect people from racist abuse, but *IDEAS* and people who follow those *IDEAS* are not the same thing as race, and thus must be subject to scrutiny, joke and “offensive insults” (remembering that offense and insult are both subjective) in order that we progress and do not remain firmly rooted in the past.

    I find censorship and ideological bullying the epitome of offensiveness! (How would you legislate that one, given that if you ban offensiveness, I and many others would become extremely offended!)

    If I choose to say that I think Islam is stupid and that I laugh at the fools who follow it – the only thing they are free to do is ignore me, or speak out against me in return. If I want to draw and publish pictures that poke fun at what they believe in, I should not have to face censorship… or death at the hands of a vigilante mob for that matter!

    Censorship on the grounds of “offensiveness” to some-such-or-other hypersensitive group is a slippery slope and illogical thinking of the highest order. Other people and their ideas may often clash with yours – it’s only when you step outside of monoculture that you realise that your only choices are: ignore them or speak out against them.

    I find censorship extremely offensive, and believe it should be banned as it offends me that other people are not allowed to freely speak their minds. (“Ban Censorship”… I’m so going to make a t-shirt with that on it!)

    Equally though, just because I am a free speech fundamentalist, does not mean I am happy with the ideas of Nazis or other types of fascists expressing their ideas. They have a right under free speech to express their ignorant ideas, but I make great use of my free speech to actively condemn and counter them and everything they stand for.

  15. michael says:

    This is just another hypocrisy,how many cartoons of Jesus havent you lot come across in the papers!.Its just a way of exspressions.
    Freedom of speech,heh!. Instead of addressing the major issue like the muslims fanatics killing innocent people of Iraq eveyday.
    The issues the muslim world should be protesting about is the everyday killings in Iraq and not an irrelivant cartoon!.If the muslim
    World can react to what is going on in Iraq now in such way they have reacted to this cartoon,I believe Iraq could have been peacefull.
    STOP THE HYPOCRISY !.LETS ADDRESS THE REAL ISSUE.!IRAQIS ARE HUMAN BEING AND MUSLIMS !

  16. ismail Hebron says:

    THE PROFET MOHAMMED IS A CARTOON FIGURE AND ALSO GAY. AND EVERYBODY WHO BELIVES IN HIM SUCKS.

  17. ismail Hebron says:

    Nuke the countrys who believe in mohammed

  18. KoOoOL says:

    comment number 151 “jose”

    Shake Your Ass Away from here . If you want to see the real dick i will give it to u baby .

    This discussion board is not for saying rubbish. If u have no views , just shut your mouth and read.

    KoOoOL

  19. alan says:

    hi to all:
    as a muslim female , i do feel so offended of some of the comments that treats muslim womens as an illterate stupid unappreciated object, well this is how women were treated by every culture and religion before Islam, Islam came and gave women their rights, the right to learn, the right to express their oppinions, the right to inherit and not be inherrited, Islam did take people out of the dark ages, and i say to those ignorant people like (Lady Liberty) that most muslim people are highly educated and are in very important positions world wide. please as muslims , we are demanded to respect other’s religions, so please respect our feelings and understand that the anger we have is because you undermine muslims as a nation while you cannot wven utter a word against the Jewish,the whole worls will stand and not sit down if you try to undermine the jewish beliefs, so please think twice before you try to insult our beliefs and religion, we are a big nation with great honorable history. it really hurt my feelings to read some of these irrespectful comments, if you have nothing nice to say , say nothing….Thank you all!!!

  20. rambo says:

    I dont believe in religion even though i was born as a muslim.Man has created religion.Gods that those religion portray are human like.God got angry because somebody ate the apple. What god is that.To me god is supreme. Nobody know who they are.nobody will ever reach god. But people need something to believe and faith to hold. Even the atheist had to believe what he believe. And to insult somebody believe and faith is out of order. Insulting others is nasty.We should live in respect and without prejudice.

  21. Chris says:

    Find the pictures here –

    http://www.lumeriscent.com/censorship.html

    For the record, I’m of the opinion that most religion is dangerous, and all of it unhealthy.

  22. Marie says:

    I think a lot of this conflict is stranding exactly on that apology and how one defines apology.
    The problem about this stuff is, that it is a clash between cultures. In Denmark it is tradition to make sarcastic or ironic carichatures or comments on everything. It is simply a part of the way we communicate. Therefore, the islamic need for an apology is interpreted by many Danes as if we should apologise for what we are – our very culture – and become more ‘Islamic’ in our ways – which of course no Danes want, just as no muslims want to be forced into being ‘western’.
    I personally do not think that the action of an apology from the newspaper would harm them, if it was just a question about the newspaper.
    But because the whole case has become international, suddenly this is about so much more than just the newspaper, and indeed, danes and muslims are equally proud, which I think makes this even harder.
    I don’t know if there is an easy solution to this. I am affraid that the whole issue has hit the very heart of the difficulties that western and islam culture have in understanding each other and communicating.
    I myself see this as a test for whole humankind. Someone or something – whichever way one perceives the Great Good Force of the world – wishes to teach us all humility.
    And I am sure that this lesson can be taught without bloodshed. At least, I must hope.

  23. Joe says:

    People are entittled to feel angry about their cartoons and they are entittled to express their opinions here but how can those advocating killing nonmuslims be offended by a drawing of their prophet, when threating murder is much more offensive.

  24. Do I get a fatwah for this? says:

    To #170 “alan”:

    Judaism sucks every bit as much as Islam. Are you happy now? Every religion sucks – I just think one more sucks than you do.

    Also “Muslim” is not a nation or a nationality, it’s a religion. Until there is a country called “Islam” on the map, stop trying to turn this debate on religion into some kind of accusation of racism, when it plainly isn’t one.

    Just because you hold some silly belief, does not entitle you to protection from ridicule in the same way as it would be wrong to ridicule someone for their nationality. If your belief is strong, hold on to it and accept or ignore the ridicule from the non-believers. If not, change your belief to something that makes some sense to a rational person, and perhaps the ridicule will stop.

    If you choose to believe something crazy, don’t be surprised when others make fun of you for your insane beliefs!

    I do not discriminate against religions, because I believe ALL religions are false, and the followers of those religions are delusional. (That’s not to say I have studied ALL religion – Zen Buddhism appears closest to reality, but that’s as much a godless philosophy and physical discipline as it is a religion.)

  25. amo pra vin says:

    Here in Europe it has taken us many hundreds of years to get rid of the religions that opressed us
    (Catholic, Protestant etc..) In the Moslem world the same process is happening bit by bit and the
    religious leaders of course fight against it. However, we in the ‘West’ (post-Christian) world must
    not interfere in the relationship of peoples in these lands with their religion and religious leaders.
    We must leave them totally alone to work it out for themselves and then religion will disappear there too.
    1. Any insult, or preaching or attack on any part of the Islamic world will strengthen religion
    in those lands, so everyone in these blogs who insults or gets angry or argues is doing just what
    the religious leaders want to strengthen their grip on their captive populations (its the same for
    ALL religious leaders (Moslem, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, etc they are all the same- they love
    persecution – its their life blood and oxygen).
    2. Also, its unfair that many Moslems have to live under our secular system when they want
    to live under Sharia Law: so we should start massive aid schemes to help them emigrate to Sharia
    Law states – give government subsidies etc. Every government in the non-Moslem world should start
    massive repatriation aid schemes for Moslems to help them emigrate to Moslem lands where they
    will be much much happier. The following bodies should set up and lead the repatriation aid schemes: the EU,
    the UN, the US, all NGOs, the Red Cross, Red Crescent, all South American states, all
    Sub-Saharan African states (non-moslem ones), all non-moslem Asian countries, Russia, China etc.
    This is the most charitable thing we could all do for them. Then ALL westerners should leave
    Moslem countries and leave them to live life alone as they wish – they will be very happy away
    from us. Any Moslem who does’nt wish to leave will be assumed to be more happy in a secular state
    and would be very welcome to stay and practice his or her religion in private like the other
    religions in the secular-state world – there should be no compulsion – it should all be
    voluntary.
    we should both just keep a polite distance from each other – that way we can all live in peace.

  26. ed says:

    So the Muslems are upset over a stupid cartoon?
    Let’s set the record straight. The Muslems are ok with
    burning other nations flags in the street, insulting Judaism
    and Christianity, abusing women, blowing up buses, downing
    airliners full of passengers, highjacking ships, and calling for
    death to the US, Israel, Britain, Spain, Denmark, Netherlands, France,
    and anyone else that they don’t like today. My Muslem “brothers”
    when you learn to respect the nations, beliefs, and lives of others,
    then the rest of us may learn some respect for you.

  27. Ana says:

    Yo muslims are sick, you kill constantly and yet find a few cartoons bad, you little pricks, you can all burn in hell, America hates you.

  28. ed says:

    Is the blog still down?

  29. Mustapha Crappe says:

    Unfortunately for the civilised world, the false prophet Allah, aka Bob(he was actually a fish
    salesman from Galilee) has managed somehow to brainwash many of the ill educated muslims into a
    state of madness, similar to that which ill educated christians went through 2000 years ago.
    When will these tiresome bloody people ever shut up. Here’s an idea; blow yoursleves to kingdom come
    and get to ‘paradise’ all the sooner. Virgins are everywhere up there apparently, truck loads of them
    which is handy for all you unwashed mongrels who’ll never get a ride down here with us humans.
    Go on, fuck off to paradise you bloody idiots and take your comic (quoran) with you. I wouldn’t
    wipe my arse with it’s dirty pages. Have a nice day now y’all.

  30. dr rw says:

    Yeh, all these idiotic religions suck when they form the basis of zealotry and bigotry and I don’t give a rat’s ass about any theist’s ‘sensibilities’. Bah.

    So suck it Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, and the rest of you. You’ve caused more pain and hurt and death in the world than any other force.

  31. phil belinfante says:

    first lets pitch in & get that freak muhammed a bar of soap & some antipsychotic meds to keep the
    delusions to a minimum, god hates him & so do i.
    muhammad & his baby raping buddies must die for jesus & the aliens. screw allah & his profits

  32. Myself says:

    Hi. Religion sucks. Religious people who are willing to use violence to enforce their beliefs are slugs compared to people who support Freedom Of Expression.

    THAT is the Truth.

    P.S. Mohammed is a 1200 year old, windblown pile of dust now. Get over him.

  33. Jimmy says:

    Wow!! Whoever said “ignorance is bliss”?

  34. Martuni says:

    These Danes simply drew some pictures. No one was hurt by this ink and paper.
    These people simply expressed thier own impressions.
    Religion, ethics, morality are very personal issues. Who can dictate this.
    Violence is the extreme immorality. Islam has a big problem in this respect.

  35. JAMES AMERICAN WELL EDUCATED says:

    RELIGION WAS CREATED BY MAN SO ALL YOU RELIGIOUS FREAKS RELAX. THERES NO REASON TO BELIEVE IN THEM ANYMORE ITS 2006 BE YOURSELF BE FREE BE HUMAN AND STOP IMPOSING YOUR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ON OTHERS.. THE MUSLIMS ARE ANIMALS SO FACE IT NOTHING WE CAN DO EXCEPT TAKE THEIR SHIT BECAUSE FOR NOW THEY OWN THE OIL…… ONE DAY THAT WILL CHANGE

    I DONT SEE CHRISTIANS CRYING ABOUT JESUS JOKES?!?! YOU RELIGOUS NUTS.. AHH I HATE MUSLIMS HEY BY THE WAY IF ANY MUSLIM CAN READ THIS THEN THEY ARE LITERATE!! MYTUR BINESDURTY

  36. F. Shaw says:

    It is interesting that such a furore is being perpetrated over these cartoons. Would have
    been nice if the Muslim world had raised such a furore over the Twin Towers bombings,
    the London bombings, and any other killings done in the name of Islam. It boggles a Western
    mind that a cartoon is more offensive to a Muslim than mass murder? It boggles this Western mind
    that we must be ever sensitive to their religious sensibilities while they continue to fight and kill
    in the name of Allah.
    If it makes them feel better, have the cartoonists have a go at Jesus, Confucious, Bhuddah and Shiva
    and the rest of the fairytales and lets get back to an even playing field.

  37. tony macaroni says:

    let’s just have it now. are we gonna sit around and wait for the loony muslims to decide when to have a world war, or shall we start it at our own convenience

  38. jl says:

    wel, well, well. The comments are panning out as expected. It appears that muslims can give it out in
    their own newspapers with daily anti western and anti-semitic vitriol but can not accept it when it is returned.
    It is clear that the muslim world is vilioently anti western and anti-semitic and this is simply re-inforced by
    the comments found here and the reaction of muslims around the world. If you can’t take it – don’t give it!
    I applaud the Danes – it’s about time we stood up to be counted.

  39. KING ARTHUR says:

    feckin muslims. look its a joke.
    life is too short to go blowing yourself up cause someone you will never meet has a drawn a funny little cartoon. just go back to your life of prayin for forgivness and we will go back to laughing at you. if your religion is so righteous, just go and enjoy your relegion. arguing about it and threatening others is futile. you will never change the west (we tried to change the east and look where it got us – 9/11 – and dont think we forgot about 11/7). we have been around as long as your religion. and we still aint buying into it. sorry but freedom is a choice. and you should set yourself free of this hate you feel for us, or i shall continue to pity you all.

  40. Luigi says:

    My fully and unconditioned solidariety wth the Danish magazine !!
    With all the respect to islam and to all religious persons (of any faith), I believe this is a
    matter of freedom of expression rather than a religious matter. I agree it was a strong form of
    critisism. But I would have expected a totally different reaction to it.
    I can talk about the fact it was appropriate or not for the magazine to publish it. But still I am not going to support any form censorship.
    Our freedoms and the core of our european culture are based on this, the right to express themself and
    criticize freely any aspect of our life, in order to realise a dialectic process
    aimed toward a mutual comprehension and understanding. Denying it, by censoring (in this case)
    those images, means denying any form of dialogues, any form of confrontation.
    I would like to discuss why some danish artist had to depict a Religion this way; why the Profeth
    cannot be depicted as any other man despite the Coran say he was just a man ( an example) and not a god. I can imagine
    many other proficous talks over it. Censorship is not an option!!!!

  41. papandy says:

    Will you Muslims who don’t like it here please leave. If you don’t like living here and want to live in a land governed by sharia law please do so, with my blessing. We don’t want to, thank you very much. We like living here, we like the fact that our media can mock religious leaders of any denomination, including our own and yours. If you live here you have to abide by the tradtions of this country. We would do the same if we lived in yours. . We are a free country, that is why the poor and the dispossed, including vast numbers of Muslims flock here from around the globe. Do you see masses of refugees flocking to live in Pakistan, to Saudi Arabia, to the Sudan? No, and you know damn well why not. I have no problem with sharia law apart the fact that it is deeply mysogynist and the countries in which it is rules are autocratic and the vast majority of the population live in deep poverty but hey, if that’s your idea of heaven go for it, we’ll happily pay for the boat ride there. In the meantime, as you live here in freedom, with good schools, state benefits and without the threat of secret police and torture, have some respoect for our country and traditions otherwise the goodwill that is showen to you may very well start to dry up rapidly.

  42. Sax says:

    Muslims (and many others) have been searching for a god, but all they have found is religion.

  43. Do I get a fatwah for this? says:

    I wonder how many new cartoons will be drawn in reply to this insane overreaction?

    I had no idea it was offensive to Muslims to depict their prophet – but you know what? I am so offended by their bullying of the FREE press in a FREE country, that it has practically made me want to learn to draw so I can launch a cartoon series that has a giggle (in a humourous manner = not offensive or bad taste to anyone but those who require a sense of humour transplant) at their expense.

    If you want us to respect your religion and culture, you have to respect our culture of freedom which says “the people shall be free to discuss, including ridicule, any aspect of life they choose to.” That includes freely discussing, ridiculing, insulting and and criticising any religion we wish to, in any way we choose.

    Don’t expect any respect for your crazy set of beliefs if you won’t even respect a very simple one of ours: the right to talk about, make works of art or publish things about anything on our minds.

    So yes, I am going to start working on a humourous Mohammed cartoon strip about how ridiculous this entire situation is. Furthermore, I hope thousands of people are doing the same! (I’m hardly an artist, and if even *I* am considering it, then hopefully plenty of others have already made theirs!)

    I hope 1000 more Mohammed cartoons surface in the next few weeks in protest.

    YOU WILL NEVER STOP FREEDOM OF SPEECH, SO JUST GET USED TO IT!!!

  44. Marie says:

    #176 aw man, thanks for speaking up I thought I was the only peaceloving person in here for a moment.

  45. Yakub Ismail says:

    You filthy animals who are cursing Islam and laughin on Islam, remember you’ll be the one to suffer
    in the here after, Atlist we got relegion, what do you have? am sorry you don’t even have your own country,
    this country wer invaded by others not british!!! so pls dnt say its your country you bloody CHAVS
    we go Mosque to pray and you ppl go pubs and end up sleeping with your owns mums and sisters.

    We are relegion of Peaace, we respect our elders,we respect our childrens when more then 50% of your
    childrens are not even yours LOL (DNA) test proven.

    SO before you speak about Islam just have a look at yourself and you life. It’s a complete nonsense.!!!

  46. Yakub Ismail says:

    Before you call us terrorist, i would like to ask, how can you judge whole Islam in accordence to what
    few ppl did to give us bad name.. for instance Saddam Hussain, he maybe committed some crimes so now
    he’s suffering, another example:this ppl who blow themselves, according to Islam your not allowed to
    blow urself o cummit suicide, its completely against Islam, we muslims are not with those few ppl so
    why hate for Islam??? whats the whole Islam nation done to you ppl??

  47. Marie says:

    Btw. I just saw Robin Hood, the Prince of Thieves (the Costner one) – there is actually a muslim character in that movie who is totally awesomely cool. He is kind of responsible of my own relatively unproblematic relationship with Islamic culture. Other westerners who only see the ‘bad’ sides of Islamic culture (which it has, just as our own culture is by no means perfect) should watch this movie. Even though it takes place in the 1100s, it’s like you can still recognize both the western and the muslim culture. Some things never really change after all. AZEEM THE GREAT ONE, YOU ROX 😀

  48. Marie says:

    btw. to any muslim people who choose to watch this movie : the first scene takes place in an arabic prison in Jerusalem where the guardsmen are kinda evil types – but I am pretty sure that this is only to illustrate that prisons in 1100s weren’t a walk in the park in general (talk about muslim/western crisis back THEN! :S )

    This is a pic of Azeem 😀 —>

    http://www.islamonline.net/English/ArtCulture/2005/08/images/pic08a.jpg

  49. Monitor says:

    And on that note, this comments thread is now closed. I can no longer be bothered to moderate them.

    Thank you for participating.