As reported by every news source the world over (apart from China ;)) there was a cartoon printed last September by a Danish daily paper which depicted Mohammed wearing a bomb for a turban.

Danish muslims were, obviously, outraged and spread the word to others across the world. Eventually, ambassadors from several Islamic countries tried to arrange a meeting with the Danish PM. He declined, saying that as Denmark has excellent freedom of speech laws there was nothing for him to talk about. After the cartoon was then posted to several other European newspapers the tensions from the Islamic community increased up to the point where we are now.

The Danish PM has said that he wont appologise for the newspaper as, again, it’s a freedom of speech issue and it’s between the paper and the group of Muslims. If he were to interfer it would go against everything they stand for.

The editor of Jyllands Posten appologised for any offence that was caused and that none was intended as they were just satirical cartoons used as examples of free speech.

The PM of Denmark has now met with the Islamic ambasadors and tried to calm them all down, but this was a little too late and something he should of done originally. Not apologise, but calm them down and try to make them see from the other side of the argument, as it were.

And now all hell has broken loose:

• Saudi Arabians stopped buying Danish products causing some financial damage to a dairy company called Arla. They also beat up two Saudi Arabians working for the company.
• A supposed bounty of $10,000 is up for whoever kills one of the cartoonists.
• The offices of Jyllands Posten were evacuated after a bomb threat
• Death threats have been made against many Danes
• Danish embassies in many middle-eastern countries have been laid to seige, burnt, pelted with rocks and stones and so forth.

So, when depicted as people who are following a phrophet with a bomb for a turban. How do they react? With guns, violence and general disgraceful behaviour. How do they really expect anyone to form an opinion differently if they act in such a disgraceful, disregard for other human’s life way? At the end of the day, yes the cartoons would of caused hurt, yes they should of complained to the paper in the same way that people complain when papers do something wrong. But endangering lives? Threatening people, making them go into hiding, burning buildings, flags… what does that achieve and how is that a fair retaliation?

And of course I am only refering to the very small minority of (if they can even really call themselves) Muslims who seem to think that by terrorizing the world they can get every country and everyone to be the same as them.

Well, I thank God for freedom of speech for the Internet. But then again, I’m a hacker and proud of the fact that race doesn’t really matter for those on the ‘net.

censor that
B