These violent protests in the name of Islam are actually against the Koran. Take a look at the following selected verses from the koran:
(Source)
"Do not let your hatred of a people incite you to aggression." (The Quran 5:2)
And do not let ill-will towards any folk incite you so that you swerve from dealing justly. Be just; that is nearest to heedfulness" (The Quran 5:8)
Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah hears and knows all things (The Quran 2:256)
"God commands justice, the doing of the good, and liberality to kith and kin. He
forbids all shameful deeds, injustice and rebellion. Thus does he instruct you, that you may receive admonition." (The Quran16:90)
"O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of male and female, and made you
into nations and tribes, that he may know and cooperate with one another." (The Quran 49:13)
What was your thinking behind the decision to publish the Muhammad cartoons back in September?
ROSE: I was concerned about a tendency toward self-censorship among people in artistic and cultural circles in Europe. That's why I commissioned these cartoons, to test this tendency and to start a debate about it.
It was not a media stunt. We just approached that story in a different way, by asking Danish cartoonists to draw Muhammad as they see him. I did not ask for caricatures. I did not ask to make the prophet a laughingstock or to mock him.
But you depicted Muhammad with a bomb in his turban, armed with a knife and with a broken halo that resembled satanic horns.
The cartoon with horns didn't arouse special criticism; it was the other two. The one with the bomb in his turban doesn't say, "All Muslims are terrorists," but says, "Some people have taken Islam hostage to permit terrorist and extremist acts." These cartoons do not treat Muslims in any other way than we treat other citizens in this country. By treating them as equals, we are saying, "You are equal."
Why do you think Muslims are expressing such outrage now, when other religiously offensive cartoons have been published in the past?
I think you have to separate this story into two parts. One part [is the debate] inside Danish borders—that has been going on for four months. On the [one] hand, what does freedom of religion imply, what does respect for other people's feelings and religions imply? You have different points of view, and I think it's problematic if any religion—it doesn't matter if it's Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, any religion—tries to impose its own taboos on the public domain.
When I go to a mosque, I behave by the rules that exist in that holy house. I will not stand up and make a cartoon of the holy prophet in a mosque. But I think if any religion insists that I, as a non-Muslim, should submit to their taboos, then I don't think they're showing me respect. I think they're asking for my submission. This is a key issue in this debate. You [also] have the international story, and I believe it has little to do with our cartoons. The people in Saudi Arabia and some other countries who have started the action have never seen the cartoons. They are acting on false rumors, misinformation and direct lies.
What does this controversy say about assimilation, or lack thereof, in Europe?
This is a clash of cultures and, in its essence, a debate about how much the receiving society should be willing to compromise its own standards in order to integrate foreigners. On the other hand, how much does the immigrant have to give up in order to be integrated?
Yours is a small Danish paper. Yet your actions had big global ramifications. What does this tell you about how instantly connected the world is today?
This is the first time I've witnessed a story in a newspaper with a circulation of 150,000, in a country of just above 5 million people, becoming a global issue. This is a challenge. It means that what you do in a secular, modern democracy may offend people in some parts of the world, people not living in this type of society. I think it would be unfortunate if people in Saudi Arabia or some parts of the world influenced what we speak about in Denmark. [But] it's a fact of globalization, and we must consider it.
But you tried to influence what happens in Saudi Arabia via the messages in the cartoons.
No, I'm not doing that. This story was about what was going on in Denmark and Northern Europe.
So where do you draw the line between censorship and freedom of speech?
My newspaper has its limits. In a pluralistic society where you do have freedom of speech, my limits should not be the limits of others. We do have laws against racism and blasphemy.
Didn't your newspaper commit blasphemy by depicting Muhammad?
Danish prosecutors determined around a month ago that the cartoons were not blasphemous.
Will Jyllands-Posten apologize?
For what?
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia to Boycott Danish Goods for 'Insulting' Cartoon
German Newspaper Re-Prints Mohammed Cartoon
Furer Grows Over Cartoons of Prophet
Angry Crowds Attack Danish, Norwegian Embassies in Syria
Mob Torches Danish Embassy, Attacks Lebanese Christians, in Beirut over Cartoons
Iran to Cut all Ties with Denmark Over Cartoons
Cartoon Protesters Attack Italian Embassy in Libya
Pakastani Cleric Issues Fatwa for Cartoonist's Death
Denmark becomes the new Israel
Death Penalty Sought for Yemen Editor for re-Publishing Cartoons
Danish Food Back in the Middle East
Yemen Editor Jailed Over Cartoons
French Court Clears Weekly in Mohammad Cartoon Row
U.N. Rights Council Adopts Resolution Against Religious Defamation
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Name: Anonomous
Location: Unspecified
Comments:
Valid argument. If Moslem world has the right to scorn anyone and everyone, then they don’t have the right to be offended by these cartoons.
By the way, I don’t see anything offensive in these cartoons, after all, they are showing exact teachings of Islam, being oppressive of women, being violent, and having this love affair with bombs, what is that offends Moslems?
Location: Unpsecified
Comments:
I think the reporter was rude, crude, and crass to publish something
like this, sheer arrogance, I would be very offended if they did the
same to our Christian religious figures, and respect to some one's
religion is a must for good manners. This only show what class of
people
has become the leaders of the "free" world.
Response:
thank you for your comments, however please keep in mind that the cartoons were no worse than the hateful and racist cartoons that regularly show up in the arab media. arab papers have been known to publish cartoons that do insult christian religious figures (jesus) as well as jews. part of living in a democracy is having to put up with things that one might find offensive. in my opinion the newspaper did nothing wrong as denmark is not subject to islamic law.
Location: Unspecified
Comments:
If radical Muslems admit they were wrong about the cartoons they would have to accept " reasonableness" and " moderation" . . they will never do that because in doing so invalidates ALL of their years of literal self-sacrifice.
Location: Myrtle Beach, SC
Comments:
I think that we should treat the demonstators with the same force that they are showing to protest the cartoons. They should be treated as terrorists when they start destroying property and setting fire to property. We do not punish an atheist when he denounces our God or tries to inject his thoughts into a Christian society. Why is this World pampering this Muslim religion of Islam, that wishes to kill all Infidels? Are we a World of cowards that will turn the other cheek. That is hard to do if your dead. Why must we respect their religion and they not ours? I just don't believe we are allowing this to happen.
Location: Unspecified
Comment:
I was reading the article on your website and I thought I should reply to somethings.
I'm sending this comment for you as well as the readers on the site (If you will add it on the site) to make somethings clear. This whole comment I swear I write in peace and hope to make a better image than (Muslims are terrorists).
In one of the paragraphs you said "One aspect of this issue that many people dont know is that most of the protestors who are committing the violent acts in the middle east have not even seen the cartoons that they are protesting! Since the cartoons are illegal under Islamic law, Muslims are not permitted to even look at the pictures. The Muslims are only protesting about what THEY HEARD about the cartoons", and that's not true. Cartoon is allowed in Islam but the drawing of living creatures with details that makes the picture look real is forbidden. However, looking at the drawing even if it's real is not forbidden, drawing it or keeping it in your home or office is forbidden. This might seem strange to you why it's forbidden, but it's the truth and it's our believe. So people did see it, although most people didn't even want to see it.
In another paragraph you said "The Arab media is rife with anti-Jewish, anti-Christian, anti-American, anti-European, and anti-western depictions. This is only a few of the many inflammatory cartoons that can be found in the Arab media. So where does the Arab world find the nerve to complain over the Danish newspaper? Here are a few pictures of the anti-Danish and anti-European protests in the middle east:" The Arab media is always talking about Israel and the war against Palestinians, not with the Jewish. Anti-christian is weired to me, because were I'm from if you call a Cristian a Cristian in a mocking way of his believe you get arrested, or if a normal school fight between a Muslim and a christian happens ... you get arrested, not only that they take you to the police station but they also take you to national security for investigating if it was about religion. We all live in peace Christians and Muslims in Arab countries, I'm not saying always, of course there is rare times when things happens. Anti-American is all about the American politics, even in the states there is a very high percentage against the war in Iraq, after all they asked to check for nuclear weapons and when they didn't find it they still invaded in claims to take Saddam down, and when they did they still stayed in claims of setting the new government and when they did they decided to pull back the army but that's going to take about a year and a half. Now when I say America invaded Iraq does that mean all Americans left their homes in the states and went to Iraq? No, I mean American army invaded Iraq under the order of the American government. That is why media is against American politics. When I was studying in the United States, some people in my school use to call me a Muslim sh*#, does that mean all Americans are bad, no I really had very good friends there, we lost contact because it was ages ago but I still know that they were my friends then and if I can reach them, they'll be my friend now. What I didn't like is that when I told the school about what this person called me, they didn't do anything. That is the case with the Danish government. Anti-European, do you know what happened between Serbia and Bosnia, do you really know? The Serbians killed 250,000 thousand Muslim and raped 50,000 Muslim woman. The U.N went there to protect the Muslims refugees. The Serbs kept on attacking other areas where the Muslims are and getting closer and closer to the U.N troops. The U.N troops called for air force backup, but they had to wait for 4 days because the U.N sometimes didn't reply to their troops and sometimes use to say the whether is not clear for an air force strike. After the 4 days were over the air force still didn't come, instead the Serbs arrived and surrounded the U.N troops and asked the leader if he asked for an air force back up to strike them and the U.N leader said "NO". Then they asked for the U.N troops to leave and they will take care of the Bosnians and Muslims from there. The U.N troops which were there to PROTECT the Muslims or let me put it this way, the U.N troops that was there to stop the war in general from both sides agreed to leave them the people they're protecting. From what I know the troops are there to fight back to protect what they came for, that's why there is a U.N army. Instead they were drinking, dancing, and celebrating their withdrawal (yes I'm still talking about the U.N troops. Of course after they left they killed all the men and let the women and children go. Does that mean all Serbs are bad? Again NO, in fact my wife is Serbian. Now the drawings you're talking about in your article that the Arab Media prints are drawings of POLITICIANS NOT PROPHETS, I also read in one of the comments you replied by "thank you for your comments, however please keep in mind that the cartoons were no worse than the hateful and racist cartoons that regularly show up in the arab media. arab papers have been known to publish cartoons that do insult christian religious figures (jesus) as well as jews. part of living in a democracy is having to put up with things that one might find offensive. in my opinion the newspaper did nothing wrong as denmark is not subject to islamic law." And all I can say is, I dare you to get one cartoon about any prophet, not only Jesus but any prophet from any Arab Media. If this ever happened, Muslims will do the same thing they did about the Danish newspaper, because Jesus is our prophet as well and in Islam if you mock any prophet you're NOT CONSIDERED MUSLIM anymore.
Freedom is good but when it comes to making fun of God or the prophet you believe was sent to you, is absolutely wrong and cannot be under the freedom of thinking. I can see someone wearing funny clothes on the street, mocking him is not freedom, but I can go to another person and tell him I like your shoes, or nice shoes and since I'm not doing anything bad to him or offending him then it's fine and if he doesn't like it I'll apologize to him. You can think the bad or the offensive in your head, but you also have to respect other peoples thinking and that my friend is freedom.
I want you to be fair that's all. Don't take all this personal and say "oh I'm gonna reply to all that." instead think positive and be fair. If you look at the comments on the page you'll find that you only replied to the one who said I would be very offended if someone wrote the same thing about Jesus. The other comments that were on the other side, you just let them say what they wanted.
Before I forget, their are Muslims who believe in violence. But like you showed in your article, that is not Islam and the majority of Muslims are against those who believe in violence. Just don't judge 95% on what 5% does.
I really hope you add my comment, although I don't think you will. Just be fair.
Peace be upon you
Response:
Response pending...