Blackmailing the World...

Is it true that Muslims are a peaceful people following a religion that promotes peace?

There were several other newspapers that reprinted those Muhammed cartoons. One French editor was fired because of it.

Well... it was a few more than several:

Seven publications in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain all carried some of the drawings.

The cartoons have sparked diplomatic sanctions and death threats in some Arab nations, while media watchdogs have defended publication of the images in the name of press freedom.

The offices of Jyllands-Posten had to be evacuated on Tuesday because of a bomb threat.

This isn't the first time that people have 'crossed' Muslims.

1989: Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini calls on Muslims to kill British author Salman Rushdie for alleged blasphemy in his book The Satanic Verses
2002: Nigerian journalist Isioma Daniel's article about Prophet and Miss World contestants sparks deadly riots
2004: Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh killed after release of his documentary about violence against Muslim women
2005: London's Tate Britain museum cancels plans to display sculpture by John Latham for fear of offending Muslims after July bombings

Besides boycotting Danish goods, the Islamists are promising other types of retaliation.

Being an active boycott type of person, I feel that this is a good way to get a point across. But I have to draw the line at bombing and murdering folks.

So what about Hamas and Palestine?

It has been found that Iran has some designs for nuclear weapons. Officials are wanting to come and check things out...

So what does Iran say?

"If it happens, the government will be required under the law to end the suspension of all nuclear activities it has voluntarily halted," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said late Tuesday, speaking on Iranian television.

"We will have to start all nuclear work that has been voluntarily suspended," Larijani said, though he stopped short of saying explicitly that Iran will restart its uranium enrichment program.

Then you have this headline which actually says it all:

Hamas Leader: Why Recognize Israel? Arab State Must Replace It

Vowing to intensify education of youth to kill Israeli civilians, Al-Zahar discussed the reforms in the education system his group wishes to introduce: "Our ministry of culture will teach them [Arab children] how the martyr is turned into prose, literature, and poetry, and how a woman, who used to cook and do the laundry, turns into one of the heroes of Palestine."

Do you get the feeling that global society is being painted into a corner?

Do you think that an apology is going to be enough for the Islamists?

Denmark's reputation as an easy-going, consensual nation has been severely tarnished in recent days. All the Danes can do now is hope the repeated apologies for the offence caused, by both the government and the newspaper, will end this unseemly row.

I really don't think so myself.

The Muslim American Society(MAS) published an alert on their web page concerning the cartoons.

They're encouraging people to write letters to the Danish ambassador in Washington, D.C.

I can support letter writing.

Please express your concerns and protest in a dignified manner. Be firm, but polite.

Now there is another alert on the MAS website concerning the subsequent publishing of the cartoons.

"No one is asking for censorship or the negation of free speech, but a little common sense and self restraint might be in order,” said MAS Freedom Executive Director Mahdi Bray. “Just because one is free to do something does not mean that it is prudent or wise to do so.”

Somehow I get this feeling that there is an encrypted message somewhere in here.

later...