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| Britain |
| Saudi Lawyer Hopes to Win 'Significant' Damages Over Mo' Cartoons in UK Courts |
| 2010-03-18 |
| (CNSNews.com) -- The Saudi lawyer acting for "descendants of Mohammed" who claim their forbear was defamed by cartoons published in Danish newspapers hopes to use courts in Britain, a popular center for "libel tourism," to secure damages. Faisal Yamani's efforts to get more than a dozen newspapers to issue formal public apologies for reprinting a series of cartoons depicting Mohammed have been largely unsuccessful, although one liberal daily, Politiken, recently agreed to do so, raising concerns about the implications for free speech. Yamani is now eyeing courts in Britain, where people with little or no connection to Britain have successfully sued for libel, in some cases because the allegedly offending material has been accessible to Internet users in Britain. The Saudi says he represents eight organizations, based in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Libya, Qatar, Jordan, Australia and the Palestinian self-rule territories, whose members together comprise almost 95,000 descendants of Mohammed. In communications with the newspapers, Yamani said their decision to publish the cartoons -- he cited in particular one depicting a man with a turban shaped like a bomb -- had left his clients "personally insulted, emotionally distressed and defamed." Denmark's justice minister, Lars Barfoed, told the Danish Berlingske Tidende newspaper it would be unacceptable if British courts could rule against Danish media organizations and require them to pay damages and legal costs. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #6 Yamani should be told to sod off. |
| Posted by: Dave UK 2010-03-18 18:44 |
| #5 Well, the EU won't allow this. Will they? Where's Aris when you need him? |
| Posted by: Bobby 2010-03-18 12:27 |
| #4 Oh my, Monty Python could be in a heap of trouble soon. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-03-18 10:42 |
| #3 Well, according to the insane English libel law, truth is not a defense. Maybe they will further liberalize it, so that "myths" can be held as libeled. If the Mockmud thing wins, perhaps the descendants of Richard III can sue Shakespeare for libel. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-03-18 10:05 |
| #2 What a crock. Only a crock outside the West. The real world must be laughing its @$$ off. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-03-18 10:05 |
| #1 Suing for "hurt feelings". What a crock. Will the defense think to trot out all muslim cartoons and animated kids shows and regular rantings of "kill the jews" and "death to the infidel world". Those hurt our feelings. Let's call it a wash. It's like kindergarten. Muslims, hampered by their submissive cult of insanity, never reach the age of reason. The civilized world hits that mark at about 7 years old. |
| Posted by: Swanimote 2010-03-18 09:59 |