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| Olde Tyme Religion |
| 20 year Campaign Against Freedom of Speech in Islamic World |
| 2009-04-17 |
| In the April 4-5 NATO meetings in Europe, most European nations backed former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen for the new head of NATO. Turkey, however, objected -- so strongly that it took President Obama's personal intervention with Turkey's President, Abdullah Gul, to have Rasmussen grudgingly accepted. Even then, Turkey said it would agree only if it were given concessions by the European Union in negotiations on Turkey's accession, the appointment of two Turks to senior NATO posts, and some sort of mea culpa by Rasmussen. It received all three. These concessions were given not to overcome objections by Ankara to any NATO policy. Turkey objected to Rasmussen because, after the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published cartoons of Mohammed in 2005, Rasmussen, as prime minister, had robustly defended the rights of a free press. Thus, in partial recompense for cartoons published in a private newspaper over which Rasmussen had no control, and sought no control, Turkey succeeded in extracting concessions from the West's premier military alliance. By demanding concessions from Western governments for what Western newspapers publish, and by actually receiving political recompense from those same governments, Turkey has made major steps in requiring Western governments to be held accountable for what their newspapers publish. From there, it is a short step to the need to control what those newspapers publish. |
| Posted by:mhw |
| #5 WAFF > IIRC THE INABILITY TO PRESENT ISLAM AS A PEACEFUL RELIGION IS A GREAT COLLECTIVE FAILURE OF GLOBAL MUSLIM/ISLAMIC COMMUNITIES ["Political Islam" is now an OPPRESSOR of dedicated mainstream Muslims, and no longer a PROTECTOR/DEFENDER of same]??? * PAKISTANI DEFENSE FORUM > THE GREAT GAME IN PAKISTAN: TALIBAN VERSUS TALIBAN; + 1500 SIKH FAMILIES LEAVE AFTER PAKISTANI TALIBAN DEMAND PAYMENT OF "JIZIA" SPECIAL TAX??? The "jizia" was only a mere US$38.0-50.0MILYUHN RSD = minima US$20,000 and above; + ARMED MILITANTS [forcibly]OCCUPY SIKH HOMES IN PAKISTAN. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-04-17 21:18 |
| #4 Get in line Abdul. It's a long one. We've outlasted/destroyed much stronger and competent ideologies than islam. All totalitarian, and most not so totalitarian, ideologies suppress criticism. Kings, Queens, Sheiks, French Revolutionaries, Commies, Fascists, Socialists and Michael Jackson Wannabes all controlled speech, including in the US. The First Amendment really was/is revolutionary. What other society allows the common man to mouth off to the high and powerful? |
| Posted by: ed 2009-04-17 19:37 |
| #3 It's a campaign against free speech in the entire West, not only in Europe! The resolutions against "Defamation of Religion" are demanding the repeal of the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution just as much as they are demanding the repeal of similar guarantees in other countries. Liberated Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as NATO ally Turkey voted in favor of these resolutions. The OIC has officially rejected even the doctrine of "Peaceful Coexistence". Its diplomatic posture is thus actually more hostile than that of the USSR post Stalin. Given that a South Park episode was actually censored, and that the US press largely refrained from printing the motoons, it sure looks like islamofascist intimidation has made a difference in the US too. |
| Posted by: Slereper McGurque2937 2009-04-17 19:17 |
| #2 I thought this was going to be about the 20 year campaign against freedom of speech in the Islamic world. Turns out, its about the campaign against freedom of speech in Europe. Maybe there isn't any difference. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2009-04-17 17:36 |
| #1 Obama is weak and our enemies know it!!!! Just look how North Korea, Iran and Pakistan are playing up at the moment!!! |
| Posted by: Paul2 2009-04-17 12:47 |
