Toronto marchers back right to publish Muhammad cartoons

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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More than 100 demonstrators took to the streets in Toronto on Saturday to support free speech.

They were protesting against the sometimes violent riots that targeted Denmark and its embassies after a Danish newspaper published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad last year.

The strong reaction to the cartoons has highlighted the conflict between the Western ideal of freedom of speech and what some Muslims say is a blasphemous offence against a religious figure.

The Toronto demonstrators marched in front of the Danish consulate, where former TV news anchor Peter Kent said “any democracy worth its salt should be strong enough to endure the most controversial speech.”

Kent represented the Canadian Coalition for Democracies, which seeks to change Canadian policy that they say “consistently fails to support sister democracies who share our values,” such as India, Taiwan, the U.S. and Israel.

Daniel Dale, a York University student who helped organize the protest, said “we will not stand idly and meekly by while a democracy and ally is violently and senselessly attacked.”

He does not endorse the cartoons, but backs the right to publish them, as Calgary-based Western Standard magazine did in February.

Most Western publications did not reprint the cartoons, many saying they didn’t want to give unnecessary offence. However, critics have said the publications had been intimidated.

Ezra Levant, Western Standard publisher, will speak in Toronto on Tuesday to explain why the magazine reprinted the cartoons.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/03/11/demonstrators-toronto060311.html

First of all the turn out says it all. There must’ve been hardly any support since only a crowd of a little over a 100 turned up.

Also, if we’re all about democracy and free speech then I believe that the individual who got jailed for publishing a book denying holocaust should be freed and his book should be published all across the globe. After all we’re all about free speech and democracy. However, if the same individuals disagree that such a book should be published or the man be freed, then this is clearly an example of Islamophobia.

I don’t think any sensible Muslim applauded the violent protests, nor would we applaud such callous behaviour against Islam and Muslims.

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Re: Toronto marchers back right to publish Muhammad cartoons

Why do you think it should it be published across the globe? Is it a good read?

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Re: Toronto marchers back right to publish Muhammad cartoons

No one will know.

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Re: Toronto marchers back right to publish Muhammad cartoons

Correction: Even the people in Canada aren't applauding the behavior of NewsPaper, they are demonstrating for freedom of speech.
Or who decides what's right what's wrong. P
Please I don't want to get into discussions on Cartoons. They hurt sentiments, than there were better ways to protest like these Canadians rather than burning embassies and getting killed in Police firing...

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Re: Toronto marchers back right to publish Muhammad cartoons

^ Did you happen to miss all the peaceful protests? Of course not, you just chose to mention the violent protests. Islamophobia is on the rise .... do join and have your say.

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Sirjee...
Does peaceful protest justify violent protest .......... NO
This thread was sort of a protest against a peaceful protest for freedom of speech.
I didn't find any fault with peaceful protest. If you want me to say that peaceful protests was the way to do it... Than yes it was the way to do it..
I again say what I said earlier may be in different words
"Peaceful protests is the way to protest, the way of protest is not by burning embassies, getting killed or killing"

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Re: Toronto marchers back right to publish Muhammad cartoons

Rahul, I'm not upset about a mere handful carrying out a peaceful protest. What has irked me is their audacity to suggest that by not publishing the cartoons Canadian government is going against the basic principles of democracy.

However, if we were to carry out a peaceful protest to have the writer set free and book (on how holocaust never existed) published, we'd be labeled as anti-Semites, yet these very people are staunch Islamophobics.

The hypocrisy is mind boggling.

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^ you nailed it

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I am not supporting Cartoons, I am against it as much as I am of burning 600 bibles and churches, temples or mosques, wherever...
Most of the Islamic nations have laws of giving punishment of different degree on saying anything against Islam. Such laws are not applicable in these nations for preaching anything against other religion.
Do you agree its wrong........ ??
The point is that every nation state make laws based on its circumstances and people living in those nation states abide by those laws.
If Cananda has a law on freedom of speech and government has come in between and have said no publishing of Cartoons, there will be a set of people to whom freedom of speech is more dear.
Now these people are not necessarily supporting Cartoons, they personally may be against such depiction, though they feel strongly about freedom of speech and are there to support freedom of speech.
Its a well known fact that free media is backbone of democracy, or democracies can easily become pawn in hand of hardliners or scruplous..

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Re: Toronto marchers back right to publish Muhammad cartoons

Rahul a comment from a french philosopher would be apt here ...

I disagree with every word you say but will defend with my blood for your right to say that.

These islamists dont realise the repurcussions when they go around criticising everything and everybody until somebody criticises them. Immediately they turn around and speak about the uselessness of the society in which they live in.
This has been going on for years now and this incident is no exception...

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Re: Toronto marchers back right to publish Muhammad cartoons

First, Canada did not jail anyone for denying the holocaust. As far as I know, you can deny the holocaust all you want in Canada.
The fact remains, Muslims around the globe see a Jewish conspiracy in everything. Muslims newspapers waste no time in printing how "cunning" the Jews are, how they want Muslim blood, how they want Muslim land, and how they want to take over the world. When seen in this context, your inquisitive curiousity, it smacks of anti-semetism.
More importantly, when one immigrates to a country, one must abide by the laws and the norms of the land. In many European countries, they hold the plight of the Jews more sacred than religions.

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Re: Toronto marchers back right to publish Muhammad cartoons

How many of these people were out on the streets when the earthquake hit Pakistan and thousands died? They support hate speech, not freedome of speech.

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NameInUse, interesting how an example used relating to the man jailed makes me an anti-semite, yet many here do nothing but bash Islam and Muslims all day long. I wonder what category would such people fall under?

As for the example I used, it was merely an example and nothing more. I'm not here to advocate for the book or for the man who has been jailed.

If anything, another incident that I heard of was a cartoon of Jesus (AS) in Denmark, which was never published due to the sensitivity of the topic, yet a cartoon on Muhammad (SAW) gets published across the globe and those who protested (peacefully of course) are labeled all sorts things.

In any case Canada's certainly a great country with some very good people, save a handful. I'm glad this protest was at least carried out peacefully rather than anything tragic.

For the record, I don't link anything and everything with Jewish conspiracy, so save that lecture for someone else.

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Let me ask you this. How many parties in Europe have won elections in Europe based on HATE SPEECH against MUSLIMS?

Answer that and then tell me if you support voltaire?

I personally think this. I will support your right to free speech as long as you aren't a jackass.

A jackass is defined as a racist, xenophobe and a general prick.

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^ Is this question geared towards me?

If yes, then I'm not familiar with the system there.

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No to our resident Anti-islamist. You on the other hand i fear because you would raise a fatwa against my liberal attitudes :p

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… even saying so is to make a wrong statement… Dude this is not what is used to win elections… Hate speaches against Muslims have been made or are made to achieve little different objectives

Hate Speaches against Muslims are used for little different objectives :naraz: and let me quote an example for that.

The example of such acts are the speaches by the Pope that gathered whole of the Europe into Crusades… These kind of purposes are met with such speaches.

Moreover, a more reasonable way of making hate speahes against Muslims is put forth by G W Bush where he “by mistake” uses the word “Crusades” and then apologizes (Great Mr. President, you are right on)… Even reasonable is to call “We are against evil” and inally using such words to wage war against other countries…

Coming back to the “Anti-Holucaust” being “Anti-Semitic”

Point 1: There are countries in Europe where saying soething against holocaust is a crime and there are people who have been put to jail for that.

Point 2: Semetic is a word NOT restricted to Jews only. This is their cunningness to popularize it related to Jews. Even Arabs are included in Semites… and whatever is happening against them in very well anti-semetism…

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Re: Toronto marchers back right to publish Muhammad cartoons

Lahore981 to make such a statement is incorrect? Ask any dutch national why Pim Fortyn's party came to power and then lost it?

The rise of islamophobia in EU politics is obvious. From the EU constitution to the elections in Austria, France, Holland, Italy and Denmark.

Breaking News: Kuttaa bhoN bhoN karta hai
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Re: Toronto marchers back right to publish Muhammad cartoons

[quote]
I will support your right to free speech as long as you aren't a jackass.
[/quote]

What gives you the right to decide that somebody is a jackass. A guy is great till he agrees with you. The moment he disagrees with you, I suppose he becomes a jackass...
Your definition of jackass is too vague and some of our regular posters here would fit the description...
Please define racism....

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Re: Toronto marchers back right to publish Muhammad cartoons

What gives you the right to insult a faith based on freedom of speech? The same right that you use, I use. Or does it change because I am Muslim?