UK Party to re-print cartoons
02-22-2006, 03:50 PM
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UK Party to re-print cartoons
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060222/...britain_bnp_dc
Far-right UK party to print Muslim cartoon By Chris Johnson and Kate Holton
Wed Feb 22, 12:38 PM ET
The far-right British National Party (BNP) said on Wednesday it would distribute leaflets showing a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad, a move Muslim groups said would provoke protests and was "playing with fire."
A spokesman for the tiny fringe party, which has no seats in parliament but a handful on local councils, said its use of the image was not intended to cause offence, but illustrated how Islam and Western values did not mix.
The party says it is not racist, but its leader Nick Griffin and another activist are due in court on race-hate charges in October.
The cartoon is one of 12 which first appeared in a Danish newspaper and were later reprinted in other European countries, sparking violent protests across the Islamic world. Many Muslims believe it is blasphemous to depict the Prophet.
At least 50 people have been killed during demonstrations around the world, and a Pakistani Muslim cleric last week offered rewards amounting to more than $1 million to anyone who killed any of the Danish cartoonists.
The cartoons have not been published by the mainstream press in Britain.
The content of the leaflets can already be seen on the BNP's Web site and the leaflets will be circulated ahead of local elections in May.
The leaflet asks "Which Do You Find Offensive? A cartoon of Mohammad with a bomb for a turban or Muslim demonstrators calling for terrorist attacks on Europe and the 'extermination' of non-Muslims?"
"PLAYING WITH FIRE"
"By showing you just how mild and inoffensive the cartoon is, we're giving you the chance to see for yourself the huge gulf that exists between the democratic values that we share, and the medieval views that dominate Islam, even supposedly 'moderate' versions," the leaflet said.
The party spokesman said the BNP wanted the cartoon to provoke debate. "We published the cartoon not to offend individual Muslims -- that's most important -- but to make a stand for freedom," he said.
The move drew immediate condemnation.
"The BNP are playing with fire and there can be no doubt they are doing this in order to try to raise tensions and provoke conflict," the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said.
"We would urge all British Muslims to not fall into the trap laid by the far right," added MCB spokesman Inayat Bunglawala.
"British Muslims should refuse to be provoked and continue to keep all protests peaceful and firmly within the law."
Around 15,000 Muslims staged a peaceful protest against the drawings in London last week.
A demonstration earlier in the month provoked outrage after masked men held up placards calling for the beheading of those who insult Islam, and praised the London bombings last July which killed 52 people.
Ian McCartney, chairman of the ruling Labor Party, condemned the leaflets as "straight out of the **** textbook."
The BNP commands a fraction of the support of far-right parties elsewhere in Europe but has several seats on local councils, mainly in poorer areas with large ethnic populations.
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Somehow I don't think people will consider this free speech
Far-right UK party to print Muslim cartoon By Chris Johnson and Kate Holton
Wed Feb 22, 12:38 PM ET
The far-right British National Party (BNP) said on Wednesday it would distribute leaflets showing a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad, a move Muslim groups said would provoke protests and was "playing with fire."
A spokesman for the tiny fringe party, which has no seats in parliament but a handful on local councils, said its use of the image was not intended to cause offence, but illustrated how Islam and Western values did not mix.
The party says it is not racist, but its leader Nick Griffin and another activist are due in court on race-hate charges in October.
The cartoon is one of 12 which first appeared in a Danish newspaper and were later reprinted in other European countries, sparking violent protests across the Islamic world. Many Muslims believe it is blasphemous to depict the Prophet.
At least 50 people have been killed during demonstrations around the world, and a Pakistani Muslim cleric last week offered rewards amounting to more than $1 million to anyone who killed any of the Danish cartoonists.
The cartoons have not been published by the mainstream press in Britain.
The content of the leaflets can already be seen on the BNP's Web site and the leaflets will be circulated ahead of local elections in May.
The leaflet asks "Which Do You Find Offensive? A cartoon of Mohammad with a bomb for a turban or Muslim demonstrators calling for terrorist attacks on Europe and the 'extermination' of non-Muslims?"
"PLAYING WITH FIRE"
"By showing you just how mild and inoffensive the cartoon is, we're giving you the chance to see for yourself the huge gulf that exists between the democratic values that we share, and the medieval views that dominate Islam, even supposedly 'moderate' versions," the leaflet said.
The party spokesman said the BNP wanted the cartoon to provoke debate. "We published the cartoon not to offend individual Muslims -- that's most important -- but to make a stand for freedom," he said.
The move drew immediate condemnation.
"The BNP are playing with fire and there can be no doubt they are doing this in order to try to raise tensions and provoke conflict," the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said.
"We would urge all British Muslims to not fall into the trap laid by the far right," added MCB spokesman Inayat Bunglawala.
"British Muslims should refuse to be provoked and continue to keep all protests peaceful and firmly within the law."
Around 15,000 Muslims staged a peaceful protest against the drawings in London last week.
A demonstration earlier in the month provoked outrage after masked men held up placards calling for the beheading of those who insult Islam, and praised the London bombings last July which killed 52 people.
Ian McCartney, chairman of the ruling Labor Party, condemned the leaflets as "straight out of the **** textbook."
The BNP commands a fraction of the support of far-right parties elsewhere in Europe but has several seats on local councils, mainly in poorer areas with large ethnic populations.
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Somehow I don't think people will consider this free speech
02-22-2006, 03:52 PM
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Oh it's free speech. And there's no rule saying they can't do this...but it's f***ing dumb as hell.
It's SOOOO easy to print/say/do things like this and then, when the expected outcome happens, to blame the retaliators (Muslim rioters). It's like daring a serial killer to kill you...just plain dumb.
If you know your actions will elicit a certain negative response, even if you are not directly condoning or causing said response, proceeding with those actions is irresponsible. That's really not too complicated of a concept.
It's SOOOO easy to print/say/do things like this and then, when the expected outcome happens, to blame the retaliators (Muslim rioters). It's like daring a serial killer to kill you...just plain dumb.
If you know your actions will elicit a certain negative response, even if you are not directly condoning or causing said response, proceeding with those actions is irresponsible. That's really not too complicated of a concept.
Last edited by MVWRX; 02-22-2006 at 03:55 PM.
02-22-2006, 08:07 PM
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Originally Posted by dr3d1zzl3
+1 for the right to be stupid, and reap its rewards
02-22-2006, 08:53 PM
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Originally Posted by dr3d1zzl3
give it another shot hella, a retard with a bad hangover coming off a heroin binge could do better then that...
..
..
02-23-2006, 10:26 AM
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I think this is hard to ignore. Does ANYONE not agree with this?
"By showing you just how mild and inoffensive the cartoon is, we're giving you the chance to see for yourself the huge gulf that exists between the democratic values that we share, and the medieval views that dominate Islam, even supposedly 'moderate' versions," the leaflet said.
"By showing you just how mild and inoffensive the cartoon is, we're giving you the chance to see for yourself the huge gulf that exists between the democratic values that we share, and the medieval views that dominate Islam, even supposedly 'moderate' versions," the leaflet said.
02-23-2006, 11:38 AM
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I do see that point. But it'd be like taunting a pyromaniac with starting a bbq (making the example of how if you're not a pyro you can use fire innocently), handing him the ligher, and saying 'now don't go burning anything'. It's just....plain....STUPID.
The other problem with the plan this UK party has is this. In the quote Hella posted, they clearly show that their intended audience is non-Muslims who they want to recruit for their party. That's fine, it would work for that audience...but they will also expose the cartoons to another audience, the Muslim audience. The message will not be recieved well, because the message is that Mulsims are savage a dumb.
Like I said before, if you know your actions will elicit a negative response, regardless of their intent, it is irresponsible to continue with such actions.
The other problem with the plan this UK party has is this. In the quote Hella posted, they clearly show that their intended audience is non-Muslims who they want to recruit for their party. That's fine, it would work for that audience...but they will also expose the cartoons to another audience, the Muslim audience. The message will not be recieved well, because the message is that Mulsims are savage a dumb.
Like I said before, if you know your actions will elicit a negative response, regardless of their intent, it is irresponsible to continue with such actions.
Last edited by MVWRX; 02-23-2006 at 11:42 AM.
02-23-2006, 05:42 PM
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Originally Posted by HellaDumb
I think this is hard to ignore. Does ANYONE not agree with this?
"By showing you just how mild and inoffensive the cartoon is, we're giving you the chance to see for yourself the huge gulf that exists between the democratic values that we share, and the medieval views that dominate Islam, even supposedly 'moderate' versions," the leaflet said.
"By showing you just how mild and inoffensive the cartoon is, we're giving you the chance to see for yourself the huge gulf that exists between the democratic values that we share, and the medieval views that dominate Islam, even supposedly 'moderate' versions," the leaflet said.
02-23-2006, 06:51 PM
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Originally Posted by Imprezastifan88
Still ****ing stupid. Wrong time to show that, as he is just trowing gasoline on the fire. Yeah, he has the right to do it and he might as well if he wants to. But, he is a idiot for doing so.
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