I would like to suggest to all my Danish readers that they sign the petition at www.ytringsfrihed.org to demonstrate that although we may have a lot of bootlicking crypto-islamists in Denmark, we have more honest citizens who won’t give up a little liberty for a little security.
BTW
The organizer of that horrifying site has his blog here - is it just me or does he look pitiful? I mean, is that acne or did he take that photograph just after a good hand-humping session? Gross.
I only just read this piece. ???WWW.WHATTHEFUCK.COM???
‘Weed out textbooks offensive to Muslims’
By David Rennie in Brussels
(Filed: 16/02/2006)
School textbooks should be reviewed for intolerant depictions of Islam and other faiths by experts overseen by the European Union and Islamic leaders, the European Parliament was told yesterday.
The call for a special committee to examine religious education in schools came from Hans-Gert Pöttering, the German Christian Democrat, who heads the largest group of MEPs. But the proposal was immediately condemned as "appeasement" by Charles Tannock, a British Conservative MEP.
Mr Pöttering, the head of the centre-Right, but largely federalist European People’s Party, said the work of building bridges between Islam and the West had to "begin with young people".
During a debate intended to show Europe’s unity in the face of the row over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, he said textbooks should be checked to ensure they promoted European values without propagating religious stereotypes or prejudice.
He also called for similar tolerance in the Islamic world, holding up examples of anti-Semitic cartoons taken from the Middle East and suggesting a parallel review should be made of Islamic school books.
He also suggested that the EU could co-operate with the 56-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference, which has its headquarters in Saudi Arabia, to create a textbook review committee.
"They could help to choose the experts to sit on this committee," he said.
But Dr Tannock, the Conservatives’ foreign affairs spokesman at the European Parliament, said: "This sounds like an exercise in political correctness and appeasement. I don’t see why we should be bringing children into this debate."
Hat tip: Frit Aalborg
UPDATE: Recap and analysis of the latest events in this story here.
Translators note: The Danish text uses the weasel word "dementeret" which I have translated as withdrawn. It might also mean deny, but if that is what they mean, why didn’t they say it? We’ll have to wait for an English newssource to see which word is used; Did Turkey initially demand an apology and then withdraw it, did the reporter from Information get it wrong or was this a probe to see how the Danish government would respond? It’s also interesting to note that the Danish government wants nothing to do with Turkey as a mediator now. Maybe they didn’t like their kind of mediation?
Jyllands-Posten, February 24, 2006
No Turkish demand for apology
Turkey has not joined the countries demanding an apology for the Muhammed cartoons, PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen is quoted as saying. The Danish newspaper Information quoted a spokesman from the Turkish Foreign Ministry as saying there would be no progress unless an apology was given insted of insisting that they are a matter of Freedom of Speech.
"According to my information the Turkish government has withdrawn the request for an apology," says the PM.
Following this statement, Per Stig Møller insisted that Turkey would have no special position as a mediator in the conflict, as proposed by some.
"Turkey will, as an applicant country, be present at the informal meeting of Foreign Ministers on March 11 and 12. In connection with that I have proposed to the Turkish Foreign Minister that he raise the matter there," Per Stig Møller says as he notes the special relationship Turkey has with both the European and Arab world.
About the Muhammed cartoons; I realised suddenly that this whole issue has an uncanny parallel: Do you remember the shooting of Mohammed al-Dura? I’ll try to recap for you then: A man is shielding himself and his son behind a concrete block. Apparently they’re in some sort of crossfire with people all around them firing. The son is seen first as alive, then moments later he has fallen into the lap of his father.
The Palestinians used this to create an uproar in the Arab world but the film, recorded by a Palestinian cameraman, was later proved to be misleading. In fact, Muhammed al-Dura had been killed by friendly fire.
It seems to me that we have a somewhat parallel situation here…..
LATEST UPDATE: Recap and analysis of the latest events in this story here.
UPDATE: Turkey does the weaseldance - the quoted article below is no more accurate
Politiken, February 24, 2006
Turkey demands official Danish apology for the Muhammed cartoons. Jens Rohde, the political spokesman for the ruling Liberal Party thinks the demand hurts Turkey’s chances of EU membership.
The Danish government must distance itself from the Muhammed cartoons published in Jyllands-Posten and make an apology.
Otherwise, no bridge-building with the Islamic world is possible, says the official spokesman of the Turkish Foreign Ministry following the European Unions’ request for Turkey to act as a mediator.
"The Danish government ought quickly to announce that Denmark does not accept denigration of the Prophet Muhammed such as the cartoons in Jyllands-Posten gives voice to. Denmark should apologize for what’s happened and make it clear that the Danish government wants nothing to do with the cartoons." So says Namik Tan, official spokesman of Abdullah Gül, foreign minister of Turkey.
Not about Freedom of Speech
He underlines that in the opinion of the Turkish government the cartoons have nothing to do with Freedom of Speech.
"This issue is not about Freedom of Speech. This is no different than if these cartoons had anti-semitic content. If Denmark persists in insisting that this is about Freedom of Speech, it will be very difficult to proceed," Tan is quoted as saying.
Long way to the EU
The spokesman of the Liberal ruling party, Jens Rohde, condemns the statement, saying that this will only make it more difficult for Turkey to act as a mediator and it will not be helpful if they want to be accepted into the EU.
"The Danish government can under no circumstances apologize for the actions of a private newspaper," Jens Rohde is quoted as saying to Ritzau.
"This doesn’t exactly make them more qualified to be mediators - nor does it help them qualify to be members of the EU, to be frank," Jens Rohde says of the Turkish statement.
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