Dane nominated Arab prize for apologizing
April 23, 2008
ABU DHABI. 27-year old Danish filmmaker Anders Boetter describes himself as an atheist. Despite his openly declared religious disbelief he travels to Abu Dhabi tomorrow – on a trip financed by Arab petro-dollars to receive a nomination for an Islamic culture prize.
The danish atheist´s achievement consists of creating the danish Facebook group ‘Undskyld Muhammed’ (‘Sorry Mohammad’) which attracted 8.600 members – and attention from some Middle East cultural committee. The “Sorry Mohammad” group expresses sympathy towards the Islamic reactions to the Danish Mohammad drawings.
Assassination plans has been discovered against one of the drawers, Kurt Westergaard. And other cartoonists have also received death threats.
Ironic it may seem that an enlightened human being is being nominated for an Islamic culture prize. Even more ironic it is that Anders Boetter isn´t aware of the fact that he is just another useful idiot being manipulated and used by enemies of the Western world.
By the way – the antagonistic Facebook group ‘Ingen undskyldninger, til Muhammed’ (‘No apologizing to Mohammad’) has got 11.000 members.
Nyhedsavisen [in danish]
Fjordman Reviews ‘Fitna’
March 30, 2008
Fjordman Reviews Geert Wilders´islam-critical film “Fitna” at Gates Of Vienna:
“I liked it. It is impressive how much they managed to squeeze into just 15 minutes. I notice several of the comments at Jihad Watch say Geert Wilders could have made it worse. Yes, he could. He left out quite a few things, but what he kept was authentic and bad enough…”
Read the brief review at Gates Of Vienna
Mohamed-drawer Kurt Westergaard is not happy with Geert Wilders´ “misuse” of his famous drawing in the movie ‘Fitna’.
But who is misusing who? And if this is misuse, then how do we use a Mohamed drawing properly?
Kurt Westergaard:
“My cartoon has been misused again. It has been pulled from its original context and set in a completely different one”
“It is a drawing aimed specifically against Islamic terror that uses interpretations of the Koran and Islam as spiritual ammunition,” Westergaard said.
“Wilders has not asked me for permission, so it is simply a case of violation of copyright rules,” Expatica.com
Kurt Westergaard has described himself as a “cultural Christian, a culture-liberal Atheist“.
The culture-liberal atheist´s reactions to the recent development of the Mohamed crisis tend to a surprisingly sympathetic, almost regretful view upon the religion Islam.
That the drawing wasn´t meant as a critique of Islam as such, and his strong emphasising of the context rest on the premises that clear distinctions between islamism and Islam, between Islam as religion and Islam as a political ideology do exist are are self explanatory.
The cartoonist thereby walks away from the drawing desk and is now navigating the muddy waters of vaguely defined concepts of islamic terror, islamism, religious fundamentalism, moderate Islam etc.
Using a copyright lawsuit the ‘islamic-terror-critic’ (not to be confused with ‘islam-critic’) cartoonist is re-branding himself by criticising what he calls “radical right-wing forces”.
According to Jyllands-Posten March 28th Westergaard´s lawyer is currently trying to close down the website SIAD.dk (Stop Islamiseringen Af Danmark). SIAD has made use of parts of KW´s Mohamed drawing during a recent protest demonstration against Sharia loans. SIADs website also hosts the Fitna movie.
The Danish Union Of Journalist (DUJ) supports Westergaard´s case and DUJ is preparing a lawsuit against Geert Wilders.
To defend a drawers copyright is understandable and reasonable. But on the other hand it is quite ironic that a journalist union is opposing what essentially is a common interest; a struggle for freedom of speech, which makes copyright issues a completely irrelevant detail.
Grave abuse of Danish cartoon in Dutch film
The Danish Union of Journalists (DUJ) and Kurt Westergaard take vigorous exception to the use of Westergaard’s drawing in the Dutch politician Geert Wilders’ film. DUJ intends to take legal action against the politician for grave violation of Westergaard’s author’s right (copyright). It was never the intention of Kurt Westergaard that his drawing should be used in the manner and context it is used in the film “Fitna” by the Dutch politician Geert Wilders. Therefore, DUJ is now taking the first steps towards filing suit against the politician for his unauthorized abuse of the Danish drawing.
DUJ Press release in english (opens PDF)
Ehsan Jami anti-islam film to be released April 20th
March 28, 2008
NETHERLANDS. New dutch anti-Islam film to be released April 20th by Dutch-Iranian politician Ehsan Jami. The new movie is an animated story about Mohammad as a child, and the movie seems to have the potential for keeping a lot of protesters occupied with flag burning and embassy raids for a long time.
The anti-Islam film announced by Ehsan Jami last year is an animated film that will be released on 20 April, Jami said Wednesday evening on current affairs programme Netwerk.
Jami’s production is bound to come up against opposition. The Contact body for Muslims and the Government has already announced it will take legal steps against the film.
Netwerk showed a drawing from the film, which is entitled The Life of Mohammed. The drawing shows the prophet Mohammed in the company of his 9-year-old wife Aisa. The prophet is on his way to a mosque to deflower his bride.
Ehsan Jami was interviewed by Weekendavisen last year (in danish).
“Freedom of speech at any price?” The question is raised by a large announcement in danish newspapers today. The saudi financed organisation behind calls themselves “The Global Program for Introducing the Prophet of Mercy“.
The so-called “prophet” needs no introduction. Especially not in Denmark – after the burnings of the danish flag, burning of danish embassies in the Middle East, after the boycott of danish products and after the murder attempts on one of our noblest citizens, danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard. All this done by followers of the the “prophet of mercy”.
But of course they could all – theoretically be Misunderstanders of Their “Peaceful” Faith.
The aim of the campaign is to force the danish authorities to give an excuse because of the Mohamed drawings. And what at first glance seems to be a open-minded and honest initiative, is followed by threatening statements insinuating, that the violent protests won´t stop before they get such an excuse.
These people have yet not learnt, that their usual suppressive methods are useless outside the borders of their own brutal regimes.
Via Snaphanen
Update
For an english translation of the advertisement please visit Sheik Yer’Mami: Denmark: Islamic Mafia Puts Ad’s in Papers
Geert Wilders vs. Anders Fogh Rasmussen
March 19, 2008
Geert Wilders was interviewed by danish television yesterday about his movie ‘Fitna’.
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen responded with a press release strongly opposing Wilders´anti-islamic views. Not all intellectual defenders of western values and freedom rights seem to be compatible with the agenda of wannabe-european-president Mr. Fogh.
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has promoted freedom of speech on a number of occasions. And his party (Venstre) has honoured Ayaan Hirsi Ali with their freedom prize. But when it comes to the dutch MP Geert Wilders, AFR warns against “demonizing” groups of people.
Why?
The views of Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Geert Wilders are similar. They both make a distinction between islam and muslims, between islam as a religion and islam as a political ideology.
The answer is, that to be acceptable for the political establishment you still need to be an ex-muslim or at least of non-european origin to point out the dangers of islam.
The press release from PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen (in danish)
The Prime Ministers Office (english site)
Wilders´movie will be released at fitnathemovie.co.uk March 23.
Update The interview on Youtube:
Ibn Warraq visited Denmark
March 15, 2008
Ibn Warraq the author of “Why I am not a muslim” recently visited Denmark to receive Trykkefrihedsprisen 2008 (Free Press Society Award 2008). Ibn Warraq´s lecture at the Free Press Society has been extensively covered by the danish blogger Snaphanen.
Chairman of the board in the danish worldwide supplier of pumps Grundfos, Niels Due Jensen has made a public statement concerning the violent islamic threath against the danish mohammed drawers and the danish government´s protection of free speech. In the statement Due Jensen strongly opposes the liberal-conservative governments´ defense of the freedom of speech. Due Jensen demands an appeasement policy towards the islamic world to protect his business.
Niels Due Jensen argues, that the cartoonists of this world aren´t as dependent on the export market as he is. And because of middle east boycott threatening danish export markets he wants to impose the same self censorship onto the cartoonists, that he practices himself.
How ignorant can a businessman be? Niels Due Jensen´s arguments are similar to the agenda of the collaborators during the WW2 nazi occupation of Denmark. Niels Due Jensen has obviously not understood, what liberty means or realized which pillars his own personal wealth and the wealth and succes of western civilization rest upon.
Wafa Sultan on the danish cartoons (Al-Jazeera)
March 9, 2008
“All religions and faiths, throughout the history of humanity, have been subject to criticism and affronts. With time, this has helped in their reform and development. Any belief that chops off the heads of its critics is doomed to turn into terrorism and tyranny. This has been the condition of Islam, from its inception to this day.
Islam has sentenced [its critics] to prison, and whoever crosses the threshold of that prison meets his death. The Danish cartoons have managed to break down the first brick in the wall of that prison, and to open up a window, through which the sunrays enter, after a lengthy darkness. The Danish newspaper exercised its freedom of speech. Liberties are the holiest thing in the West, and nothing is more important. But if Islam were not the way it is, those cartoons would never have appeared. They did not appear out of the blue, and the cartoonist did not dig them out of his imagination. Rather, they are a reflection of his knowledge. Westerners who read the words of the Prophet Muhammad ‘Allah has given me sustenance under the shadow of my sword’ cannot imagine Muhammad’s turban in the shape of a dove of peace rather than in the shape of a bomb.
The Muslims must learn how to listen to the criticism of others, and maybe then they will reexamine their terrorist teachings. When they manage to do so, the world will view them in a better light, and consequently, it will draw them in a better light. The reactions of the Muslims, which were characterized by savageness, barbarism, and backwardness, only increased the value of these cartoons, and gave them more importance than they merited, simply because they proved that these cartoons were true, and that the message they were conveying was true. The Muslim is an irrational creature ruled by instincts. Those teachings have deprived him of his mind, incited his emotions, and reduced him to the level of an inferior creature that cannot control himself or react to events rationally.”
Arab-American Psychiatrist Wafa Sultan Clashes with Egyptian Islamist Tal’at Rmeih
