[Vision2020] Death threats over religious cartoons?

[Art Deco]

Phil,

There is hardly anything of substance spoke/written/drawn/etc on political, 
economic, social, and/or religious matters that will not offend someone. 
Just reading this list over a period of time and the reactions to various 
points of view should provide any reader with tons of proof of such an 
assertion.

Even the most civil conversations on these matters can offend some.  That is 
the nature of human discourse, and it will continue for a variety of 
reasons, seeking truth, manipulating others, asserting power, 
exhibiting/protecting egotism just to name a few.

That is why living in a country with freedom of expression is, for me, and I 
expect for you, one of life's greatest blessings.

I can tell you that during the times I taught philosophy at the UI and 
actually during the semester I taught MIS in the College of Business, I 
received all kinds of threats, not to mention other related problems to deal 
with.  That also is the nature of discussing/exploring ontological problems.

At his point in time no one owns the truth.  Many of us are sincerely trying 
to make a tiny bit of progress toward a better understanding of the 
universe, others not.  Open discourse, which is certainly offensive to some, 
is one of the most important tools in those attempts at progress.

W.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil Nisbet" <pcnisbet1 at hotmail.com>
To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 6:23 PM
Subject: [Vision2020] Death threats over religious cartoons?


>I was wondering if those really really POed at Wilson and company had read 
>this particular controversy?  If one of our publications prints a cartoon 
>that Islamic folks do not like are we liable to attack on that basis?
>
> By JAN M. OLSEN, Associated Press Writer
> Tue Jan 31, 5:38 PM ET
>
>
>
> COPENHAGEN, Denmark - A Danish Muslim group Tuesday accepted an apology 
> from a newspaper that published offensive cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad 
> but said later that it had decided the statement was ambiguous.
>
> The group did not elaborate and it was unclear if there would be any 
> effect on protests and boycotts of Danish goods in Muslim countries.
>
> The offices of the newspaper Jyllands-Posten were briefly evacuated 
> Tuesday evening after an English-speaking person called in a bomb threat 
> to the switchboard, and an Internet statement purportedly from insurgents 
> in     Iraq urged attacks in Denmark and Norway, the first known call for 
> violent reprisals over the cartoons.
>
> The authenticity of the Internet posting in the name of the Mujahedeen 
> Army, which claimed to have shot down a U.S. helicopter in Iraq earlier 
> this month, could not be independently verified.
>
> Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons in September after asking artists to 
> depict Islam's prophet in what was described as a test of self-censorship. 
> The depictions included incendiary images such as Muhammad wearing a 
> turban shaped as a bomb with a burning fuse.
>
> A Norwegian newspaper reprinted the images this month.
>
> In a statement published late Monday, Jyllands-Posten apologized and said 
> it regretted offending Muslims. It stood by the decision to print the 
> cartoons, saying it was within Danish law.
>
> The drawings "were not intended to be offensive, nor were they at variance 
> with Danish law, but they have indisputably offended many Muslims for 
> which we apologize," the daily said Monday.
>
> Danish Muslims said Tuesday that they welcomed the apology. However, 27 
> Muslim groups met later in the day to discuss the statement and declared 
> it "ambiguous."
>
> "We lack a clear statement where the newspaper apologizes for the offense 
> and stand by it," said Ahmed Akkari, a spokesman for the groups.
>
> The Danish Muslims thanked Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen for saying 
> Monday evening that his government could not apologize on behalf of a 
> newspaper, but that he personally "never would have depicted Muhammad, 
> Jesus or any other religious character in a way that could offend other 
> people."
>
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