We have been following the trend among Western countries in rolling back on free speech with different forms of blasphemy laws, here. Much of this attack on free speech began after the controversy over the publication of cartoons depicting Muhammad. Now, Dutch prosecutors are charging an Arab group for publishing cartoons questioning the Holocaust.
Entirely unconcerned over their crackdown on political and religious speech in the city of Utrecht, prosecutors moved against the organization for stating its views in a cartoon. Simply because the cartoon insults another religion, they are bringing criminal charges against the Arab European League. The group published the cartoon online.
The cartoon shows two apparently Jewish men standing near a pile of skeletons with a sign that says “Auswitch,” presumably referring to Auschwitz. One pokes a bone with a stick and says “I don’t think they’re Jews” and the other answers, “We have to get to the six million somehow.”
Ronny Naftaniel of the Center for Documentation on Israel filed the complaint in the case.
This insidious trend appears to be growing and also now involves private acts of censorship. Recently, Yale University Press published a book on the original cartoon but cut out all of the pictures of the cartoons in a ridiculous act of self-censorship, here.
For the full story, click here.
Well at least they are being even handed in their myopia.
The Dutch are a curious lot. I admire many of aspects of their history and culture. They get a lot of things right, but when they do go wrong they really do it up.
Holland!
Your vocabulary homework for today is the term “slippery slope”.
I’m all verklempt!
Discuss amongst yourselves.
Also consider the topics “humorless people suck” and how “Prince and the Revolution” were neither princes nor revolutionaries. Discuss, discuss . . .
Wonder what they’d do with “The Wizard of Id”?
http://www.gocomics.com/wizardofid/2009/08/25/
Felony Irony?
I have nothing to add to Buddha’s response save I am still laughing–which testifies to the point Buddha makes so well. And for mespo,
The tower guard (yelling): “It’s 12 oclock and all is well!”
The king: “Shut up, you woke me up!”
The tower guard (whispering): “It’s 1 oclock and 10000 huns are scaling the north wall.”
Now who would the king, the guard, and the huns be these days?
Discuss.
Was anyone charged in the Muhamed cartoon incident? I don’t think so. Retaliation for muslim outrage is what his seems like to me. Two wrongs don’t make a right, although it seems the Right is too often wrong. God help us!
And to think that at one time Tulip Bulbs were such a commodity that many a fortunes were made on the trade. Some even went belly up. Not bad for something that came from the Turks.
http://tulip-fever.com/
Respectfully, Buddah, I don’t think they’re being evenhanded on this one.
My post at The Faculty Lounge,
http://tinyurl.com/maomru