I must admit that I’m somewhat impressed by Sweden’s collective response to this. They’ve been pretty consistent in telling their Muslim critics to piss off.

flipflop on September 17, 2007 at 12:40 PM

I’ve asked this question before, but it seems like a good idea to ask it again: Is the world becoming more like the West, or more like Saudi Arabia? The answer tells us how we’re doing in the war.

Sad, but true.

Christoph on September 17, 2007 at 12:43 PM

Thorbjörn Larsson, the editor, said in an opinion piece: “We live in a country where freedom of expression is not dictated by fundamentalists, nor by governments. To me, publishing it was the obvious thing to do.”

The daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet urged Swedes to defend their right to free speech in the face of religious fanaticism. It said: “Freedom of expression is not a privilege for the media companies and journalists but a guarantee that citizens can have different impressions, numerous sources of information and inspiration, as well as the possibility of drawing their own conclusions.”

American, British, Canadian and other so-called-free-media, take a good look at this. You don’t have such guts, and, thus, you aren’t free any more.

Entelechy on September 17, 2007 at 12:45 PM

It seems to me that Ron Paul and his minions of crazies ought to take notice that you don’t have to have a neo-con agenda in order to incite insane acts of retribution. All the US has to do is simply exist.

The dems and the Paulites don’t get the basic concept of 13th century religious fanaticism, and wont until it bites them in the a$$ again.

csdeven on September 17, 2007 at 12:49 PM

Mcguyver on September 17, 2007 at 12:48 PM

Read the post’s byline once in a while, kemosabe.

Bryan on September 17, 2007 at 12:51 PM

The dems and the Paulites don’t get the basic concept of 13th century religious fanaticism, and wont until it bites them in the a$$ again.

Oh no. They understand it perfectly. I think they read Milton and got it backwards. They’d much rather live on their knees than die on their feet.

lorien1973 on September 17, 2007 at 12:56 PM

Is the world becoming more like the West, or more like Saudi Arabia?

Yes.

Thomas P M Barnett talks about the “race” between the Core and the Gap (for quick ref., click “The Map”). To me, it’s still a race - it’s even early in the race. Adherents to both “Western” and “Saudi” views are growing. So I don’t really think it tells us how we’re doing in the war, it just says it’s a going to be a very long war. And with the rapid development and spread of smaller and deadlier weapons, a very bloody one.

eeyore on September 17, 2007 at 12:59 PM

Well, I guess I won’t be marketing my high-quality 100% rayon line of “Suck it, Mohammad!” t-shirts in Sweden.

Wusses.

Are there any actual men left in the world? How about the Aussies? Are they printing cartoons?

I know somebody somewhere has the nads to stand up to these Bullies for God. Where are they?

I want to send them money. And Jessica Alba. And free t-shirts. I love those guys, whoever they are.

I hope they’ll come help us out soon.

You start attacking Ikea, Jihadis, and you’re going to make yourself a whole new army of young, hip, stylish yet thrifty enemies. And you’ll never again have anywhere to put your CDs.

Hannibal Smith on September 17, 2007 at 12:38 PM

Ha!

If IKEA finds a way to use particle board to armor Humvees, the Islamonuts are gonna be in trouble.

Professor Blather on September 17, 2007 at 1:01 PM

I blame this post on Bryan’s “contrariness” MO.

Allahpundit on September 17, 2007 at 12:56 PM

We need a keyboard fund. *blots, swabs, wipes, cusses*

RushBaby on September 17, 2007 at 1:09 PM

Here again is Liberal hypocracy at its finest

http://www.wtvr.com/Global/story.asp?S=7078849

Cartoon Controversy At UVA No Laughing Matter

CHARLOTTESVILLE: An ugly lesson about free speech and freedom of the press is being taught here on the beautiful and rather tony campus of the University of Virginia.

This week’s messy, food-fightlike lesson features a complex cast of characters, including a serially offensive cartoonist, a group of irate minority students and an editorial staff at the Cavalier Daily newspaper who apparently have problems with both their vision and their spines.

The cartoonist, senior biology student Grant Woolard, has survived previous attacks by those he has offended, including Christians, Asian women and Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly.

But he was kicked off the paper’s staff this week for his “Ethiopian Food Fight” cartoon. It showed light-skinned, nearly naked, alienlike black figures fighting each other with branches, stools and chairs.

Just a year ago, the Cav Daily made the national news after some Christians found two of Woolard’s cartoons offensive.

One showed Jesus crucified on a Cartesian coordinate plane and another featured Joseph confronting Mary about her bumpy rash at the nativity scene, with Mary swearing “it was immaculately transmitted.”

Woolard admits he’s an equal-opportunity offender, and a review of his body of work certainly seems to back up that claim, with past comics showing insensitivity to amputees, the homeless, the handicapped, Cambodians, Girl Scouts and even Pinocchio.

Some of his pieces have that bizarre feel popularized by Gary Larson, Dave Coverly and Gahan Wilson. Some are just plain twisted.

Two years ago, Woolard was a central figure in a controversy at UVA over his internet Facebook group, “Americans for the Increased Importation of Asian Women.” Though he claimed he and his Chinese girlfriend only started the site in reaction to another student’s Asian fetish site.

William Amos on September 17, 2007 at 1:17 PM

lorien1973 on September 17, 2007 at 1:00 PM

My point was on the cartoon reaction. The old cartoon madness ain’t what it used to be.

This time we have one guy, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi who is having the jihadi vapors. Last time it was hundreds of different clerics, imams and assorted nut jobs. I see signs of progress here and there. No “Behead those that Insult Islam” signs anywhere that I’ve seen. Is that a sign of some acceptance for Western values or do you think it’s something else?

Guardian on September 17, 2007 at 1:23 PM

The West. Every Islamic “uprising” seems less energetic than the one before. The first cartoon assault was intense and a few died as a result.

Guardian on September 17, 2007 at 12:43 PM

I disagree. It took the Danish Imams MONTHS of travelling and spreading disinformation in the Arab world to gin up the demostrations.. They were not spontaneous, they were carefully instigated.

Just like this is.

VinceP1974 on September 17, 2007 at 1:28 PM

Why live in fear of those who wish to kill you? Take the offensive … kill those who want you dead first.

Why the world puts up with these babbling pyschotics is beyond me. Peace is only obtained through strenght. If the enemy knows you’ll inflict 1000x the damge he inflicts on you, or that you won’t tolerate any crap and immediately deal with any threat or attack … peace will bloom.

darwin on September 17, 2007 at 1:51 PM

I remember during Christmas time, years ago some group was attacking Jewish homes that displayed the Menorah. So everybody , Christians and non believers alike started putting Menorahs in their windows.
If only all the papers were to display Muslim cartoons. Yeah, thats going to happen.

abinitioadinfinitum on September 17, 2007 at 2:01 PM

More on Baghdadi

I don’t mean to underplay the Swedish cartoonist’s fears, but this could be as fake as a Bin Laden video. My guess is that he (if he exists) is trying to incite a local Swede to pull a Theo Van Gogh type of attack on the infidel.

Buy Danish on September 17, 2007 at 3:34 PM

One more thing. How does “Baghdadi” plan on paying the reward? Is his phone number and email address in the White pages so the would be assassin can contact him?

I don’t doubt that there are some really stupid Jihadists who will fall for this scam. Heck, Democrats got swindled by Norman Hsu and I hear they’re really smart.

Buy Danish on September 17, 2007 at 3:49 PM

Ochlan on September 17, 2007 at 4:00 PM

Clearly this sort of potential for violence is very real.

However, if the Swedes point out that Baghdadi doesn’t exist and can’t pay out any rewards it could make it less likely that an erstwhile jihadi will take up arms against the cartoonist.

Buy Danish on September 17, 2007 at 4:18 PM

Police tell Swedish cartoonist that he’s not safe at home.

Police tell Swedish cartoonist Swedes that he’s they’re not safe at home.

All Muslims are hostages with a death threat hanging over them.

Mojave Mark on September 17, 2007 at 8:37 PM

Could we please have a new policy that all fatwas are retroactive on the person who issues them? That is, you put a 150k price on someone’s head, we put the same, or double perhaps, on yours?

I’m not sure how this could be arranged for a government to do legally, but it could be danged effective, imho. At least worth a try.

TexasDan on September 17, 2007 at 10:35 PM