Anti-Islam cartoon in French magazine leads to embassy and school closures

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
9/19/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Issue illuminates freedom of expression and press in the western world

Charlie Hebdo, a magazine with a small circulation in France has published a series of cartoons that are demeaning to Islam and the prophet Muhammad. In response, the French government ordered embassies and schools closed in about 20 countries. Since France is the European country with the most Muslims, officials fear the nation will be targeted in the latest wave of violence stemming from the "Innocence of Muslims" film.

The crude cartoons contained in the magazine allude to the violent reaction that greeted 'Innocence of Muslims' film.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - France's prime minister says that while freedom of expression is a given in a democracy, it "should be exercised with responsibility and respect."

Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius warned that the magazine could be throwing "oil on the fire" - but says the courts will decide if the magazine went too far.

The crude cartoons contained in the magazine allude to the violent reaction that greeted "Innocence of Muslims" film. Riot police took guard outside the offices of the magazine. The magazine had previously mocked radical Islam, and had been firebombed last year.

"Charb," Charlie Hebdo's chief editor has been placed under police protection for a year.

"Muhammad isn't sacred to me," Charb said in an interview conducted at the magazine's Paris office. "I don't blame Muslims for not laughing at our drawings. I live under French law; I don't live under Quranic law."

Charb said he had no regrets and felt no responsibility for any violence. "I'm not the one going into the streets with stones and Kalashnikovs," he said. "We've had 1,000 issues and only three problems, all after front pages about radical Islam."

Violence linked to the amateur film includes the deaths of at least 30 people in seven countries, including the American ambassador to Libya.

The French government ordered embassies and schools abroad to close on Friday, the Muslim holy day, as a precautionary measure in about 20 countries. It ordered the immediate closure of the French Embassy and the French school in Tunisia, which saw deadly film-related protests at the U.S. Embassy last week.

In addition, the French Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning that urged French citizens in the Muslim world to exercise "the greatest vigilance," avoiding public gatherings and "sensitive buildings" such as those representing the West or religious sites.

Free speech limits spread to Germany, where Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle spoke on the topic.

"I call on all those, especially those who rightly invoke the right of freedom of speech, to also act responsibly. The one who now puts more oil on the fire on purpose, with obvious effect, is not the greatest thinker," he said.

The German Embassy in Sudan, which was attacked last week, remains closed and security at German embassies in other countries has been beefed up, he said.

� 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: France, cartoons, Charlie Hebdo, anti-Islam, Germany, freedom of speech

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1 - 10 of 10 Comments

Celia
7 months ago
I agree with you Paul freedom of speech doesn't mean demeaning someone else faith, etc "pouring fuel on fire", nevertheless the muslims migrate & expect their host countries to bend to their rules & regulation now who's being a pain in the ass. Don't like it stay in you own country where your religion doesn't bother anybody. I come from a multiracial country & though freedom of religion is allowed islam is the official religion. While the muslims expect the other races to respect their faith they do not extend the same courtesy to the other faiths so how about that. Everything & anything is all about them it's so annoying. It would be nice if they didn't kick up a fuss every time some idiot has a go at them. They must be plain stupid to fall for it every time.
JoAnn
7 months ago
Vance: WW got re- elected because he promised to keep us out of WWI, but it wasn't long after his re-election, that he took us into the war. Then he tried to get us into the League of Nations but the people were smarter back then and wouldn't have any part of it Now, we have nothing but civil ignorance and immorality. . But after WWII, FDR, Stalin and Churchill got us into a UN back in 1945. Just like "progressives" change the name and they'll get what they want, League of Nations/United Nations The purpose for the UN was to stop world wars. (so they said) About 10 wks. after the UN was launched, FDR died. Today, we are looking at the UN for World Governance and NATO is the World military/law enforcers. AND, of course, Islam is wanting to be the World Religion. What people don't understand about Islam is that their religion is also their law. One of Islam's clerics said that the Islam flag will fly over the WH. If Obama is re-elected, that will certainly come to be. Muslims are very much in Washington as it is. In very strategic positions to boot. In our Security Dept. no less. The Muslim Brotherhood is helping to run our country. Does that not bother anyone? If the Muslim Brotherhood gets control of our country, it ain't gonna be pretty. We will be under Shariah Law. Burqas anyone? God bless.
vance
7 months ago
JoAnn, your analysis is spot on. Many people don't realize that the Democrat Party turned socialist during the Wilson regime. When I was in high school, our history teachers and books referred to Wilson as a World War I hero. He was much like our current fraud for a president. He tried back then to create a United Nations ( League of Nations ). God bless.
JoAnn
7 months ago
Vance: You are on the right track. The "powers that be" are orchestrating all of this. There is so much blood on the "ELITES" hands, it isn't funny. Radicals, Islamist, Socialists, Communists, all of them, are working together to eliminate Israel and cause world wide instability. it's the "top down, bottom up, inside out" plan. They think that if it gets so bad, the people will beg for someone to put a stop to it, especially when the unrest starts here, AND IT WILL. And, of course, the government will have to step in, and we will no longer have a Republic. we will be "transformed" into a "ONE WORLD GOVERNANCE under the rule of the United Nations. We already are in some respects, (check what's going on in your local governments) but Obama and the elites WILL relinquish our sovereignty entirely to the United Nations in the not too distant future. Prophecy says it and prophecy is never wrong. Have you read Agenda 21 yet? It is a United Nations economic and social development report for the whole world. You can get it on line. It's about 300 pages but necessary reading if we are to prepare for what is coming. Remember, Shakespeare wrote, "All the world is a stage." He is absolutely right. We are all the puppets under the mercy of the "elites" who want control of this world, our lives and our money. The "ARCHITECTS" of the FR were calling it a "Central Bank" but the people said NO!! AND, our Founding Fathers warned against a central bank.. Sooo, when the "Progressives" want something, they change the name. Hence, FEDERAL RESERVE and from then on, the people didn't know what hit them. (AND STILL DON'T.) Research "FABIAN SOCIALISTS." Their first step was the Federal Reserve to get control of our money. Research the "House of Rothschild" and the Rockefeller's, PAUL WARBURG and SEN. NELSON ALDRICH, (1910) from Rhode Island. We all think that we won our independence in the Revolutionary War We did have independence for awhile, but as soon as the Federal Reserve Act was signed by Woodrow Wilson, (a Progressive/Democratic Socialist) we were partially put back under England's rule. That's why it would be very hard to eliminate the Federal Reserve or audit it. Rob tries to discredit everything I tell my friends here so you won't research it for yourself. None of this is BLOG garbage. The "elites" plan is to eliminate Israel within the next 10 yrs. God will never let that happen, at least not permanently. We all have been very disobedient children and it is time for our "Chastizement." According to Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser, a very holy Catholic cleric, the Church has 7 ages. According to Holzhauer, we are now in the end of the 5th age which ushers in the "Great Chastizement." There are many prophecies given by many Saints and previous Popes that say the same thing. These are all Catholic prophecies, not Protestant. If you get time, research all that I have told you. You will be so amazed and enlightened. (That is not to say you don't know what's going on, because you do.) So does Judy and Bill, Sr. and a few others. Go to: http://www.cephasministry.com/index_nwo.html, Cephas Files: New World Order - Globalism - Church and State as One This is a Protestant site but it still makes for very interesting reading. Read all about the FEMA CONCENTRATION CAMPS. Let me know what you think. God bless.
DarthJ
7 months ago
Another cartoonist soon to be victim of Jihad.
vance
7 months ago
This comes on the heels of this Utube video that has been used as an excuse for violence. I wonder if this so-called cartoon of mohammad isn't in collusion with the islamists to create violence and thus use this cartoon as a public excuse. I just wonder.
Proteios1
7 months ago
I won't pretend that I think islam is anything but a cult of death, violence and oppression, but a word of advice...get over it. Speaking as a Christian, hollywood mocks us on a regular basis. Mocks our beliefs, our messiah and portrays us s stupid fools every chance they get. If Christians murdered innocent pele and burned buildings every time we were ridiculed, the entire USA would look like something after a WWII bombing raid. Grow up or go home.
kafantaris
7 months ago
The key element of the right to free speech is that it be independent of its content, and that it be applied equally across the board -- no matter what the subject being discussed -- or who agrees or disagrees with what is being said.
The French government, therefore, violated this basic rule when it prevented Muslims from peacefully protesting in France. Though it may have done this to keep the peace, this is not a good enough reason to cut off free speech and peaceful assembly.
France should thus reverse course and allow Muslims to protest -- to prove its tolerance for dissent and to show how things are done in a mature, civilized country.
Paul-Emile Leray
7 months ago
I completely agree with what the German foreign minister said. I am sick and tired of some French and American, also Canadian, British DRAMA queens; in reality, with practically most so called journalism and media at this point in time. This isn't about free speech. It's about getting attention, sensationalism, selling more magazines and papers, pamphlets or whatever, at any cost, creating a public stir; precisely what journalists, the media, marketers, and often politicians and lawyers are guilty of themselves. The more I look at humanity, the more I am inclined to think God made but ONE mistake in His glorious creation. Which one? Creating the human species! What a bunch of stupid bipeds we are, collectively speaking. As one sociologist once noted, individually most people are intelligent but collectively speaking we are perhaps the most stupid species on the planet. General Clemenceau once noted that he didn't know whether humans were in moments of war between moments of peace; or, in moments of peace between moments of war. Do you? I don't. I honestly believe humans are, collectively speaking, stupid. Thousands and thousands of years of wars, fighting, bickering, provocations, and on and on it goes. When will it end? Older generations wonder why so many youth have no interest in getting married and having families? Perhaps if the examples were a little more emotionally MATURE the youth would be more interested in marriage and family. HISTORY is depressing! I have Muslim friends. I have Buddhist friends. I have Christian friends. I have Shinto friends. I have atheist friends. I have friends from different skin colors and nationalities. Freedom of speech does not mean you simply go around and insult and push the button on the computer for the printer (your mouth) to print without having at least SOME degree of proofreading on the screen inside your head. There is a difference between freedom of speech and freedom to be outright STUPID. Exercise your freedom to be WISE instead of throwing oil, gas, dynamite, on people who are already suffering enough as it is. Freedom of speech is important, but it does have consequences and necessitates at least SOME degree of responsibility. You can go and tell a thug to go pound sand, but be aware he might clobber you on the head. Is it worth the risk? In many cases, YES. In some cases, NO. Sensationalistic drama queens; anything for a story and headlines and attention. This is the world we live in. Power, control, sex, money, love....love is the only virtuous one. And ridiculing Muslims is not love. It's simply provocation and muscle flexing, sensationalism, fame seeking, Hollywood-like drama queen song and dance shows....low intellectual level nonsense. Grow up! Some of you people in the media and in the publishing business seem to simply enjoy stirring up the henhouse for the sake of nothing other than to create havoc....meanwhile innocent people die. There are some FINE muslims on this planet...they are NOT all radicals and terrorists. Some live more Christian styled lives than many so called Christians living in free democracies. Democracies are now in reality, MOBOCRACIES...the rule of the MOB and lowest common denominator. Therefore, freedom of speech has become freedom to be ignorant and stupid. To people living in France, be happy you were born in such a wonderful country. Exercise your freedoms wisely, instead of behaving like flashy drama queens forever seeking attention and making a big FUSS over anything and everything. To think my own genetics are French...it's embarrassing at times! I'm even more embarrassed to be Canadian! Heck, I'm embarrassed to be human at this point! Look at us, collectively speaking. We ARE a stupid species, collectively. When will world peace come? Not by deliberating provoking and insulting Muslims, in the name of free speech! Journalism was once more objective. Now? Now, it is sensationalism, ratings, drama queens; and this, written in part by a journalist himself many years ago. Ratings matter to the bottom line. Selling stories and papers and magazines are necessary to stay in business. Sensationalism works, for money, short term. Long term? Go for objective reporting and higher degrees of truth instead of blasted sensationalistic drama queen low level nonsense. Being a journalist these days is often, sadly, not much more than "une boite a parler" (a speaking box) as some say in France. It's true. Sensationalism. In the name of profits first, the public ends up with TRASH from the majority of so called news sources. In some countries, the governments monitor and control the media. In other countries, they have freedom of speech. The result? The people, the citizenry, often end up with lies and deceit and propaganda in both realities since many people with freedom of speech go too far and fit into a category better called freedom to be an irresponsible anger provocating FOOL. It simply ends up being one big shouting match filled with free speech by mob level demagogues and fools. While I disagree with some things about Islamic law, I also disagree with many things about positive law. (manmade laws; jurisdiction (international, national, prefectural, local, etc) Are the laws of any given country always just and accurate? The answer to that is self evident. NO! Look at all the wars that took place in Europe over the centuries. And how many countries in central and South America, Asia, did they stick their noses into? And you, in France, are going to single out Muslims? Your own kings oppressed their own citizens not so long ago, right in France. Now that your feudal system is over with, officially, you exercise your freedom of speech to be stupid? Jack a--! Actually, a donkey is wise. I do not wish to insult the wisdom of a donkey. Jesus chose the donkey to ride on. In truth, the donkey has more wisdom than many journalists and cartoonists. They don't drop barrels of oil on top of already heated coals inside furnaces! A democracy? In reality, a mobocracy ruled by demagogues who have been elected by frustrated mob members (with freedom of speech; often exercised as freedom to publically display ignorance and stupidity since most people with freedom of speech use it to shine light on their foolishness by demonstrating how UNWISE they are) Meanwhile, Disneyland, Hollywood, the movie theatres, television screens, and hotdogs and colored carbonated sugared drinks will keep being worshipped since games, fiction, junk food, and junk drinks, are also all part of being FREE....FREE to be obese, ignorant, and stupid and driven off a cliff (politically, fiscally, and otherwise) by people who seek to oppress or create havoc for the sake of creating havoc! Perhaps cartoonists who are not philosophers ought to be drawing Mickey Mouse's and Donald Duck's for Disneyland? White skinned, Eurocentric, arrogant western idiot! It is because of people like YOU that people like me have to work harder in various lands in different cultures to try and promote peace, justice, and love! You want war? Get in the trenches instead of hiding behind your infantile intellectually inferior cartoons! French idiot! To think my grandfather risked his life on the side of France, no less, in WWI, so that IDIOTS like you could abuse on your so called freedom of speech. I'll exercise my freedom of speech right here, right now: you are a sensationalistic, chaos stirrng, IDIOT! (with probably a bigger bank account now that your sensationalism likely sold more garbage since the MOB eats that up like it does rotten burgers and colored sugared water...it feeds on JUNK. True? If you are angry, I am likely close to being on target!) By the way, I am white. I do NOT defend people based on nationality or skin color. Fools are fools, regardless of skin color or religion, regardless of nationality or political affiliation. True? True. You wish to be a cartoonist, you French idiot with freedom of speech? Apply to Disneyland and draw Mickey Mouse's in various colors. You are a disgrace to the great French artists, writers, philosophers, sociologists, composers, and TRUE intellectuals who have come out of that great country. That's why you are a cartoonist...because you are a CLOWN! (with freedom of speech, of course) What is even worse, you seem to take no responsibility for any of this? Like a spoiled child who makes a MESS and then blames everything on the babysitter when the parents come home. Let me guess? You were one of these Obama worshippers 4 years ago, seeing flashes of a savior coming to rescue the world? Are you disappointed? Naive IDIOT! Please don't tell me you also went to an Ivy league school, or I will truly get depressed. If you ended up as a cartoonist, it wouldn't surprise me! History? The purpose of studying history is to understand, to learn from the past; and it is obvious after thousands of years of wars and fighting that people are SLOW learners indeed...especially politicians and those voting in ignorance. Again, humans collectively are FOOLS. (myself included) What a MISERABLE existence to have to deal with a pile of IDIOTS such as YOU as often as I have to. Draw mouses and ducks and goofies for Disney; it likely won't lead to embassy and school closures and putting innocent lives at risk. You are a FOOL! (and likely with a university degree as well, I would imagine; further proof that academic formation does not necessarily lead to WISDOM)
Paul-Emile Leray
alex a
7 months ago
What a bunch of drama queens; if they're acknowledging there could be harsh reprocusions due to their actions, why in their distorted mind did they do it? Action follows reaction in this environment....

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