Free speech for all

Reuters today, and many others, here, for instance, report on the continuing unrest in Gaza, with Palestinian youths attempting to storm the European Union office in their continuing protest over the Mohammad cartoons, with some about 30 protestors throwing stones at the building.

Also under attack was the adjacent German consulate, where dozens of Palestinians, including teenagers and masked men, stoned the building in Gaza City's Remal neighbourhood. The protesters are also reported to have torn down the German flag, whence they stamped on it and burned it.

About 50 schoolchildren and teenagers gathered at one corner of the street to try to resume the attacks on the two buildings, but Palestinian riot police, armed with batons, pushed them back. The youths threw stones at the police, and then fled.

Meanwhile, we have gathered more examples of peace-loving Muslim communities exercising their right to free speech, here, here, here and here, from which this highly sensitive example of political comment has been culled, published in Al-Yawm (Saudi Arabia) on 30 November 2005 (above).


I rather like this contemporary view of Islam though… (above, left). It's unfair, perhaps inaccurate and a total slur on moderate Muslims. But hey! I'm exercising my right of free speech.

As for our own contribution to the debate - from our own cartoonist Anoneumouse - this is just grossly irresponsible. Everyone knows that Muslims don't drink lager. It is totally offensive, therefore, to suggest that they might actually make anything as useful as this refreshing drink. The bottom half of the cartoon is clearly wrong.

We apologise profusely for any offence we might have caused.

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