Trevor Blake: Cartoons, Two Responses
Israel News, Swedish Muslim group to sue newspaper over Muhammad drawing: Mahmoud Aldebe, chairman of the Swedish Muslim Federation, said the group would sue the newspaper for inciting hatred against ethnic groups. “It ridicules our religion. This is discriminating and insulting… they want to see just how far they are able to go by pushing the boundaries of press freedom,” he said.
Asharq Alawstat, Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader offers bounty for murder of Swedish cartoonist: [Abu Omar al-Baghdadi said] “We are calling for the assassination of cartoonist Lars Vilks who dared insult our Prophet, peace be upon him, and we announce a reward during this generous month of Ramadan of US$100,000 (ยค72,000) for the one who kills this criminal,” [...] The leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq offered money for the murder of a Swedish cartoonist who recently produced images deemed insulting to Islam and promised a new offensive in Iraq during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in a statement carried by Islamist Web sites Saturday.
[Articles continue at links. Islam, like all of us, has two choices. It can go by the rule of law or go by the rule of force. If it goes by the rule of law, it can elect to sue people who draw pictures of their particular invisible monster that lives in the sky. If it goes by the rule of force, it can elect to kill people who draw pictures of their particular invisible monster that lives in the sky. It is a sad comment on their particular invisible monster that it is weakened by cartoons. And how curious that it takes the secular reward of money to accomplish the superstitious goal of human sacrifice. But between the rule of law and the rule of force, I commend the former and condemn the later. - Trevor Blake]
