A disappointing statement from Stephen Harper....
First, it was Peter Mackay with a wish-washy statement about free speech..now it's Stephen Harper.
The prime minister says he regrets the printing of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, amid warnings that their publication could put Canadian troops in Afghanistan at greater peril.Of course, the Muslim community is trying to get Ezra Levant charged with a hate crime.
"Free speech is a right that all Canadians enjoy; Canadians also have the right to voice their opinion on the free speech of others," Stephen Harper said in a written statement, his first comments on the incendiary cartoons since the furor first erupted.
"I regret the publication of this material in several media outlets. While we understand this issue is divisive, our government wishes that people be respectful of the beliefs of others.
"I commend the Canadian Muslim community for voicing its opinion peacefully, respectfully and democratically."
posted by GayandRight @ 9:58 PM
5 Comments:
Would you also support the printing of cartoons that mock the beliefs and are offensive to gay people as well? I suppose you'll also support the rights of several Iranian newspapers who've decided to print cartoons mocking halocaust victims as well. You'd think as Canadians we'd be better than that.
You've gotten this all wrong. Once the cartoons become 'news', they should be printed. The national post last week printed many cartoons from the muslim press that were offensive to jews. Nobody took offense because none was meant - they were printed to illustrate a point.
The same thing applies to these cartoosn as well. Once they became a big news item, then the press should publish them - if only to show people what some people find offensive.
Earlier this year, I published a cartoon from Capital Xtra - the gay newspaper - that was deeply offensive to stephen harper. Was I being offensive in publishing the same cartoon???? Hardly, I was trying to show something that WAS offensive.
A pretty innocuous statement by the PM, generally just pablum designed to please as many people as possible.
Nice to see a blogger stating that he's disappointed though, I've noticed many bloggers acting like politicians and completely doing a turnaround as soon as Harper didn't back up comments they made before.
Sure, printing the cartoons is a fundamental right of the free press. But the intent needs to be questioned. If publishing it is done to more fully explain the news that is one thing. But to publish it gratuitously for no other reason than to say - in effect - "I have the right to publish", then we should question that.
We don't expect the media to publish the pictures of gruesome murders - especially where children are involved. They have the right, but clearly it would be questionable judgement.
I would rather see the press of the world take the opportunity to expose the Arab and Muslim press in how they depict the West and Israel. They have no qualms about portraying the Jewish leaders as cannibals. They have no qualms about praising the beheading of non-combatants. It is also clear to me that the leaders of the Muslim countries where the mobs run rampant, are using this as a diversion. Muslims in countries like Iran, Syria, Egypt, Indonesia, etc are people who are repressed, impoverished, and without basic rights. If you can keep their attention focused on the "evil" of the West, they won't be looking at their own leaders.
wow your gay, support israel, and are anti Islam? wow the coming of the anti christ!
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