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Old 02-07-2006, 12:31 AM   #42
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Re: Militants Surround EU Offices in Gaza Over 'Offensive' Cartoons

Quote: (Originally Posted by RMadd) So, then, by your logic, she would also not come to the defense of some extremely conservative religious folk (namely, Muslims).
Also, is it fair for you to say the secular war on Christian holidays comes at an inappropriate, yet seemingly deny that the current state of affairs in the Middle East is worth considering when the blameless European press decides to print a cartoon that could potentially inflame more than 1 billion people.
No, technically, Europe has done nothing wrong in the legal sense. But the problem is that some people seem to be looking at this issue through only lens and no other. From what I've learned about Europeans in recent courses in political science and history I've taken, many Europeans are afraid of the encroachment of Arabs/Muslims on territory that was previously held almost exclusively by white Protestants and Catholics (depending on the locale). Britain, I understand, has a fairly sizable Muslim population which has been ostracized in recent years. So while the various papers might not be breaking any domestic or international statutes, some people need to realize that the situation with Arabic-speaking, predominantly-Muslim countries is fairly problematic, and that we must act as though we're walking on eggshells when dealing with the situation. Such blatant disregard for the delicate nature of the matter is terribly ignorant and irresponsible.

Yes, it is ignorant and irresponsible... but it's also legal. It's sad... but true. The European media isn't bound by international law to respect all religions... that's the nature of the issue. I, like you, agree that it wasn't the smartest thing to do. However, they had every legal right to do so. We can debate the nature of the cartoon... but not the legitimacy of its legality.
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