One of the world’s most influential Muslims is now calling on the United Nations – in light of the YouTube movie blamed for violent protests across the Mideast – to impose international restrictions on free speech, criminalizing any statement that impugns Islam.

I am sure they do that a lot.

there are actually other WESTERN Cultures that have laws already against racist speech,,,

just as we have laws against shouting fire in a crowded theater

I think potential harm is taken into consideration,,,,

and none of our 'freedoms' are absolute and without exception

You may accept that "your freedoms" aren't absolute, but not me!

Muslams will be exempted, as usual.

great, than try to go in a theater and yell fire and use freedom of speech as a defense

or try to obtain a nuclear weapon and use right to bear arms as a defense

if 'rights' were absolute, they couldnt be taken away for any reason

the fact that the judicial system allows for rights to be 'taken' , proves they are not absolute,,,

Caricatures of Mohammad do NOT fall into the yelling fire in a
crowded theater area.

The "Yelling FIRE in a crowded theater" standard is used to show that
free speech which causes the immediate and unnecessary danger to
others is not protected speech. When you yell FIRE in a crowded
theater you threaten a stampede by those who fear for their lives.

There is no such threat in caricatures of Mohammad.

On the other hand, threatening to kill and behead a cartoonist,
issuance of a contract to kill a politician or activist or Jew...
These are threats and must be taken seriously and acted upon.

Funny pictures of Mohammad are certainly not prohibited for those
who are not Muslim.

Threatening to kill comedians, filmmakers, rude people, Democrats,
jews or even cartoonists is not OK for anyone....

See what I mean?

Intelligence is golden Mr Slowhand.

The blind will never see it.

I do see what you mean. And here at home we can enforce those laws against anyone who causes harm to another.

But we have much LESS power to keep our americans abroad safe from retaliation for such stupid and unnecessary 'freedom of speech'.

The laws ABROAD are not our laws and they dont have to adhere by them either.

its unnecessarily and selfishly putting others in harms way for a political statement,,,

They have freedom of speech in France and all other civilized
countries. They have freedom of religion too.

The French citizens who run this magazine are trying to protect
their freedom of speech just as we do here. It is not the US
trying to impose anything. Same as for the Danish cartoons etc.

If they do not protect their freedom of speech and allow themselves
to be censored by the threat of violence then they have lost their
freedom of speech.

Liberté, égalité, fraternité, French for "Liberty, equality,
fraternity (brotherhood)", is the national motto of France.
And here are the French standing up for their national rights and
cherished values which are much like their allies in the USA.

who would know that it was threat of violence that stopped the article?

who would even know about the article IF NOT for their advertising that they are going to post it 'in spite of'

my opinion is its an UNNECESSARY political statement that puts others in harms way selfishly...

If the UN hands down the Rules,him and Hillary most likely will!
And it will be an extremely onesided Ruling by the Untied Nations!

Freedom of speech is freedom to express your opinion without fear
of retribution because others disagree.

Freedom of the press is the right to publish dissenting opinions
as long as they do not threaten anyone physically.

If someone tells you that you cannot express an opinion because they
will come after you then either you are stifled in expressing that
opinion and the bullies win or you express your opinion anyway and
demand that the bullies accept your right to express yourself.

In France, the US and the rest of the free civilized world the
bullies have to accept all others rights to express themselves
freely. Too bad for those who wish to suppress free speech. They
can likewise peacefully express their disagreement.

Now that's civilized.

Yeah. There will be a lot of hand-wringing at the UN!



Can't be helped. Maybe we will see our first brawl on
the floor of the UN.

there is nothing particularly 'civilized' about ridiculing people or their beliefs

although its common and accepted in our culture and protected legally


as I said, it seems childish to me to do something JUST BECAUSE someone else doesnt want you to


It would be like me eating spinach (which I find disgusting) just because someone else threatened me with violence if I didnt


There are some things that have multiple reasons for self censoring, or avoiding,, and refusing to do so just because someone else threatens you is actually pretty childish,,, in my opinion

I just will never find the sense in it...

Battle Royal!

Barry and Hitlery will go along with any Crap coming out of the UN!
They are really enthused about the Small Arms Treaty!
If that goes through,they'll have your Guns,and you can kiss the First Amendment Goodbye so fast,it wouldn't have time to kiss you back!
So,with the Second goes the First!

And all in the benevolent all-inclusive Spirit of Political Correctness!
But you can bet that Militant Islam will definitely not feel bound by it!

They are not doing this just because someone else doesn't want them to do it in my opinion. If someone told them they did not want them
to eat spinach I doubt there would be a run at the supermarket.



(you may be a super-taster by the way)

They are publishing this to make a point that they insist on
maintaining their freedom to comedically skewer whomever they
want and they insist on their rights being protected. And that
is also big news particularly at this time and it will sell a
lot of magazines and also will make the authors champions for
a just cause. It also isn't very polite but you know...Neither
is chopping somebody's head off.

'do whatever I Want' = selfish

Do you feel that way towards extremist Muslims?

yes