Thursday's Cartoon

Today's cartoon, as I continue to stand in solidarity with Denmark and all others resisting capitulation to the fanatics:

Here's a disturbing quote from Hamid Karzai on the controversy:

“Any insult to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is an insult to more than 1bn Muslims and an act like this must never be allowed to be repeated,” said Hamid Karzai, Afghan president, strong western ally and moderate Muslim leader.

Gunmen in Gaza surrounded the local European Union office and threatened to kidnap citizens of countries where newspapers had published the cartoons.

Back in Jordan a paper actually joins us:

Meanwhile, a Jordanian gossip tabloid on defiantly published three of the cartoons that have triggered outrage in the Arab and Muslim world.

"Muslims of the world, be reasonable," said the editor-in-chief of the weekly independent newspaper Al-Shihan in an editorial alongside the cartoons, including the one showing the Muslim religion's founder wearing a bomb-shaped turban.

"What brings more prejudice against Islam, these caricatures or pictures of a hostage-taker slashing the throat of his victim in front of the cameras or a suicide bomber who blows himself up during a wedding ceremony in Amman?" wrote Jihad Momani.

And this common sense from a guy actually named Jihad.

The brave French editor loses his job for reprinting the cartoons. Looks like his paper is owned by an Egyptian:

The issue opened divisions among European Union governments. Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik said EU leaders have a responsibility to "clearly condemn" insults to any religion. But French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said he preferred "an excess of caricature to an excess of censorship."

Sarkozy joined journalists in rallying around the editorial director of France Soir, who was fired by the newspaper's Egyptian owner. France Soir and several other newspapers across Europe reprinted the caricatures this week in a show of support for freedom of expression. (emphasis mine)

What's up with the Austrians? I guess anyone who threatens to name their arena Tookie Williams Stadium has pretty clouded judgement all around.

Even the BBC is standing in solidarity, on the sly that is. So that their viewers can understand what all the stink is about you see. Wink, wink.

London - The BBC broadcast irreverent cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed on Thursday to help audiences understand "the strong feelings" sparked by a report of a Muslim backlash provoked by their original publication in Denmark.

Whatever BBC. I'm just glad you did it.