Tens of thousands rally in Pakistan against Mohammad Cartoons

[ECH1969]

More than 40,000 people rallied Sunday in Pakistan`s port city of Karachi to protest the worldwide publication of cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohammed, witnesses and police said.

In the rally called by the country`s mainstream political parties, flag-waving protestors chanted "down with the blasphemer," "down with Denmark" and "death to America." Protests over the cartoons - although not published in the American media - have invariably turned against the United States in Pakistan, where anti-US sentiments are running high because of Washington`s policies in neighbouring Afghanistan and Iraq.

Fazlur Rehman, leader of the Islamic alliance, Muttahida Majlis-e-Ammal (MMA), condemned the European Union for extending support for the blasphemous cartoons on the pretext of freedom of press.

Pakistan, where blasphemy is punishable by death, has already recalled its envoy from Copenhagen and urged the European Union to enact laws to prevent publication of offensive material against Islam and other religions.

http://www.antara.co.id/en/seenws/?id=9753

[catmother]

1. OMG. i thought all that was over. i don't understand why they're

angry at the US when we didn't print them. :dilemma:

[Skittles]

7. because the cartoons are just a symptom

bush inc is the disease

[PsychoDad]

8. Exactly

The cartoons are only a flash point for a number of pent up angers and frustrations at the west and the western supported dictator or Pakistan.

Protest is the voice of democracy. It's surprising to see so many here who don't support the right of these people to peaceful protest.

But then again, seeing how little protest we have against the * junta and it's war against the poor of this nation, even by those whom the policies are directed at, maybe it shouldn't be much of a surprise.

Peace.

[Skittles]

11. I'm reminded of those silly stories claiming someone killed them self

because..........and they'll mention the last thing, the action, no matter how trivial, that sent that person over the edge when of course it was many years of frustration and depression and failure and hardship that did it...

[comradebillyboy]

2. la de da

the Danish cartoons gave Islam a lot more respect than it deserves. Fuck em if they can't take a joke.

[seriousstan]

3. After a time it starts to tell you about the protesters.

[PsychoDad]

9. Yes...

Perhaps that they are pissed off and dedicated to seeing change.

Protest is the voice of the people, of democracy.

It would be nice if this many Americans protested each week against this illegitimate regime we currently have in office.

After a time the silence starts to tell you about the non-protesters. :)

Peace

[TaleWgnDg]

4. Have you seen these editorial cartoons?

.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyllands-Posten_Muhammad_cartoons_controversy
(as last visited, Thursday, February 9, 2006 at 3:00 AM EST)

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Jyllands-Posten_Muhammad_cartoons_controversy
(as last visited, Thursday, February 9, 2006 at 3:30 AM EST)
"This is the time line of the 2006 Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. The cartoons were first published by Jyllands-Posten in late September 2005; approximately two weeks later, nearly 3,500 people demonstrated peacefully in Copenhagen. In November, several European newspapers re-published the images, triggering more protests. Labour strikes began in Pakistan the following month, and several organizations criticized the Danish government. More protests occurred in January 2006, and later that month a boycott of Danish goods began. Several countries withdrew their ambassadors to Denmark, and widespread protests, some of them violent, began. The protests continued in February. In Damascus, Syria, both the Norwegian embassy and a building containing the Danish, Swedish, and Chilean embassies were stormed and set afire by protesters. The Danish General Consulate in Beirut was burned down by more than 10,000 protesters." (further list of violent acts are being updated by wikipedia writers as they occur)

For further overview about all the violence, boycotts, and the editorial cartoons at issue, please see: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/religion/jan-june06/cartoons_02-06.html (mp3, streaming video/audio, transcript is available)
.

[Igel]

13. Most DUers probably have, by now.

A few must really find some of them offensive--you know, like the one mocking Rose, or the one showing the cowering cartoonist. After all, it rebuts most of their talking points: these are hate, how dare they not show hate properly, and lead to critical thinking. Best to ignore those few, focus on the ones that can easily be taken as inciting violence against Muslims: then the hate towards non-Muslims can be, well, understood.

On the other hand, few of the demonstrators have seen them. They're True Believers. They don't need to see them. Their puppermasters have told them what to see, what to think, how to breathe, even how to have sex with their wives and kids. They know who's guilty. Allah told them ... no, it was their political leaders ... er ... imams ... er ... Allah ... er ... political leaders. Oh, wait, they're all the same!

And the Muslim papers in Muslim countries that published them last fall ... their readers certainly saw them. But *they* didn't riot or protest.

Muslims in Muslim countries who saw them as they were, don't protest. Those who don't see them, or only see them as they've been taught to see them, do. Serfs.

[cliss]

5. The cartoons are only part of the problem

Pakistan is ready to blow. They've been having huge demonstrations on a regular basis. When you have ongoing demonstrations like this, it's time to start taking notice.

I'm going to put forward a humble prediction: Musharraf's days as dictator are probably numbered. Don't get into a car with this man.

[catmother]

12. i have that same feeling especially after dubya visited.

:scared:

[Endangered Specie]

6. Well, at least they weren't shouting "Death to India!"...

:sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm:

[fujiyama]

10. All I can tell these people

is "Get a Life you morans" (thanks to Mr. Moran wherever the hell he is!).

But in all seriousness, this is obviously no longeer even about cartoons. The MMA (a fanatical religious party in Pakistan) is exploiting this for their own political gain.

[MadisonProgressive]

14. Jesus! They've made their point already! GET OVER IT!!!!!