"Together Against The New Totalitarianism: Islam"
French satire newspaper Charlie Hebdo published a manifesto against Islamic totalitarianism, reprinted by the Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten.
The manifesto was signed by a group of 12, including Salmon Rushdie, French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, Ayaan Hirsi Ali (the Somali woman who wrote the script for Submission, by Theo Van Gogh, who is now in the Dutch government, and in hiding thanks to threats on her life by radical Islamists), a number of exiled Arab writers, and others. Here's my translation of the French (mostly accurate, I hope):
"After having vanquished Fascism, Nazism, Stalinism, the world is made to face a new global totalitarian threat: Islamism. We writers, journalists, intellectuals, call for the resistance to religious totalitarianism and for the promotion of liberty, equal opportunity, and secularism (laïcité) for all."
Actually, here's more, already translated into English, from the Jyllands Posten link above, printed in The Editors Weblog:
"The recent events, which occurred after the publication of drawings of Muhammed in European newspapers, have revealed the necessity of the struggle for these universal values ... Islamism is a reactionary ideology which kills equality, freedom and secularism."The 'Manifesto' declares "We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being accused of "Islamophobia", an unfortunate concept which confuses criticism of Islam with stigmatisation of its believers. We plead for the universality of freedom of expression, so that a critical spirit may be excercised on all continents, against all abuses and all dogmas."
Where are all the US newspaper editors? Too busy worrying that their obscene profits are now only grandiose profits? Aside from a handful of US newspapers, pretty much only bloggers are taking a stand against the barbarians at all.
Satire paper?
Like The Onion?
Deirdre B. at March 13, 2006 3:57 AM
Well, not unless people have been threatening to blow up the offices of The Onion.
Amy Alkon at March 13, 2006 7:48 AM
Steyn:
http://www.westernstandard.ca/website/index.cfm?page=article&article_id=1482
You may need to visit bugmenot.com first... Well worth the trouble if you want to start off your Monday with a little extra righteousness.
Crid at March 13, 2006 8:30 AM
I liked this line from the piece, which was right on:
And then there was this about Denmark:
Newspaper editors and politicians alike. It's at times like this that it becomes clear what both jobs are really all about for most in them. A calling? Hah. For too many, their main calling appears to be maintaining their own power and keeping up payments on the McMansion and all.
Amy Alkon at March 13, 2006 9:06 AM
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