The United States blasted the publication by European newspapers of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed as unacceptable incitement to religious or ethnic hatred.
"These cartoons are indeed offensive to the beliefs of Muslims," State Department spokesman Justin Higgins said when queried about the furore sparked by the cartoons which first appeared in a Danish newspaper.
"We all fully recognize and respect freedom of the press and expression but it must be coupled with press responsibility," Higgins told AFP.
"Inciting religious or ethnic hatreds in this manner is not acceptable. We call for tolerance and respect for all communities and for their religious beliefs and practices."
What business is it of the State Department what private newspapers publish? Where does the government get off telling free individuals that their speech must be responsible? Intolerant speech is not acceptable to the government?
This is a disastrous appeasement of radical Islam, which is using the threat of force to violate free speech rights.
I think we just lost the war. I really do. We have conceded Islam’s right to intimidate free citizens. The State Department has said to our enemy, “You are morally right to threaten force against speech you do not like.” Yes, they throw in a disclaimer about freedom of speech, but that is a non-essential qualifier compared to their moral concession in siding with thugs who want to kill westerners that blaspheme Mohammed. If we concede that, what are we fighting for?
This will give the enemy aid and comfort. They will think, "Even the Great Satan knows we are right. All we have to do is hang tough and they will leave, as they did in Vietnam and Somalia. How long can they fight when they know we are morally right?"
(HT: Michelle Malkin)
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