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| 5/24 |
| 2006/2/8-10 [Politics/Foreign/MiddleEast/Iraq] UID:41768 Activity:nil |
2/8 America hearts Saudi Arabia
http://csua.org/u/exl (Reuters)
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/02/08/cartoon.protests/index.html
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/2/5/13149/60748
"The 350 pilgrims were killed on January 12 and soon after [Hajj
fatalities], Saudi newspapers (which are all controlled by the state)
began running up to 4 articles per day condemning the Danish cartoons.
The Saudi government asked for a formal apology from Denmark. When
that was not forthcoming, they began calling for world-wide protests."
\_ Juan Cole's take:
http://www.juancole.com/2006/02/fact-file-on-reaction-to-danish.html
\_ shit, I need a blogger account to reply to his entry.
but basically, what I want to say is, "Can't they both be true?"
That is, Juan Cole's chronology may be entirely accurate, but
this does not preclude Saudi Arabia from suddenly turning up
the heat 10 notches.
\_ I think Juan is saying even if SA turned up the heat, it
doesn't diminish the authenticity of the outrage.
\_ that is one of the things he says, but he also says,
"the allegation that this thing was fanned by Saudi Arabia
does not seem to be substantiated by the FBIS" |
| 5/24 |
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| csua.org/u/exl -> today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=businessNews&storyID=2006-02-07T191922Z_01_N07246586_RTRUKOC_0_US-ENERGY-EXXON.xml MORE HOUSTON (Reuters) - The United States will always rely on foreign imports of oil to feed its energy needs and should stop trying to become energy independent, a top Exxon Mobil Corp. "Realistically, it is simply not feasible in any time period relevant to our discussion today," Exxon Mobil Senior Vice President Stuart McGill said, referring to what he called the "misperception" that the United States can achieve energy independence. The comments, in a speech at an energy conference in Houston, come a few days after US President George W Bush declared America was addicted to Middle Eastern oil and promised to help the country kick the habit. Many in the United States believe America should wean itself off oil imports from the Middle East, fearing it makes the country dangerously dependent on an unstable region. The world's largest publicly traded oil company, however, says hoping to end foreign oil imports is not only a bad idea, but also impossible. "Americans depend upon imports to fill the gap," McGill said. "No combination of conservation measures, alternative energy sources and technological advances could realistically and economically provide a way to completely replace those imports in the short or medium term." Instead of trying to achieve energy independence, importing nations like the US should be promoting energy interdependence, McGill said. "Because we are all contributing to and drawing from the same pool of oil, all nations -- exporting and importing -- are inextricably bound to one another in the energy marketplace," he said. |
| www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/02/08/cartoon.protests/index.html As world leaders and the editor of the paper that first published the cartoons speculated over how the violence escalated to a level that killed at least 10 people in different countries, Condoleezza Rice pointed the finger at Syria and Iran. "Iran and Syria have gone out of their way to inflame sentiments and to use this to their own purposes, and the world ought to call them on it," she said at a joint news conference with Israel's foreign minister, Tzipi Livni. Although Tehran did not immediately respond, Syria's ambassador to the United States, Imad Moustapha, denied Rice's accusation and tried to turn the blame for the violence on Israeli and US policy decisions unrelated to the cartoon row. "We in Syria believe anti-Western sentiments are being fueled by two major things: the situation in Iraq and the situation in the occupied territories, the West Bank and Gaza," Moustapha said. He added, "We believe that if somebody would tell Secretary Rice that Syria is not the party that occupies Iraq and is not the party that occupies the West Bank and Gaza, then probably she would know it is not Syria who is actually fueling anti-Western sentiments." On Wednesday, the death toll stemming from the violence reached at least 10, as Afghan police shot and killed several of about 600 protesters trying to storm a US military base. One of the dead in Qalat might be a police officer, eyewitnesses said. Bush appeared with Jordan's King Abdullah II on Wednesday morning, and both urged leaders in affected nations to step in. "I call upon the governments around the world to stop the violence, to be respectful, to protect property and protect the lives of innocent diplomats who are serving their countries overseas," Bush said, referring to the attacks on Danish and other European embassies in several capitals. Abdullah condemned the violence as well as anything that "vilifies the Prophet Mohammed" and said there was no problem with protesting as long as demonstrators do it "thoughtfully, articulately, express their views peacefully." Meanwhile, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen defended his nation, saying that the Muslim world has the wrong idea about Denmark. "We are portrayed as a society which is intolerant and an enemy of Islam, and it's a false picture," he said. However, he said, the Danish government, which has laws against "racist or blasphemous" expressions, has nothing to apologize for. "I think everybody should realize that neither the Danish government nor the Danish people can be held responsible for what is published in a free and independent newspaper," he said, explaining that anyone seeking redress from a Danish newspaper should turn to the courts. The cartoons were originally published in September in the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten. But protests against the government itself have increased in intensity in recent days after the reprinting of the caricatures in German, French, Norwegian and Jordanian newspapers. One of the cartoons showed Mohammed wearing a turban shaped as a bomb. Moreover, many Muslims consider any depiction of the prophet to be sacrilegious. The cartoons have prompted boycotts of Danish goods throughout the Muslim world. In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, travel agents said travelers were not booking flights to Denmark or Norway. Also in UAE, a university professor was fired after distributing copies of the cartoons to her students. The nation's minister of education, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al Nahan, said he ordered Clauda Keepoz's dismissal because "her behavior has nothing to do with the freedom of expression." In France, President Jacques Chirac asked the media to avoid offending people's religious beliefs and condemned "obvious provocations." Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, chairman of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, also urged an end to the violent protests and called for a balance between free expression and respect for religion and culture. He added that the nature of the cartoons "cannot and does not legitimize violence." "The press should decide in a responsible way what it publishes," he said. "Although states might not subscribe to the content of media publications, it is not up to governments to influence the content of the press. Iraqi national security adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie said he didn't agree with publishing the cartoons. However, he said he also disagreed with extremists using the cartoons to stir up violence "against the Western interests and actually against the good reputation of Islam as a religion, of Muslims as a people, as a peaceful people, and people believing in freedom of speech." But Flemming Rose, cultural editor of Jyllands-Posten, said he didn't believe there was "a direct linkage" between the publication of the cartoons in September and the eruption of protests this month. Watch editor's interview with CNN -- 5:05) The real violence began only after a group of Danish Muslim leaders, or imams, went to the Middle East and exaggerated the situation, "trying to ignite public opinion against Denmark, did all these tragic events start to unfold," he said. "And I do think these cartoons are not worth a single human life." CNN is not showing the negative caricatures of the likeness of the Prophet Mohammed because the network believes its role is to cover the events surrounding the publication of the cartoons while not unnecessarily adding fuel to the controversy itself. CNN producer Syed Mohsin Naqvi and journalist Tom Coghlan contributed to this report. |
| www.dailykos.com/story/2006/2/5/13149/60748 Soj Sun Feb 05, 2006 at 11:01:49 AM PDT I had a friend over today who lives out of town and we switched on the traditional news media television and saw what most of you have probably seen - angry rioters protesting, burning flags and attacking various Danish embassies around the world. Despite the spectaculor footage and a bevy of experts "weighing in" on the issue, I did not one single mention of what's actually going on. And so therefore, by my duty as a citizen journalist, I will now share it with all of you. The issue has been framed by the traditional media as "Free Expression/Speech" in contrast with "Sensitivity to Religion". Do newspapers in democratic societies have the right to publish offensive images? Well that's something definitely worth debating, but it's overlooking an important step. Soj's diary :: :: * But before we explain that, it's time to address a few other issues. The first issue is whether or not it is inflammatory or offensive to Islam to depict the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) at all. Traditionally, the answer is the Qur'an (the Muslim equivalent to the Christian Bible) does not forbid it, it only forbids "idolatry", which would imply worshipping a statue or other representation of Mohammed (PBUH). The Hadith, which has no equivalent in Christianity but is equivalent to Judaism's Talmud, and is somewhat of a secondary literary source of the Muslim faith, prohibits any pictures or drawings of sacred figures, including Mohammed (PBUH). That being said, in practical terms, it occurs quite regularly. There are images similar to Orthodox Christian ikons that are commonplace in Shi'ite communities, especially in Iran. There are also Muslim works of art depicting Mohammed (PBUH) in Central Asia, and neither these nor those in Iran are considered inflammatory and neither are they censored. There are a number of depictions of Mohammed (PBUH), some in very unflattering situations, in Christian churches in Europe, especially Italy. The famous book/poem "Inferno" by Dante makes a very unflattering reference to Mohammed (PBUH) and there are several pieces of artwork depicting Dante's descriptions. There have been several derogatory or potentially inflammatory usages of Mohammed (PBUH) in American entertainment vehicles, perhaps the most famous being South Park. And last but not least, there is an actual sculpture of Mohammed (PBUH) on the Supreme Court building in Washington, DC. The point I'm trying to make here is that Mohammed (PBUH) has been depicted, painted or made appearances in animated cartoons on many, many occasions and yet there's been no rioting, storming of embassies and CNN coverage. The question becomes, not why were the Danish cartoons offensive or inappropriate, but why is there such a strong reaction now? apologized publically for any offense they may have caused. And for 2 months, there was hardly a peep from any Muslim group outside a small protest in Denmark itself and somewhat larger protests in Pakistan. What CNN and the other traditional media failed to tell you is that the thousand gallons of fuel added to the fire of outrage came from none other than our old pals Saudi Arabia. Every able-bodied Muslim is obligated to make a pilgrimage once in their lifetime to Mecca, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia. This pilgrimage can be done at any time of the year but most pilgrims arrive during the Muslim month known as Dhu al-Hijjah, which follows a lunar calendar that does not exactly match the western Gregorian calendar. The most recent Hajj occurred during the first half of January 2006, precisely when the "outrage" over the Danish cartoons began in earnest. There were a number of stampedes, called "tragedies" in the press, during the Hajj which killed several hundred pilgrims. I say "tragedies" in quotation marks because there have been similar "tragedies" during the Hajj and each time, the Saudi government promises to improve security and facilitation of movement to avoid these. Over 251 pilgrims were killed during the 2004 Hajj alone in the same area as the one that killed 350 pilgrims in 2006. These were not unavoidable accidents, they were the results of poor planning by the Saudi government. And while the deaths of these pilgrims was a mere blip on the traditional western media's radar, it was a huge story in the Muslim world. Most of the pilgrims who were killed came from poorer countries such as Pakistan, where the Hajj is a very big story. Even the most objective news stories were suddenly casting Saudi Arabia in a very bad light and they decided to do something about it. Their plan was to go on a major offensive against the Danish cartoons. The 350 pilgrims were killed on January 12 and soon after, Saudi newspapers (which are all controlled by the state) began running up to 4 articles per day condemning the Danish cartoons. The Saudi government asked for a formal apology from Denmark. When that was not forthcoming, they began calling for world-wide protests. After two weeks of this, the Libyans decided to close their embassy in Denmark. Then there was an attack on the Danish embassy in Indonesia. And that was followed by attacks on the embassies in Syria and then Lebanon. Many European papers, including the right-wing German Springer media group, fanned the flames by reprinting the cartoons. And now you have the situation we are in today, with lots of video footage of angry crowds and the storming of embassies and calls for boycotts of Danish and European products. Saudi Arabia's influence on the Sunni Muslim world is incalculable. The sermons from high-ranking Muslim clerics are read and studied by Muslims around the world, who in turn give sermons to their local congregations. While the Saudis do not have direct control of the world's Sunni flocks, their influence is similar somewhat to the Pope's pronouncements and the sermons that Catholic priests give to their flocks the following Sundays. Saudi Arabia also finances a number of Muslim "study centers", where all the literature and material is provided by the Saudi government, filled with hatred for Jews and other extremely racist material. For them to promote an idea based on religion, including "outrage" at some cartoons published months earlier, is standard operating procedure. Of course there is more than Saudi Arabia's hand at play here. The issue has metamorphed from religious outrage at a dozen cartoons to a clash of those who feel they are oppressed and downtrodded by the Christian world and those they consider their oppressors. That's why there was anti-Christian rioting in Lebanon, where the two religious groups have a long and tumultous co-existance. As I sat there watching CNN (International) with my friend today, I could not help but note the number of Saudi flags that the various rioters were waving in Lebanon and Syria. Look for yourself - they are green with a large expanse of Arabic writing in white above a sword. none / 0) is that Osama bin Laden's number #1 target is the Saudi regime and it's overthrow and the death of the Saudi royal family. Of course, not like he'd be any better, but at least we wouldn't be fooling ourselves what's really going on. Is there any evidence that countries like Syria are purposely fanning the flames to detract attention away from their own repressive regimes? That's what the US is claiming (and reallly, it wouldn't surprise me if it were true-- of course they will be careful not to implicate the Saudis). One of the things that really makes me mad is that the Saudi's continue to fund these harsh religious schools around the world (mostly in Pakistan) that helped create soldiers for al Qaeda, the Taliban, etc. He who is the author of war lets loose the whole contagion of hell and opens a vein that bleeds a nation to death. Parent In the context you so well provide, ( 400 / 6) this becomes an entirely different story, one of shameful manipulation and dishonesty. Still, at the forefront of all this is ancient and--in my understanding--very foolish superstition. And even more directly at work is the spectacularly irrational idea that someone else's actions or beliefs can in any way taint or harm... |
| www.juancole.com/2006/02/fact-file-on-reaction-to-danish.html Informed Comment Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion Juan Cole is Professor of History at the University of Michigan Monday, February 06, 2006 Fact File on Reaction to Danish Caricatures It is being alleged in some quarters that the controversy over the Danish caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad is somehow artificial or whipped up months later by the Saudis. The controversy began in Denmark itself among the 180,000 Danish Muslims. It was taken up by the ambassadors of Muslim states in Copenhagen. Then the Egyptian foreign minister began making a big deal of it, as did Islamist parties in Turkey and Pakistan. The crisis has unfolded along precisely the sort of networks one would have expected, and become intertwined with all the post-colonial crises of the region, from the foreign military occupation of Iraq to the new instability in Syria and Lebanon. Below is a press record on the controversy, drawn from the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, a translation service of the CIA that is later released under various commercial auspices, including BBC World Monitoring and World News Connection. The Caricatures were published on 30 September in Copenhagen. They provoked a protest of 5,000 Muslims there soon thereafter. The media reported on 16 September that a Danish author was unable to find an illustrator for her book on the Prophet Muhammad, since Islam forbids pictorial representations of the prophet and illustrators were afraid of a Muslim backlash. The conservative daily then asked 40 cartoonists to provide such pictures and it subsequently published all 12 cartoons received in response, some of which depicted the prophet in an unflattering manner. Various Muslim organizations and clerics condemned the daily for this and on 20 October several embassies of Arab and other Muslim states protested to Prime Minister Fogh Rasmussen. Meanwhile, an Islamic group called "Holy Brigades in Northern Europe" threatened both and Denmark in general with terrorist retaliation. Both the editor and cultural editor of the newspaper explained their reasons for publishing the cartoons and refused to accept that they had done anything inappropriate. Expressing surprise at the Muslim reaction, he denied intending to offend anyone's religious beliefs. The English-language independent daily cited Juste as saying satire and caricature were accepted in Denmark and there should be no "barriers" against such expression. Danish Radio's website quoted him as saying he "could never dream of retracting the pictures" (15, 12, 10 October). She said religious beliefs could not demand special treatment in a secular society (6 October). Other Danish newspapers backed right to publish, but some suggested the cartoons were provocative. One editorial pointed to the possible danger created and urged calm on all sides. Another editorial called freedom of speech the "fundamental core of Danish democracy" (4, 22 October). Ambassadors from Arab countries and Pakistan, Iran, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Indonesia wrote a letter to Rasmussen earlier this week, saying they were offended by the 12 cartoons published in Denmark's largest circulation daily on September 30 and demanding an apology from the paper. Images of the prophet are considered blasphemous under Islam. Rasmussen said in a written reply, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, that he would not intervene in the affairs but said the diplomats were free to undertake legal proceedings. "The freedom of expression is the very foundation of the Danish democracy . "However, Danish legislation prohibits acts or expressions of a blasphemous or discriminatory nature. The offended party may bring such acts or expressions to court, and it is for the courts to decide in individual cases," he wrote. Last week, as many as 5,000 Muslims demonstrated in Copenhagen against the newspaper and the drawings, which depicted Muhammad in different settings. In one of the drawings, he appeared with a turban shaped like a bomb strapped to his head. The editors of have stood by their cartoons and rejected the demand for an apology. "We live in a democracy where satire and caricature are generally accepted, and religion should not set limits on that," chief editor Carsten Juste said on Thursday. Islam is the second religion in Denmark after the Evangelical-Lutheran state church, with some 180,000 members or three percent of the population. PM Fogh-Rasmussen continues to refuse to entertain the complaints. Indeed, he went on the offensive, threatening Danish Muslims with heightened penalites for harassing persons who wrote on religion. That is what Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen (Liberal Party) said in the wake of the trouble over the drawings of the prophet Muhammad. The government wants to institute harsher penalties for crimes and threats against people who exercise their legal rights to make statements about topics such as religion. That is what Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at a press conference. We have seen examples of how people have been assaulted and threatened if they expressed themselves, and that is unacceptable," said Fogh Rasmussen. Newspaper illustrators threatened with their lives The bill comes in the wake of the case involving a group of newspaper illustrators who were threatened with their lives after they drew pictures of the prophet Muhammad in. "It is unacceptable that legal statements can lead to violence and threats," said the prime minister. Since the drawings were made public on 30 September, 's name has appeared on at least two web sites that glorify violence, which also have pictures of terrorist targets in Denmark with a message stating that "you will soon regret all of this." The complaint was made to the police in Odense on Thursday ( 27 October) after the paper published 12 cartoons of the prophet Mohamed on 30 September. According to Islam, pictorial representations of Mohamed are not permitted. Asmaa Abdol-Hamid, the 23-year-old spokesperson for the organizations that made the complaint, told Ritzau Bureau that the complaint to the police is based on the context in which the drawings were published. "We have based our action on the article that the drawings were published alongside, and the intention of the article. We believe that it was the newspaper's intention to mock and ridicule," Asmaa Abdol-Hamid says. She refers to the fact that the newspaper's arts editor wrote that Muslims in Denmark must be prepared for insult, mockery, and ridicule. " on page 17, Zaman columnist Ahmet Turan Alkan comments on Denmark's reaction to criticisms from some 11 countries including Turkey of a Danish daily's publication of "inappropriate" cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammad. Alkan argues that while Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen is right "on paper" in citing freedom of the press as justification for Jyllands-Posten's publication of the said cartoons because the freedom of religious conviction as described in the EU acquis includes the liberty to practice "sarcasm" as well as the liberty to exercise religious faith, "the problem is not how Rasmussen and those who are of the same opinion as Rasmussen are acting but how we should act in the face of this situation. Such disagreements, which appear to be negligible now, will bring Turkey to a dramatic crossroads at one point in a negotiation process that is projected to last 10-12 years." com)" ----------- Then other nations besides Pakistan, Iran, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Indonesia got involved, including Egypt. Egypt's government was cracking down on the Muslim Brotherhood in the lead-up to the Egyptian elections, so this was a freebie for the secular Mubarak regime. They could pose as defenders of Islam abroad with no domestic cost. The foreign minister said that Egypt had confronted this disgraceful act and will continue to confront such insults. Abul-Gheit said he was keen, during the Future Forum foreign ministerial conference in Bahrain Sunday, on stressing the importance of dialogue among civilisations to avoid what had taken place in Denmark. Twelve cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad in different settings appeared in Denmark's largest circul... |