Cartoons and Hypocrisy:Danes Finally Apologize to Muslims (But for the Wrong Reasons)     By RACHARD ITANI http://www.counterpunch.org/itani02022006.html In many European countries, there are laws that will land in jail any person who has the chutzpah to deny not only the historicity of the Jewish holocaust, but also the method by which Jews were put to death by the Nazis. In some of these countries, this prohibition goes as far as prosecuting those who would claim or attempt … [Read more...]

When I look at analysis of the Danish cartoon controversy, I'm struck by how so many otherwise well informed and intelligent commentators simply don't get what's really going on.   The basic reasons for and issues involved in this  crisis are pretty easy to grasp, but conspicuously absent from most discussions of this saga.   Instead, one finds ethereal discursions on freedom of religion and freedom of speech, ideals that actually have precious little to do with this lamentable turn of … [Read more...]

Thought I'd share a partial translation of a hardhitting and eye-opening op-ed by Danish social commentator, Rune Engelbreth Larsen about the international uproar and political and economic crisis facing Denmark over the infamous political cartoons denigrating the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Jyllands-Posten . Like me, he sees this PR disaster as self-inflicted by the Danish government and sees a lot of doublestandards at work here.  I've only translated/summarized the first few … [Read more...]