Even France has more moxie than Bill

France has decided to join the Danes in standing up for free speech by printing the cartoons which have upset much of the Muslim world

Under the headline “We have the right to caricature God,” a struggling French tabloid today reprinted all 11 of the cartoons first printed by Jyllands-Posten, a right-of-centre Danish broadsheet last September.

The coverage ran across pages four and five of this morning’s edition with an editorial that defended the freedom of the press.

“The publication of 12 cartoons in the Danish press has shocked the Muslim world for whom the representation of Allah and his prophet is banned,” the newspaper said. “But because no religious dogma can impose its view on a democratic and secular society, France Soir publishes the incriminated cartoons.”

Reliapundit points out that France now has more moxie than Bill Clinton, who excels at appeasement. He reminds us that, according to Louis Freeh, Clinton’s love-affair with Arabia while in office seemed connected to money. (Slightly o/t, he also says that Mubarek has more sense than Jimmy Carter.)

Dr. Sanity notices that “France-is-braver-than-Bill” as well:

As usual, Clinton misses the point. This controversy is not about anti-semitism vs. anti-Islamic prejudice. It so happens that I think being “prejudiced” against someone who is trying to kill, enslave and/or silence me is a sort of reasonable thing. Islam doesn’t much care about hurting other religion’s feelings, do they? Can you read a Bible in Saudi Arabia? My goodness, you face the sentence of death in Islam if you convert to another religion. But even with all that aside, making fun of Islam and their god is a…god-given right–even if it upsets a million little mullahs.

No, the entire controversy is about freedom of speech–not about hurting Islam’s feelings. Quite frankly, appeasing the wrath of a consummate bully only encourages them in their bullying.

NRO also noticed.

Michelle Malkin, who has been on this story since way back in October ’05, (and who I think was the first blog to actually post the cartoons) has the round-up, and it’s not of the usual suspects. Some interesting stuff in there – check it out!

Gateway Pundit links to Middle Eastern Bloggers supporting the Danes.