On thing that all sides seem to agree on, about "that video" -- The Innocence of Muslims -- is that it's an astonishingly poor production. It's been variously described as "crappy", "shitty", "incompetent", "risible", "incoherent", "silly", "crude", "disgusting", "tawdry" and so on. One charge not levelled at it -- at least that I've seen -- is that it has "incited violence". Sure lots of violence has resulted from it. But not because the video has incited it (indeed, kind of ironically, one of the messages in the confused mess was that Islam is violent...).
Rather, to Muslims in particular -- as to Obama and Clinton -- it's been seen as "denigrating", or "insulting" to their prophet, and for that they feel "humiliated". And it's in reaction to that perceived slight and humiliation that Muslim outrage has spread throughout the world.
Now we have a petition by a Muslim Group in the US seeking to criminalise free speech and reported at "Leaders of Kansas City Muslim group petition Obama to limit free speech of American citizens".
Note a key line in the petition:
Note, btw, the quotes around "free". What does that mean? That they don't really believe it's free? or what?
LATER: more pressure to restrict freedom of speech, from the most senior levels of Islamic representatives, here.
H/T: JW.
Rather, to Muslims in particular -- as to Obama and Clinton -- it's been seen as "denigrating", or "insulting" to their prophet, and for that they feel "humiliated". And it's in reaction to that perceived slight and humiliation that Muslim outrage has spread throughout the world.
Now we have a petition by a Muslim Group in the US seeking to criminalise free speech and reported at "Leaders of Kansas City Muslim group petition Obama to limit free speech of American citizens".
Note a key line in the petition:
"... but when the allowance of "free" speech incites violence it should be banned".Given that the crappy video did most emphatically not incite violence, what this line really means is:
"You, the United States, must criminalise any speech which may lead we pious Muslims to murder innocent people and go on uncontrolled rampages".In short, you, the US, must limit your speech according to the agenda of we Islamists.
Note, btw, the quotes around "free". What does that mean? That they don't really believe it's free? or what?
LATER: more pressure to restrict freedom of speech, from the most senior levels of Islamic representatives, here.
H/T: JW.
