Iranian of the Day

VPK

All I'm saying is: she's on her own, she's not in her 30s, she hasn't got an engineering degree, she's got family to support back in Iran, etc. And she's maybe longing to go back. 

Even if I'm slightly disappointed myself, one thing is to be admitted: she's got the balls not many men have. So, between being self-righteous online and being realistic, I go for the latter.

Don't know if I've explained myself well. Am not used to writing long comments.

Late in Europe, nite. ;o) 

mash ghanbar and moosi va piaz

moosir va Piaz you can say anything you like about me i dont care.

Religion has no special privilege in a free secular society and it can and should be criticized ... especially a politically charged religion like islam.

Denmark's tiny democracy was attacked, its diplomatic immunity violated, its citizens harassed, if not worse, its economy deliberately sabotaged for what? a cartoon?!!!

Yes the cartoonist should be awarded for offending Islam, we have to show religious bullies like you that we will honor and defend the very civilization you're trying to destroy. Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of that civilization.

To mash ganbar

You remind me of the masses who rose up in their righteous and ignorant anger when your rahbar issued a filthy fatwa on Rushdie for the crime of writing a novel!

The same charge was made against him. That he wrote the novel with the intent to INCITE.

He did nothing of the sort ... you wouldnt know that unless you read the novel now would you ... but you don't care to read much less exercise your intellect.

The filthy mullahs who attacked the cartoons drew their own cartoons falsely accusing the artist of rendering Muhammad as a monkey. You wouldnt know that unless YOU SAW THE ORIGINAL.

Its okay for the mullas to draw muhammad as a monkey and show it but we cant see the Cartoons for ourselves because YOUR Feelings WILL BE HURT.

plain pitiful

    They are the defenders of ideology  rather than free speech .

Rea

I beg to differ. I am in fact being way too easy on her. She has made a mockery of freedom and Iranian people. Since she is such an Islamist maybe she should go back to IRI and get a job. Or she could get a regular job like so many others in diaspora. I am sick and tired to apologizing for these people. Whenever an Ebadi or Ghanji opens their mouth the rest of us pay.

Now please tell me how does walking out of this help her earn a pay? Besides if this sham is her way to earn money she should be ashamed. Most of us do not earn money by selling our country and our freedom. Some actually risk their lives for these value. She goes and bends over backwards to accommodate the Mullahs. Her place is with the IRI mullahs. 

PS: How many silver coins is  freedom of speech worth?

VPK

By saying she's "A useful tool of Islamist propaganda", you are judging too harshly.

After all, she ought to survive.  No language skills, no diplomas (Iranian law degree doesn't help much abroad).  Yet, she is speaking out. In the case of Nokia, e.g., she did a great job.

So, when judging, do not forget: you get your pay regularly, she doesn't. She depends on various NGOs. And she is on her own. It makes hell of a difference !

SHAME ON THESE TWO PARTY CRASHER

What the hell these two doing there, these two are Islamist lovers who don't give a candy about freedom and they come and complain and walk out from there. how stupid is that these two don't deserve to have a freedom. its about the time for these type of people to go back to their IRI circle and let them exercise their freedom right. it is shame full for people short minded like them to come and claim that they are fighting for freedom.

I have no use for Ganji, but Ebadi made a big mistake.

I have no use for Ganji, but Ebadi made a grave mistake. She should have stayed away and not made any comment like this.

Ebadi and Ganji should get a life

Ebadi and Ganji should get a life. This is none of their F... business to meddle with free speech and right of cartoonist and the giver of the prize and billions of people who agree with him.

Mohammad was a child molester, a rapist, and a killer; much worse than this cartoonist has ever portrayed him.

We should draw the line with these self proclaimed speakers of our movement.

Mash Ghanbar

The demands include some of these:

• Refrain from speaking their minds so they don't offend Muslims.
• Implement Sharia law. Both in Europe and Canada.
• Imam in England demands Pope become a Muslim.
• People marrying a Muslim must become Muslim.
• Children of "Muslim" families forced into Islam against their will.
• Forced marriages specially for women.

Just a few that come to my mind right now.

Plenty more if I go and dig them up.

Virgin Mary & Jesus in manure didn't cause head-cutting/fatwas

A few years ago, an "artist" had a show in NY which he represented the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ in sculptures made out of cow manure.  The Christian organizations and many ordinay people objected to the show with ads on media and showed their disgust in talk shows, but no heads were rolled/cut and no fatwas were issued.

Can we say the same regarding Muslims?  Why cannot Muslims be secure enough to show their disgust, but let it be?

Shirin Ebadi & Akbar Ganji have the right to walk out to show their disgust, but they should have issued an explanation on the right of the artist to express himself as well as Shirin Ebadi & Akbar Ganji's right to show their disgust.

Hadith about Muhammad himself!

There was a hadith that we in school read about muhammad, It was something about how a person bothered him calling him names and even threw garbage and stone at him, but Muhammad did not retaliate, so the guy gets sick and Muhammad makes him a visit. Now this could be like most Hadiths made up, but even if it may be the reason for the hadith is like the Christianity's turn the other cheek.

And beside that, criticizing a prophet is different than attacking followers of a religion, for example I can say that scientology is a sham and evil religion and its prophet an evil man, that is not inciting hate. But if I start to talk about Scientologists and call them names and accusing them of stuff, then we are talking about inciting hate.

Now muslims could have turned the other cheek, said that they we appealed and protested peacefully and won respect, but the pictures you saw from muslim world did not make the picture of Islam or muslims better. 

Ganji and Ebadi Ghalat kardand!

I think it's rediculous that no one can draw Mohammad's picture. Mohammad was a person just like everybody esle who made lots of mistakes.

Rediculous

Fiedilio5

How difficult is it to get the idea of a cartoon when you see one? especially one with as obvious of an intent as the one drawn by this man? Do we need to do a deep search for ulterior motives ?

VPK

You keep making the claim that Muslims are making constant demands in western societies while not once you articulated those demands. Please Do tell us what those demands are. Note: please list only that are legitimately as being demanded, Not just any statement that has been made, that to you constitutes a demand.

By the way. You have no single proof as to your charges or rather accusations against Mohammad.

fidelio5

**** you and **** your mother in the ass you ignorant piece of ****. 

now please dont get carried away and be offended fidelio5. i was exercising my right to free speech. and moderators please dont remove it and i demand you give me a medal in the spirit of freedom of speech and dissent.

---

* seriously, i don't mean to offend fidelio5. just wanted to prove a point that hurtful commentary is always hurtful no matter in which context and should be condemned, not praised. this is how hurtful some muslims were by these cartoons.

Obviosuly Iran is not ready for democracy

As an atheist Im offended every day by cruelty and murder and slaughter by believers .... I don't threaten to kill them. I don't threaten to blow up their ugly mosques or churches.

All of you who stand by Gan ji and Ebadi... how many of you ACTUALLY know what the cartoons depicted. MY GUESS IS MOST DONT! because youve been denied the right to judge for yourselves.

Shame on you. Shame on Ganji and shame on Ebadi.

Long live freedom of speech and dissent 

No reader1

We are not all in this together. Islam is not a race and no one is after our "race'. Islam is a religion and in the West it is by choice.

This is a trick Muslims want to use to generate allies. 

I have lived in the USA since the reovlution off and on. I know Liberals and Right Wingers. No one here considers me a Muslim. I have been accepted by the all. Why: because I behave and show them all respect. People treat me and my kids like anyone else. Because we act responsible.

We do not demand special treatment nor do I shove Islamic dogma on them. I do not freak out because of some cartoons. Nor do I demand having their books and cartoons banned. I told one guy the cartoons were in poor taste. He agree but we both agreed they are protected speech. I also told many people Rushdi is a terrible writer and his book "Satanic Verse" sucks. Many agree with me but none of my friends want it banned. I said knighting Rushdi was a stupid idea. But I do not want him prosecuted. 

Get it now?

are you serious choghok?

"This guy did not incite hate against muslims, he just made his perception of what is Muhammad."

He drew Muhammad terrorist cartoon. He couldn't be more colorful in his hate (or more appropriately, his ignorance) if he tried. you dont see how that could offend decent non-terrorist muslims?

some people need to realize that the world does not revolve around them and their worldviews. putting ourselves in other peoples shoes might be worth a try.

better cartoon would be

Mohamad with a gun in one hand and sword in the other with hundreds of skulls at his feet, Jesus, with naked women on his side at a brothel, and Moses with hundreds of sacks of gold and money looted.  Depict all three religions as vile and pathetic, then people will understand the true nature of religion, which is that of being totally farse.

We are all in it together

When Hitler decided to exterminate Jews he did not care whether they were orthodox, secular or atheist.  Even those Jews who were fully assimilated into German culture by changing their name and religion could not escape Hitler.  

Ganji and Ebadi were right to leave the scene in protest under present circumstances but those who foolishly expressed strong  reaction to it when it was first published were wrong.   Kurt Westergaardis is wrong and naïve to assume that his cartoon acted as a catalyst for the inevitable clash of the two  civilizations. I think it was those dumb Muslims who strongly reacted to his insignificant  cartoon provided the catalysts in the first place.

Tabriz Balasi

I agree with you!

Neither Ebadi nor I represent Iranians. In fact no single person does so. I always say: my opinions are mine only. The difference is that Ebadi has a high profile and I don't.

You can keep your insults for your Muslims buddies. My education and knowledge of Iran is quite broad. It includes intimate knowledge of the murder and mayham of Islam. 

Regarding Mohammad: Most Iranians do not know who he really was. Now people slowly get to know his real actions. I sure hope the respect is replaced with realism. I wonder if you approve of men who sleep with 9 year old girls; I guess Ebadi does. That is your Prophet.

to Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

what makes you think that you represent iranians and ebadi doesn't???  you must not be a very educated person because you don't know how to be objected.  no one representes anything other than themselves, you represent yourself and ebadi represents herself.  however, if you don't know by now that the majority of iranians respect Muhammad then you don't know much about iranian society and you therefore what you say doesn't carry any weight.

be an act at all times in the name of Allah.

Payam

Islamist 101: Whine about racism. Anyone who opposes Islamist oppression should be called a racist.

How about moving to Islamist 102 now? Fatwah.

Ebadi is a tool

That is all she is. A useful tool of Islamist propaganda. I reject her and the positions she advocates. Now do you people see why she won't make a good leader for the Iranian opposition.

One thing to Ebadi: You do not represent Iranians. You represent Islamists like yourself. Don't bother walking back in. Yet another example of over politicized "Nobel" peace prize! What a joke.

Ebadi I did not expect it from you

I did not think that Ebadi would want someone tried for his/her opinion. This guy did not incite hate against muslims, he just made his perception of what is Muhammad. Of course the question is what would have happened if the guy did the same thing with Moses, but there has been cases where Israel has tried to get european countries to apologize for papers criticizing them but they have not bent to them.

I guess either Ebadis vision is not as democratic as I hoped for or maybe she tries not to lose her less democratic fans. 

God is a Concept by Which We Measure Our Pain - John Lennon

God is a Concept by Which We Measure Our Pain - John Lennon

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvCUUFr9jGQ

GOD - John Lennon :

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jknynk5vny8&feature=related

Here is my Free Speech!

Usually Danes are able to speak "German" because Danish is similar to German but this guy spoke only English!

Iran should repeat its Holocaust cartoon competition:

//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4795709.stm

But don't you guys think that Christianity and its sanctities never get openly tangled up in these tit-for-tats? Can some creative mind come up with a cartoon about the Christians?

How is it that when Israel attacked Lebanon in 2006 its primary targets were almost exclusively Muslims? Even Sunni Muslims were targeted despite the fact that Hezbollah is predominantly Shiite and many Sunnis in Lebanon disavow Hezbollah! Israel even went out of its way to avoid bombing Christian neighbourhoods altogether!

Sargord P.

"We're to reward hate if that hate attracts a capital threat? Is that how the logic goes?"

No, that's not what I'd said.

Personally, I'm against this kind of caricature. Just as I'm against G. Wilders. But they have the right to say what they think, particularly within the European context. 

Drawings have been made about Jesus, too. So what ? I may not like it out of respect for my Mother. But if anybody were to threaten the cartoonist, I'd support the latter.

PS. Rea is a short cut for Irena. So, I can't be your brother. ;o) 

Nothing is hollier than

Nothing is hollier than freedom of expression, and this is something not understandable for a lots of Iranians.  We are in Western Europe and in America in Japan and Malysia.....  And those of us who are living in a moslim country are trying hard to immigate to U.S or Western Europe or Japan.  And almost nobody from U.S or Western Europe wants to go and live in a moslim country.  This should be humiliating enough for all of us.  It is  you and me who want to live here rather than there.  \

Babak K. 

They all went cuckoo, ask VPK!

From Moses, and Mohammad, ...to rest of them, they went cuckoo and many innocent people are still fighting each other over them.

Don't take my word for it, ask our local Prophet (Veiled Prophet of Khorasan), he became a Monarchist (i.e., went cuckoo), and subsequently became a Prophet!

"Tell that to the German citizens languishing in jails "

We will, as soon as we get the Iranian citizens who are more than just "languishing" in the torture  chambers of Islamist regime for nothing more than their beliefs, freed, back to the welcoming arms of the Iranian nation. I hope you'd not mind the relatively short wait! 

And yea, "what a joke" indeed! 

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."