Lawfare against the cartoonist

AP/PI:

The Muslim world has created a battle plan to defend its religion from political cartoonists and bigots.

Concerned about what they see as a rise in the defamation of Islam, leaders of the world's Muslim nations are considering taking legal action against those that slight their religion or its sacred symbols. It was a key issue during a two-day summit that ended Friday in this western Africa capital.

The Muslim leaders are attempting to demand redress from nations like Denmark, which allowed the publication of cartoons portraying the Prophet Muhammad in 2006 and again last month, to the fury of the Muslim world.

Though the legal measures being considered have not been spelled out, the idea pits many Muslims against principles of freedom of speech enshrined in the constitutions of numerous Western governments.

"I don't think freedom of expression should mean freedom from blasphemy," said Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade, the chairman of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference. "There can be no freedom without limits."

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Actually with freedom of speech the blasphemy statutes were generally repealed. I am not aware of any blasphemy statues in the US. What these guys are trying to do is intimidate people into following their weird religious belief that a cartoon somehow puts their religion at risk. Is Islam really that fragile? Muslims don't seem to have any problems with cartoons that blaspheme other religions. In fact some Muslim countries are so bigoted that will not allow other religions to worship. Do they fear that Islam will be rejected if their are alternative religions? Do they fear that they will suffer and go to hell if other religions are allowed to worship? The fact is that many Muslims do not respect the beliefs of others, but they unreasonably expect respect for theirs. We should be on the look out for tourist blasphemy suits to go along with tourist libel suits.