And yet, it wasn't very funny anyway.

Oh.

So, it's free speech, so long as it doesn't put the Post at risk?

re: #1 honzik

Don't do that, it's stupid.

And there is another client that has issues with any Muslim depiction whatsoever

Would that CAIR?...Since it hit's to close to home?

Hurting their "emotions" is a good start.

OT: More MSM pwnage

"Don’t let this guilty plea fool you, Vick is innocent (like OJ)" -Al Sharpton

A good piece of satire, and it fooled MSNBC.

Sources told FOXNews.com that the strips were shown to Muslim staffers at The Washington Post to gauge their reaction, and they responded “emotionally” to the depiction of a woman dressed in traditional Muslim garb and espousing conservative Islamic views.

A test seething.

Sources told FOXNews.com that the strips were shown to Muslim staffers at The Washington Post to gauge their reaction, and they responded “emotionally” to the depiction of a woman dressed in traditional Muslim garb and espousing conservative Islamic views.

and you know what happens when [bigoted word]s get "emotional."

ka-boom

Everyone, please repeat after me:

It's the Religion of Peace, nothing to fear, we're just being sensitive to their feelings.

Yet no one gauges my reaction when Americans are depicted as fat, racist, litter bugs.

re: #8 JamesTKirk

Captain, sir, you go off-topic way too soon pretty often. Is this a pattern for you?

Live long and prosper.

the strips were shown to Muslim staffers at The Washington Post to gauge their reaction, and they responded “emotionally” to the depiction of a woman dressed in traditional Muslim garb and espousing conservative Islamic views.

I wonder if there's a job opening at the Post for a Christian staffer, who gets to veto anything they see as anti-Christian? Because I've got a resume...

No? And they don't have a watchdog for anti-Semitism either? How odd.

I wonder if Cajun man works at the Post... Hmmm...

Interviewer: So, what is the Post policy on any issue regarding Jihadism?
Post's Cajun Man: Capitulation.

I: So your additude towards Radical islam is?
CM: Prostration.

I: And, your relationship with the leftists in the democratic party?
CM: Collaberation

I: And your chief mission as a newpaper?
CM: Obfuscation.

OT

..."Now say 'How high?,' Nouri, come on, 'How high?' When I tell you to jump, that's what I want to hear, capisce?"

Little did Noah Feldman and his ilk realize that when they so fervently propounded blue-thumbed Iraqi democracy, that the apparent Shi'ite enthusiasm for Jeffersonianism would come to this. "President Ahmadinejad Says Iran Ready to Fill Power Vacuum in Iraq," from AP (thanks to all who sent this in):

[Link: jihadwatch.org...]

The New Rome Times has decide not to publish the cartoon about the Visigoths.
Rome will be safe now.

decided
PIMF

re: #13 cookielady

I don't have a pattern. I like to keep 'em guessing.

So a cartoon accurately shows what Muslims want and the Muslims react 'emitionally"? Maybe it was joy.

...and now we see exactly the process by which this rag filters it's coverage of actual world events, too.

re: #11 cookielady

Funny, all I get is angry!

#3 & #5

You're right. Won't happen again. (Obviously...)

The Washington Post is simply recognizing the fact that every muslim is a potential homocidal maniac just waiting to be triggered by some foolish affront.

Wait, wouldn't that be a bigoted assumption?

Wow the Washington Post is run by a bunch of pussies. Who knew.

re: #17 Poitiers-Lepanto

The New Rome Times has decide not to publish the cartoon about the Visigoths.
Rome will be safe now.

LOL

When will these idiots realize that we need to publish hundreds if not thousands of these cartoons...everyday of every month, every year until the end of time. Only then will these friggin Islamofanatics learn to deal with some friggin criticism. Oh boohoo a widdle cartoon hurt your feelings...awww...go cry to Mohammed.

re: #20 JamesTKirk

ROFL! And you're not the only one, either!

These are the guys that are always 'speaking truth to power."
They do that when they no that it is safe and they can display their ever so finley tuned understanding of free speech. You know the kind of concept that those of us that read less books than they could not understand..
When it comes to taking a courageous stand that would involve some danger their high pricipals get tossed off of the sled.
The fact is that doing or saying anythig that might offend the sensibilities of our patriotic Musilm/American brothers can get you seriously killed.
The guys in Denmark with the cartoons really took a walk on the wild side.
They have principals

The left screams about Bush stealing their freedoms and yet when free speech is being taken away, they are mute?

They should've showed 'em eating babies.

Then they would've won a Pulitzer.

Wow! Some serious 'sensitivity' on display by the WaPo wankers!

[Link: sheikyermami.com...]

When will they start shaving their balls?

Fatwa: [Link: sheikyermami.com...]

re: #23 Dianna

re: #11 cookielady

Funny, all I get is angry!

Okay, try this one:

Our media and our politicians are completely dhimmified.

eeewww, that makes me mad, too...

The same sonsabitches that made sure we saw the Crucifix dipped in urine, made sure we saw the Virgin Mary covered in dung, made sure we heard about every anti-Christian lawsuit and protest. Now we get to see their sensitive side. Their concern for feeelings.
So brave. So bold.

I'm running out of spit.

I'm glad to see that this is being picked up. Of course, there's been no mention in the WaPo, and no letters to the editor are being considered for publication (After all, to them, it's no news. Nothing to see here, folks). Maybe if there's enough chatter, then it will at least have to be addressed by their ombudsman (read: Palace Eunuch).

the strips were shown to Muslim staffers at The Washington Post to gauge their reaction

Y'know, every time any newspaper in the world runs a cartoon, op-ed, news story, headline, column or feature making fun of George Bush, they always show it to me -- a Bush voter -- ahead of time. And if I don't like it, the story gets nixed.

It doesn't take any thinking person much effort to extend this practice by the Post of filtering comic strips through their muslim employees to filtering news pieces through their muslim overlords.

And they wonder why their credibility suffers. Duh!

Hey WaPo - who are the real fascists?

re: #31 BIG

The left screams about Bush stealing their freedoms and yet when free speech is being taken away, they are mute?

It's only wrong when Bush dioes it. CAIR can sue to block inconvenient truths, colleges can set up speech codes, and so forth; but as long as it serves the Revolution by only filtering out the non-PC, it's OK.

There was also considerable alarm over the strip at the highest echelons of The Washington Post Co., according to the sources.

Can there be any doubt that the Washington Post has been dhimmified? Even the Seattle Times carried that strip this Sunday.

Our mainstream media being afraid of Mohammedans is not a good sign for Western civilization.

I read the whole thing a salon.com an I just don't get what they are getting so "emotional" over. This is just too much chicken shit.

Jewish staffers were shown anti-semitic articles to gauge their reaction.

Not bloody likely.

re: #31 BIG

The left screams about Bush stealing their freedoms and yet when free speech is being taken away, they are mute?

Exactly. I thought my civil liberties were being taken away one by one by Bush. Oh wait whats that...Islamofacists are suppressing free speech? Really...its not my own government? Are you sure? Really? I dont want to believe it. Ok fine.

Can someone say Dee dee dee?

the strips were shown to Muslim staffers at The Washington Post to gauge their reaction

This isn't so bad. After all didn't the Post show the strips that might offend Christians to their evangelical staffers to gauge their reaction? And didn't they withdraw the strips that were offensive to Christians?

They didn't? Oh. Nevermind.

I was reading Churchill's bio. Chamerlain asked that party leaders not reference Germany when alluding to "tensions in Europe" (Seriously). Neville Chamberlain taught us that if you don't name the problem, it goes away. Wise man, not like that warmonger Churchill. /

Yet they have no problem exposing classified info.

Wasn't it the WashPo that leaked that the CIA was tracking OBL in '98 through his sat phone?

Which led OBL to NOT use a sat phone?

re: #14 JamesTKirk

Those were my thoughts exactly. Who gets to vet anti-Christian or anti-Semitic items at the WaPo?

"The strip came in and I knew we would have to send out an alert to all the newspapers,” Lago said. “I do that fairly regularly with materials that might pose issues for local areas. ... We knew that because it was a sex joke, it could raise issues. And there is another client that has issues with any Muslim depiction whatsoever.”

Its all about sex. Sex doesnt sell.

re: #17 Poitiers-Lepanto

The New Rome Times has decide not to publish the cartoon about the Visigoths.
Rome will be safe now.

The Visigoths were little baby bunnies compared to the Ostrogoths.

/.02

re: #49 Eowyn2

And who really believes that the sexual innuendo had anything to do with canceling the strip?

Kang and Kodos could not be reached for comment.

So Muslims read The Washington post?

They should be so lucky as to get scads of hate mail from angry Muslim readers.

re: #47 Ben Hur

Yes they did. You wouldn't want to hurt OBL's feelings either would you?

Meanwhile, a couple of years ago, the major papers had no problem with publishing a Doonsbury cartoon where the characters sit around discussing an article about how regular masturbation helps prevent prostate cancer. I snipped out the cartoon before my kids got the comics section, and saved it to remind myself why I shouldn't bother getting the Sunday paper any more

re: #49 Eowyn2

How do they procreate?

How ridiculous is this?

Both Newsweak and Reuters appear to run every Middle East or Islamic terror stories past a Muslim review group. In Newsweak's case it is an actual editor who is not credited in the story itself. Newsweak also nearly always has as the lead writer a female with an American sounding name to lend a sense of objectivity. Propaganda.

Is Bill the Cat back?

An emotional reaction? No way. You know the perfect response, right, Post?

/You are a Persian shoe! *Slap!*

Responded "emotionally"?

Like running around screaming "Behead those that insult islam!"

re: #11 cookielady

FEELINGS?

: )

re: #33 sheik yer'mami

Do you post any comments that aren't blatant blog pimping?

/it's poor form

"the strips were shown to muslim staffers at the waPo to guage their reaction"

here's muhammed the new mailroom clerks reaction...

[Link: newsimg.bbc.co.uk...]

hehe..

re: #58 pat

Both Newsweak and Reuters appear to run every Middle East or Islamic terror stories past a Muslim review group. In Newsweak's case it is an actual editor who is not credited in the story itself. Newsweak also nearly always has as the lead writer a female with an American sounding name to lend a sense of objectivity. Propaganda.

I forget - was it CNN where a Muslim employee managed to block the Palestinian Mickey Mouse story?

How many Jews were polled before the WaPo decided to open up its op-ed pages to shills for Hamas?

I didn't know Rage Boy was on the WaPo staff.

Does Opus creates more terrorists?

Looked up definition of chicken shit in the dictionary: The Washington Post

.

the highest echelons of The Washington Post Co

Where the Marxist Minds decide what's good for us.

Are we even allowed to talk about these Great Minds ?

We are so unwashed...

I wonder how anti-smoking groups would have responded?

...the strips were shown to non-smokers at The Washington Post to gauge their reaction, and they responded “emotionally” to the depiction of a man with a cigarette hanging from his mouth and dropping ashes on the carpet.

I wonder how feminist groups would have responded?

...the strips were shown to NOW members at The Washington Post to gauge their reaction, and they responded “emotionally” to the depiction of a man subjugating a woman and leering at her as if she were fresh meat.

I wonder how fashion conscious people would have responded?

...the strips were shown to fashion mavens at The Washington Post to gauge their reaction, and they responded “emotionally” to the depiction of a woman dressed in a scarf that didn't match the rest of her attire and a man with a 90's shirt on.

I wonder how fitness experts would have responded?

...the strips were shown to gym rats and fit staffers at The Washington Post to gauge their reaction, and they responded “emotionally” to the depiction of a man with a stomach protruding -exhibiting a 'dunlap' in front of his girlfriend, and smoking a cigarette which will likely cut short his breath and leave him unable to climb stairs.

@#$^%&!

Sad and pathetic...

re: #46 Canadastani

the strips were shown to Muslim staffers at The Washington Post to gauge their reaction

This isn't so bad. After all didn't the Post show the strips that might offend Christians to their evangelical staffers to gauge their reaction? And didn't they withdraw the strips that were offensive to Christians?

They didn't? Oh. Nevermind.

I was reading Churchill's bio. Chamerlain asked that party leaders not reference Germany when alluding to "tensions in Europe" (Seriously). Neville Chamberlain taught us that if you don't name the problem, it goes away. Wise man, not like that warmonger Churchill. /

The Post allows its staffers to be Evangelical? Doubtful, they might try to convert the Muslim staffers who would then be offended and respond emotionally. The 1st Water Cooler Swarm.

So, when a radical Islamist blows up something, CAIR jumps in and says, "That ain't us...we're moderate." So, who is WaPo being sensitive to? It sure ain't the moderates.

re: #30 opnion

These are the guys that are always 'speaking truth to power."

The virtue in speaking truth to power is first, that in addressing an issue in which those in power have committed a grave moral offense, and second, that by "speaking truth to power" they have weighed the consequences of their speaking out and are willing to suffer loss as a result of having done so. In other words, real "speaking truth to power" requires righteousness and fortitude.

Most leftists fail on both accounts. They choose to target institutions or entities whose offenses are either imagined or picayune. What's more, these institutions often are inclined to completely capitulate at the first sign of opposition.

re: #51 INC

re: #49 Eowyn2

And who really believes that the sexual innuendo had anything to do with canceling the strip?

I do, because we know that the post wouldnt offend anyone with a sexual innuendo. I mean, they'd never do that would they? It would be like Reader's Digest printing naked pictures. Wouldnt it?

Look guys, we may be critical of the Washington Post. It is easy to be brave when you are standing on principle without a gun at your head, but when the gun gets pointed at you, then you become pragmatic.

They know the history of Salman Rushdie, the are well aware of the fatwa that was issued against Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, the flight of Ayaan Hirsi Ali cannot have gone unnoticed to the powers at the Washington Post.

Before we condemn them too severely, let us remember that if they should publish comics that poke fun at Islam members of their staff would face certain attacks and possibly murder if history instructs us on how some Muslims will behave.

Look, the Washington Post staff is well paid, live in comfortable homes and have children. They are not about to jeopardize that on some abstract principle like Freedom of the Press, or Freedom of Speech. They just wont.

Are the editors at the Washington Post hypocrites? Perhaps.
Are the intimidated? Absolutely.
Are the responding to a demonstrable threat? Yes.

Guys forgive them, they are scared and principle means something to them only when their children are not put at risk by those principles.

...and because of the sexual innuendo in the punchline

Sexual innuendo?...Am I missing something?

"I don't necessarily think it's poking fun [at Islam]," Lago said. "But the question with Muslims is, are they taking it seriously?"

Ah, so you noticed they don't seem to have a sense of humor when they are the butt of the joke.

Everyone knows that asshole who never laughs at himself, nor accepts any teasing from others. He is perfection, it seems. But he sure joins in if any one else is laughed at, and his most frequently uttered phrase is a sarcastic "Yeah, that was a good idea." It must be rough on him to have to share the planet with so many flawed people.

re: #65 JamesTKirk

You know, I do not know CNN's policy. However CNN has made it clear that it will not jepardize it's broadcasting rights in the Middle East over Islamic stories. The odd thing is you can get better and more honest reporting from the Gulf States than from the MSM in America and Europe. Here is one of my favorites:
[Link: www.thepeninsulaqatar.com...]

re: #77 Ringo the Gringo

...and because of the sexual innuendo in the punchline

Sexual innuendo?...Am I missing something?

Ringo...read the whole thing: http://www.salon.com/comics/opus/2007/08/26/opus/

re: #75 Eowyn2

:-)

The "Opus" strip in question takes swipes at Islamists — a term used for radical Muslims — as opposed to moderate Muslims, she pointed out, but there was concern that the distinction wouldn't be clear.

The distiction is not clear?

"A Muslim Fundamentalist?"
"No. Radical Islamist"

-can't get much clearer than that...

And, she said, racy jokes sometimes draw fire, too.

"There have been a lot of complaints coming in about sex jokes lately," she said.

sex jokes?...

"Anything else I won't be getting, Fatima?" he asks sardonically.

"God willing," she replies.

(I'm just blushing from the flagrant sexuality of that joke.)

Amy Lago's explanation is an obvious load of bullshit.

What is all this bullshit that it's ok to poke fun at Christians cause they'll get the humor of the comic strip, but they show it to muslims FIRST to get their input and when their input is hostile or upset, the WaPo and syndicate don't run it?

Thomas Jefferson must be rolling, nay, indeed spinning in his grave. The whole basis of America really is (if you think about it) our precious right to Freedom of Speech and the non-censoring of speech before that speech hits the "marketplace of ideas, where the people will judge it's value and worth.".
This is a LOT more than the WaPo's "consideration" of muslim's being offended (Freedom of Speech doesn't really mean anything if it isn't Freedom to offend or irritate someone or some group) it's a complete and total sell-out of that which the WaPo used to say (and frequently hide behind)
was a mainstay of their existence: they just sold out OUR RIGHT to Freedom of Speech and it's a totally despicable act on the part of the WaPo and the syndicate.
And I frankly don't give a damn about the "fear" they may have felt from a Muslim backlash.
Folks either have to stand up for the MAJOR principle of our country or not. Period.

re: #76 shanec99

Look guys, we may be critical of the Washington Post. It is easy to be brave when you are standing on principle without a gun at your head, but when the gun gets pointed at you, then you become pragmatic.

They know the history of Salman Rushdie, the are well aware of the fatwa that was issued against Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, the flight of Ayaan Hirsi Ali cannot have gone unnoticed to the powers at the Washington Post.

Before we condemn them too severely, let us remember that if they should publish comics that poke fun at Islam members of their staff would face certain attacks and possibly murder if history instructs us on how some Muslims will behave.

Look, the Washington Post staff is well paid, live in comfortable homes and have children. They are not about to jeopardize that on some abstract principle like Freedom of the Press, or Freedom of Speech. They just wont.

Are the editors at the Washington Post hypocrites? Perhaps.
Are the intimidated? Absolutely.
Are the responding to a demonstrable threat? Yes.

Guys forgive them, they are scared and principle means something to them only when their children are not put at risk by those principles.

The more people cave to the threat, the worse it gets.

I think some sternly worded letters are in order. Preferably from someone who actually reads the WaPo.

shanec99 (#76),

Guys forgive them, they are scared and principle means something to them only when their children are not put at risk by those principles.

And all the other papers that will publish these cartoons, shall we condemn them for putting their children at risk?

re: #87 Geepers

shanec99 (#76),

Guys forgive them, they are scared and principle means something to them only when their children are not put at risk by those principles.

And all the other papers that will publish these cartoons, shall we condemn them for putting their children at risk?

I might have a touch of sympathy for the WaPo if their terrorist-abetting and secret-leaking were not specifically and deliberately putting other Americans at risk.

re: #76 shanec99

I guess it was exceedingly brave of WaPo to go with Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein expose of Nixon./sarc

This is just more of their multi-culti business.

The Fox article links to a previous strip that poked fun of Jerry Falwell. I really don't think the WaPo ran that by anyone before deciding to print it.

Here's my challenge to every cartoonist:

Draw strips that ridicule Islam.

Keep drawing them. Over and over.

Sooner or later the pansies that run newspapers like WaPo will quit censoring them. I mean, they can't run empty comics pages, can they?

re: #76 shanec99 I understand your position and certainly can commiserate with it. But quite frankly "when the gun gets pointed at you, then you become pragmatic." is just wrong. Period. You either believe in something as a major principle of your very existence and fight those who would take it away, even at gunpoint, or you really don't have any principles at all.
Except survival. At ANY cost. I'd like to believe that Americans are better than that.
Even (and maybe especially) the WaPo and the syndicate.

JamesTKirk (#88),

It's a matter a principles apparently.

Here's the quote about the Falwell strip from the Fox article:

Lago said she didn't flag newspapers about that strip because she didn't think readers would misunderstand the humor.

"They're not going to take it seriously," she said.

But she did alert newspapers about the Muslim-themed cartoon because there was a question about whether Muslim readers would be offended.

I guess she thinks Christians have enough forbearance/intelligence/humor not to be offended? Or else she doesn't care.

re: #76 shanec99

Look guys, we may be critical of the Washington Post. It is easy to be brave when you are standing on principle without a gun at your head, but when the gun gets pointed at you, then you become pragmatic.

Speak for yourself. I don't get pragmatic about basic freedoms, or the restriction of those freedoms. Obviously, neither does Charles Johnson. If there's a threat, better to face it now and let it be known.

I always said the best way to deal with a bully is to punch him in the mouth first chance you get. And make it a good one.

Maybe Steve should have offered Lola a "temporary marriage" or asked if she was ready to become one of four girlfriends. Or perhaps she has some nasty old man man with three wives already that she can marry. While she's at it, she can give up her right to walk around by herself without a male relative escorting her.

re: #85 JamesTKirk

I am not excusing the Washington Post caving in, I am providing you an explanation based on pragmatism.

My take on the whole matter is that they are scared, and will adhere to principles only when other people may be put at risk, but will not risk themselves personally.

They are doing what many of our fellow citizens, particularly those who see themselves as a part of the liberal cultural elite. They have no stake in the idea of shared responsibility and sacrifice to ensure the survival of our nation. They believe that they are exempted and that certain duties like the defense of our nation should be left to people who are somehow lesser than they. In short, as long as they bear no burden, and will pay no price they will be the loudest advocates of a principle, but if they are called upon to make any sacrifice, then they will leave that responsibility to others while they enjoy the benefits of citizenship.

Re: my comment at #93:

In a way, she's doing a backhanded slam at the Muslims, but I doubt she realized that.

Apropo for every thread today, so I'll post it again.

Roll over and expose your throats and soft underbellies, kafr dogs!

Yes, master...

re: #76 shanec99

Look guys, we may be critical of the Washington Post. It is easy to be brave when you are standing on principle without a gun at your head, but when the gun gets pointed at you, then you become pragmatic.
Before we condemn them too severely, let us remember that if they should publish comics that poke fun at Islam members of their staff would face certain attacks and possibly murder if history instructs us on how some Muslims will behave.

Look, the Washington Post staff is well paid, live in comfortable homes and have children. They are not about to jeopardize that on some abstract principle like Freedom of the Press, or Freedom of Speech. They just wont.

Are the editors at the Washington Post hypocrites? Perhaps.
Are the intimidated? Absolutely.
Are the responding to a demonstrable threat? Yes.

Guys forgive them, they are scared and principle means something to them only when their children are not put at risk by those principles.

I'm sort of with you to a point, that the WaPO recognizes there is a genuine threat out there, and that it's easy to criticise another when one is safe.
So, to debate the point - then why do they refuse to inform people out there via their reporting and editorials, implicitly encouraging people to back down? It's a lot easier to deal with the problem NOW when there MIGHT be a gun at their heads, while being in a strong tactical position, instead of a few years down the road when their strategy of appeasement and hiding from the truth has completely exposed them to REAL guns at their heads - AND their children's heads.
May I offer that every single day Americans and frankly citizens all over the world travelling, carrying out their daily business are just as much threatened by terrorists as any single staffer or aggregate at the WaPo? My family has been putting up with this for twenty years, not the last 6. We're not special - just typical of ANY expat living family out there. Sudan just caught a terror group that had Western targets in Sudan in their plans. WaPo staffers aren't the only ones who have to deal with the threat of terror attacks as they work - should all the NGOs and humanitarian staffs fold up and quiver? They are more on the front lines than WaPo.
This is no way to protect their families. It's just cowardice.

Muslims have no sense of humor.

Unless you are talking about throwing rocks at a loved one while performing an honor killing. Wait. That isn't very funny either.

INC (#93),

I guess she thinks Christians have enough forbearance/intelligence/humor not to be offended?

If that's the case then she's calling muslims too stupid to get the joke.

re: #76 shanec99

When the gun gets pointed at you, you point a bigger gun at them.

I, EL Matamoros, have the greatest scheme to get back at the degenerate libtards! Someone above mentioned the piss christ and virgin mary dung incidents, so as every "kumbaya", cant we all just get along, islamic appeaser knows that Islam Also considers Jesus a prophet and as far as i know Mary is the ONLY women even mentioned in the koran. They also greatly respect her. so here is my plan, Lets get muslims convinced to react this way to ALL koranic holy figures! Not just Mohammud or allah. Heck even go onto Radical web sites and encourage it. They want any excuse to riot/seethe anyway , soon enough any nudnick who depicts jesus in an unflattering way will have to deal with the wraith of KHAN! You know, Khan Ibrahim, of Islamabad pakistan. Then watch all the lefties heads explode! WHat? we cant make fun of Jesus (oops i mean Issa) anymore ?

Then go onto some Leftist artistic websites and read the forums, "since this new fatwa was released and I 'respect' islam to much to depict jesus in a bad way, im out of freaking work! That imitation jakson pollack bullshit i sell to snooty morons just doesnt pay the bills! Any solutions?"
then one person says "this is all BUSHS fault for invading gascanistan!"
then another poster replies "well, what about Bhudda? i hear his followers are pussys. maybe he can be our new target for making our edgy, irreverent art?"
To wit, some one replies "are you an asshole? 98% of all leftist jerkoff artists are buddists! we all picked it up in college in our world religions 101 class remeber?"
"oh yeah. i forgot im a bhuddhist."
Then a final reply says " well at least we know now that buddists ARE pussies" ;)

re: #94 goodbye_natalie Indeed. Please see my comments at #84 and at #91.
All of the Freedoms granted to us by The Bill of Rights are indeed precious (and unique; NO other nation has those freedoms engraved in the basic document that governs our or their society). But the right to Freedom of Speech, I believe ranks highest, because it's the One Freedom we've earned
that enables us to ensure the remainder.
And yes, I'm aware that the Bill of Rights applies only to the government (your employer, for example, can prohibit some of your speech if it so chooses) but this IS the Washington Post (and syndicate) one of the
Key Players in insuring that that Right is preserved.

re: #101 Geepers

Yep, see my #97.

Allah

I blaspheme.

re: #99 wanumba Again, I agree completely. PLEASE see my #'s 84 #91 and #104.

Billy Bob Mohammadd cracked corn and I don't care. Such a small powerless thumb sucking pantywaisted bowlegged insecure god. allen is such a waste of time.

INC (#105),

Liberals have a habit of not thinking things through.

The strangest part of this is; if you read the entire strip, it appears to be (at least in part) practically cheerleading for "radical Islam". The girl in question goes on about how now, as a radical Islamist, she won't be a shallow, materialistic "American Idol"-watching Western woman. And yet, it still prompted an "emotional response", eh.

As for the "uh, yeah, we were also, you know, concerned about that racy sexual innuendo" bullshit excuse, I think it will be short work for the blogoshpere to call the Post on this with examples of other strips they've run.

I misread the title of the thread...I thought it said Washington Post Blows Their New Islamic Overlords.

I must stop reading things out of the corner of my eyes.

There are some comics in my daily paper that occasionally bash Christians. I choose just not to read them, not to censure them.

For the record, that paper (St Paul Pioneer Press) IS printing the OPUS ones. So at least they are consistant.

re: #10 eff plus

Sources told FOXNews.com that the strips were shown to Muslim staffers at The Washington Post to gauge their reaction, and they responded “emotionally” to the depiction of a woman dressed in traditional Muslim garb and espousing conservative Islamic views.

and you know what happens when Muslims get "emotional."

ka-boom

They respond emotionally to everything in the real world. They have two crayons in their boxes; rage and humiliation. It is all they know. Besides they don't need to know anything else-between the inbreeding and the mind control cult they belong to, thinking outside the box isn't necessary.
The WAPO should just shut down-this is a disgrace on a par with pooping your pants when the bully yells at you.
If I had been asked what to tell the emotional employees I would have said "I got your emotion-right here."

re: #101 Geepers Hello my friend. Please see my #'s 84 and 91 ( and #104 if you choose).
I think they state the case quite frankly and straightforwardly.
And I'd appreciate your input on those comments.
Thanks.

that the strips were shown to Muslim staffers at The Washington Post to gauge their reaction, and they responded “emotionally” to the depiction of a woman dressed in traditional Muslim garb and espousing conservative Islamic views.

Oh, Dave has a good point...remember when the Washington Post ran the column that called Conservative Christians "Unintellgent and easily lead"? I do. Do you think they ran that by their orthadox Christian employees first?

Washington Post had no problem with publishing an offensive strip on Father's Day. Why the sudden bout of prudishness where values are concerned? A couple of staffers voice their displeasure and they yank a cartoon? And yet they have no trouble insulting every father in America?

I thought newspapers were supposed to act as watchdogs on government and society. At least, that's what I was told in my high school journalism class. This watchdog is a yappy, whiny little lap dog that hasn't been paper trained.

re: #99 wanumba

I am with you on that matter, look I am with you. I have served this nation as a member of her armed forced for the last 21 years. I was in Saudi Arabia during DS/DS. Last year I was in Iraq and I tried to save the lives of young Iraqis who stood with us to try to build a new nation.

I was told yesterday that I should expect to be in Afghanistan this fall.

My values are not the same as the values that members of the media exhibit. I recognize them for what they believe and how they conduct themselves regarding the assumption they make about service to our nation. What they are doing is just a continuation of what they have always done. It does not surprise me, it appalls me, but does not surprise me.

Speaking of sexual innuendo, how could the concept of 72 virgins not equally be charged with it?

Anyway, comics have become so unfunny. Perhaps it's because they're afraid to offend anyone. Isn't that the essence of comedy to varying degrees?

So do we have any idea who might be the,

client that has issues with any Muslim depiction whatsoever.{?}

Hmmm?

No wonder Al-Q hasn't attacked the mainland again. They see the cowardly libs capitulating and think they are winning.

81 red satellite,

Ahhh.

Thanks.

re: #87 Geepers

No we should not. Let us stand with those people who have the courage to face a ruthless and murderous enemy who would be only too happy to murder our children as they sleep.

realwest (#114),

The Washington Post's excuses are pure bull. They're not afraid for themselves or their staff or their children. They showed them to their muslim staffers to get an excuse to do what they wanted to in the first place. Probably something like this: "Don't you find these cartoons offensive?" They then get to feed their own moral superiority by claiming to protect the poor stupid muslims from the mean old neocons.

WOW! Way to go LGFer's! I confess it took me more time to read some of the truly excellent posts here than it did to compose my own (those who truly believe in Freedom of Speech can write about it almost on auto-pilot!).
While there were a few somewhat nonsensical posts out here, I'm really PROUD of the way we've all handled this matter. Truly.

The liberal media are hypocrite and they prove it time and time again.

One thing is for certain: there is no stopping them; the ants will soon be here. And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords. I’d like to remind them that as a trusted TV personality, I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground sugar caves.

Look guys, we may be critical of the Washington Post. It is easy to be brave when you are standing on principle without a gun at your head, but when the gun gets pointed at you, then you become pragmatic.
Before we condemn them too severely, let us remember that if they should publish comics that poke fun at Islam members of their staff would face certain attacks and possibly murder if history instructs us on how some Muslims will behave.
Look, the Washington Post staff is well paid, live in comfortable homes and have children. They are not about to jeopardize that on some abstract principle like Freedom of the Press, or Freedom of Speech. They just wont.
Are the editors at the Washington Post hypocrites? Perhaps.
Are the intimidated? Absolutely.
Are the responding to a demonstrable threat? Yes.
Guys forgive them, they are scared and principle means something to them only when their children are not put at risk by those principles.

I am through making excuses for cowards. If an editor feels too threatened to faithfully perform his or her duties, resignation remains an honorable option. Perhaps the editors might resign with a collective public statement describing the perceived threats.

These editors are not babes in the media woods. They know very well the hypocrisy of this omission.

In Madison, WI - the Wisconsin State Journal ran the cartoon (good for them), which is the more "conservative" or "less leftist" of the two Madison papers.

We'll know what the reaction to it in 3 to 6 months in the Muslim world is my guess.

And isn't a 'emotional' response part of satire and political cartoons?

re: #123 Geepers Precisely. And what clearly galls me the most is that the WaPo, moonbat MSM though they may be on other matters, is supposed to STAND UP for Freedom of Speech!
Geebus, how can they be such cowards to ignore their stewardship of that right.

re: #109 Geepers"Liberals have a habit of not thinking. things through. There, fixed that for ya!

re: #91 realwest
You and I believe that. It appears that some of the folks who make the Washinton Post may not share our sentiments.

To expect everyone to behave like we do, especially if they have a history of being hostile to many of our traditions is wishful thinking. I never expect the people who regard themselves as cultural elites who find employment in large media houses like the Washington Post to stand with the military man and woman when they defend this nation in times of peril.

Until they demonstrate that I am wrong, then nothing they do will surprise me, especially if it involves acting in thier own self interests rather than the collective security and welfare of the nation.

re: #117 shanec99

But it still doesn't excuse them. Fortunately, blogs like this one will kill the old MSM guard by a thousand cuts, since that is what they deserve. They are dead. Right now they're more like zombies, but eventually these zombies will collapse.

Where did I read that at least a few wife beaters in Australia have either converted to islam or considered converting after the Aussies imposed two sets of responses to domestic dispute calls: one for non-muslims where the beater gets arrested, the other for muslims where the wife gets told her place is to be beaten?

realwest (#130),

Thanks for the improvement.

re: #109 Geepers

No doubt... Like how there efforts to ban of genetically engineered crops and DDT have been responsible for countless deaths in third world countries?

re: #84 realwest

Thomas Jefferson must be rolling, nay, indeed spinning in his grave.

I figure about 2,000 rpm, and ramping up.

their PIMF

Is Kent Brockman the managing editor?

re: #136 abu_garcia

re: #84 realwest

Thomas Jefferson must be rolling, nay, indeed spinning in his grave.

I figure about 2,000 rpm, and ramping up.

So fast that smoke is now seeping up from the ground.

re: #131 shanec99 I apologize if my post appeared to be attacking you. I thank you for your service to this nation and am a veteran (Vietnam, 11Bravo) myself.
My problem is, again, believing that Freedom of Speech is our most precious freedom of all, is something that the WaPo is supposed to defend and protect. Indeed, even while I deplore reporters who rely on "anonymous sources" I applaud them when they accept going to jail to defend what they believe to be their essential (journalistic) freedom. That's why I'm SO PISSED off at the WaPo - it is intended to be, moonbatitis and all, one of the defenders of our right to Freedom of Speech and here they just completely abandoned the defense of that freedom without even putting up a fight (i.e., publish the damn cartoon and fight whatever fight there may be AFTER you publish it).

I see hair sticking out of the front - stone her!

re: #127 John Galt

Do you really expect someone to resign a six to seven figure a year job to satisfy some principle that they only pay lip service to?

When ever reporters start standing with the American people and working to create a nation that proclaims the righteousness of freedom and the preservation of liberty I will be amazed. To expect them to resign on principle would amaze me more thoroughly than I would be if a pig went to Harvard and quoted Shakespare.

Endangered in MASS (#135),

No doubt... Like how there efforts to ban of genetically engineered crops and DDT have been responsible for countless deaths in third world countries?

Hey too bad about them, so long as the Libs can feel good about themselves no price is to great for someone else to bear.

re: #2 JamesTKirk

And yet, it wasn't very funny anyway.

That's what I thought. I looked at it and said ha? Granted I am not as smart as all those liberals, nor have their wonderful sense of humor, but what a poor joke. Now I am sure any time there is a joke about Jews or religious Christians they must run it by other Jews or Christians at this liberal papers. And I am equally sure there is never an objection. Many lib jews I know have a profound hatred for any Jew with deeply held religious beliefs, and it should be rather obvious how the lib left ( jew or Christian ) think about evangelicals or other Christians with profound religious beliefs. And their the tolerant ones- yeah sure!

The Washington Post has a new banner.

J I H A D

Journalistic Integrity Has Already Disappeared

re: #140 realwest

Not offended my friend, we can disagree without being unkind. First we must be reasonable men and women, people like you and I understand this. We have served the nation and found brotherhood with people with many different backgrounds and opinions.

Let us never forget that we are a dynamic and creative nation precisely because we frequently disagree with the staus quo and search for innovative solutions to whatever vexing problems we encounter everyday. That I think is the genius that has been the engine of American growth.

My friend, please free to disagree with me, debate and try to persuade me to change my view if you believe that your position is more meritorious than mine. I am willing to learn from you and will change my position if I see the wisdom of yourss, but please respect my right to advise you that I believe that you are wrong and would prefer to go my own way even if I should decide to go it alone.

Boomers have surrendered our freedoms to medieval tribesman in just a little more time than it took for the Greatest Generation to defeat Imperial Japan and the Nazis.

The Worthless Generation

Nail on head

Christianity Sucks and Islam is Awesome?

Man-Eating Lions and Fighting Terrorism

re: #139 Ward Cleaver

re: #136 abu_garcia

re: #84 realwest

Thomas Jefferson must be rolling, nay, indeed spinning in his grave.

I figure about 2,000 rpm, and ramping up.

So fast that smoke is now seeping up from the ground.

Indeed - it's now an entire Pall over the city of Washington and I believe Al Gore is going to give a speech about how Thomas Jefferson is responsibe for Global Warming!

re: #51 INC

re: #49 Eowyn2

And who really believes that the sexual innuendo had anything to do with canceling the strip?

Not me!
Signed,
~Bill Clinton

the strips were shown to Muslim staffers at The Washington Post to gauge their reaction, and they responded “emotionally”

What is so damn offensive about that comic showed above? The only thing I could think of is they say "Radical Islamist"...the inclusion of the word radical probally caused the instinctual seething, seen in the 'slim populous.

But again, WHO CARES DAMNIT! When are you papers, and news programs going to get some f'ing stones and just say to hell with it? Tell them if they are so offended, just dont read the paper...

Do what I did. Complain to Wapo:

[Link: www.washingtonpost.com...]

remember to be courteous and thoughtful...

145 Royal Canadian

The Washington Post has a new banner.

J I H A D

Journalistic Integrity Has Already Disappeared

That's a keeper

Charles (or Stinky, whoever's at the helm), when I hit the "quote" or "reply" button it just takes me to the top of the page.

Gremlins, I guess.

Good news: Opus is Haram!
Bad news: the rest of us are targets.

There was also considerable alarm over the strip at the highest echelons of The Washington Post Co., according to the sources.

My my... these folks at the "highest echelons" are easily alarmed,aren't they?

re: #153 charles_martel

Do what I did. Complain to Wapo:

[Link: www.washingtonpost.com...]

remember to be courteous and thoughtful...

I did and I was courteous. It was HARD to do though, I wanted to scream COWARDS!
:)

re: #147 Beagle

Boomers have surrendered our freedoms to medieval tribesman in just a little more time than it took for the Greatest Generation to defeat Imperial Japan and the Nazis.

The Worthless Generation

That's great! Can I borrow that?

re: #146 shanec99 I agree with you completely on discussing this in an adult fashion (or at least as adult as I can be!). But I'm afraid I simply would reiterate all that I have posted out here before about Freedom of Speech. See, for example, the post I wrote, perhaps too quickly, at # 84, first, then my comment to you at #91.
Once you've read my #84, I think you'll understand why I said what I said at #91:
"when the gun gets pointed at you, then you become pragmatic." is just wrong. Period. You either believe in something as a major principle of your very existence and fight those who would take it away, even at gunpoint, or you really don't have any principles at all. Except survival. At ANY cost. I'd like to believe that Americans are better than that.
Even (and maybe especially) the WaPo and the syndicate."
I, quite candidly, was surprised that you, who have served our Naton for so long as a member of our Armed Forces, would not embrace that point of view.

re: #156 Jonas Parker

There was also considerable alarm over the strip at the highest echelons of The Washington Post Co., according to the sources.

My my... these folks at the "highest echelons" are easily alarmed,aren't they?

Now if only they got alarmed at the fact that they are being played for fools by Hamas propagandists in the US, and not so alarmed at so-called "Islamophobia". If only they pay attention to people like Steven Emerson, instead of dismissing them as racist crackpots. If only they are more vigilant. Otherwise they will not survive as the blogs infringe on their turf.

re: #157 Ayazheniangel

I know...I had to bite my tongue as well...remember to speak slowly: they're like little children, and must be spoken to as such.

#147 Beagle

Boomers have surrendered our freedoms to medieval tribesman in just a little more time than it took for the Greatest Generation to defeat Imperial Japan and the Nazis.

The Worthless Generation

Are you sure you mean Boomers? I was born in '46, the leading edge of the boom, and most of my contemporaries are quite conservative. At least that's true down here, and nationally if I recall the polls correctly.

Granted, a lot of this crap started in the 60s and 70s, flowered might be a more apt word, but males my age are predominately conservative. Most of the names on the Vietnam Memorial are names of boomers.

/Trying not to be defensive, just accurate.

re: #159 realwest
I agree with you.

What I was doing was giving you a rational explanation to their conduct. I obviously disagree with much of the Washington Post's conduct and the hostility they sometimes demonstrate to people who do not share their point of view.

No, make no mistake about this, I will stand on principle even if it means personal sacrifice. I am not sure that the Washington Post editorial staff and managers share the values that the Armed Forces live everyday.

re: #162 abu_garcia And accurate you are. It's not really the Baby Boomer Generation (Some 3 million or so of whom served IN Vietnam) but
the generations (two down, I figure) who are (ir)responsible here.
Sorry folks - I'd love to chat with y'all some more; Freedom of Speech is just so precious that it's hard to let go here, but I do have to take my cancer and pain meds NOW.
Hope I see y'all later on.

re: #162 abu_garcia

#147 Beagle

Boomers have surrendered our freedoms to medieval tribesman in just a little more time than it took for the Greatest Generation to defeat Imperial Japan and the Nazis. The Worthless Generation

Are you sure you mean Boomers? I was born in '46, the leading edge of the boom, and most of my contemporaries are quite conservative. At least that's true down here, and nationally if I recall the polls correctly.

Granted, a lot of this crap started in the 60s and 70s, flowered might be a more apt word, but males my age are predominately conservative. Most of the names on the Vietnam Memorial are names of boomers.

/Trying not to be defensive, just accurate.

I was born in 54--up north here in a blue state-well lets just say I am in the minority!

"And there is another client that has issues with any Muslim depiction whatsoever.”

Where are the Muslims protesting being treated as unreasoning infants?

Condemning "the soft bigotry of low expectations" continues to be one of Bush's greatest contributions.

Ignoring that concept continues to be one of the MSM's worst.

It requires a mindset that all children can learn, and no child
should be left behind. It does not matter where they live, or how
much their parents earn. It does not matter if they grow up in foster
care or a two-parent family. These circumstances are challenges,
but they are not excuses. I believe that every child can learn
the basic skills on which the rest of their life depends.

Some say it is unfair to hold disadvantaged children to rigorous
standards. I say it is discrimination to require anything less –
the soft bigotry of low expectations. Some say that schools can’t be
expected to teach, because there are too many broken families, too
many immigrants, too much diversity. I say that pigment and
poverty need not determine performance. That myth is disproved
by good schools every day. Excuse-making must end before learning
can begin.

#165 Nevergiveup

I was born in 54--up north here in a blue state-well lets just say I am in the minority!

Just curious. What part of the north? And is it labor union anti-boss leftism or moonbatism among your contemporaries?

re: #163 shanec99

Doesn't look like they do. In fact, in some cases, they aid and abet those (knowingly or unknowingly I am still not sure about) that wish to infringe on the WaPo's freedom of speech, as well as ours. Example for the WaPo: Right here.

This may be an example of willingly aiding those that wish to change our society for the worst: Former Chicago Tribune editor speaks out on behalf of Hamas operative Mohammed Salah

I'm still trying to find something on Musa Abu Marzook, who is now the chief propagandist for Hamas.

I actually get the WAPO delivered every day. My husband wouldn't let me cancel. However, the Post is notoriously deaf when it comes to complaints about Islam or its coverage of Israel- I do write from time to time to reporters, their editors and Deborah Howell, current ombudsman. I get no answer- ok, one reporter(not on the topics above) wrote "thanks for writing"- which means "F--- you". And of course, the WAPO is kissing a-- for its clients- every year, the Post loses subscribers. After all you can read it on-line or get the subway version- the Express - for free- so the Post doesn't want to lose revenue. And what do we call people who sell themselves(okay, here it is integrity instead of one's body) for money? Listen,I think most of the media does it- some outlets are just not as obviously whorish as others.

I am glad someone put the link for the strip on-line- I was shocked, shocked at the sex at the end- having seen it, I know the WAPO is totally cowering to Islam- the "sex" ? - that there is no sex!

The usual Muslim/Leftist fixed reaction is no surprise. It's disgusting but not surprising.

What is a surprise is that this joke contains a sexual innuendo. Where is it?

Open letter to the Non-Muslim World:

pu sil lan i mous
Pronunciation: -'la-n&-m&s
Function: adjective
Etymology: Late Latin pusillanimis, from Latin pusillus very small (diminutive of pusus boy) + animus spirit; perhaps akin to Latin puer child -- more at PUERILE, ANIMATE
: lacking courage and resolution : marked by contemptible timidity
synonym see COWARDLY

Watch out, seething is apparently contagious...now some are afraid of offending...get this...CHRISTIANS.

Read, as PC runs amok...

http://www.comcast.net/news/international/australi a/index.jsp?cat=AUSTRALIA&fn=/2007/08/23/74628 8.html&cvqh=strangenews_smokingjesus

OldLineTexan

re: #96 shanec99
I agree,it's the sad truth

I love BB, always have. Seeing him lampoon the issue of 'radical islam' is like watching the sun come up on a brand new day! Can't wait to see the Sept 2 strip!

and if you read the comic, it wasn't insulting to Islam at all. that comic would work perfectly well with a Mennonite or Mormon or Quaker (with appropriate costumes or bonnets instead of the Muslim scarf of course), it's about the woman reverting to old fashioned values and suggests he might not "get any" anymore outside of marriage, though that is so subtle and only in the very last frame. Nothing extreme, radical, or insulting about it.

"...it could raise issues. "

At the risk of repeating myself, what DOESN'T raise issues with these people?

re: #174 buzzsawmonkey

re: #173 OldLineTexan

A newspaper catering to Malaysia's ethnic Indians published a front-page apology Thursday for printing an image of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette.

As well they should. Everyone knows that Jesus didn't smoke, but chewed tobacco. WWJC?

See, with me it's not at all about religious sensibility. It's about historical accuracy. Tobacco came from the new world, yes?

I have the same problem with some sappy blue-eyed blond-haired depictions of Jesus that I have seen. I kind of expect a guy that looks like a Jewish carpenter of the era.

OldLineTexan

The Times Picayune had the strip in the Sunday comics. Guess we are to decadent to be offended.

/ Did I get my "to" right.

That comic was about as sexually charged as "Rex Morgan, M.D." and half as funny.

I am very displeased with the way that the Washington Post has conducted itself in this matter.

I remember when Robert Mapplethorpe created a picture of Mary the mother of Jesus and incorporated t with a picture of a whip sticking out of his rectum, the Washington Post defended his right to do this on the basis of freedom of expression. Though I disagreed with the idea that this creation was art worthy of display to a wider audience, I shrugged my shoulders and said "I think it's offensive, but to each his own."
[Link: maritimes.indymedia.org...]

The Washington Post staunchly and vigorously defended Mr. Mapplethorpe and I argued that although they were defending the seemingly indefensible and contributing to the coarsening the culture with their arguments, their position was at least principled.

[Link: www.highbeam.com...]

The bull whip sticking out of Mr Mapplethorpe's rectum is in my mind much more offensive than the OPUS comic, yet the editorial staff that I once admired for standing on principle has run from the issue of freedom of expression under the perceive threat of radical Islamic intimidation.

I only wish they would demonstrate more backbone.

re: #180 easy

No. It should be 'too'. I remember it this way-when a thing is too much it gets two o's.

OK that's it. Someone told me once how to keep from waiting for the "transferring data from Digg" to stop-I forgot how to do it. Can someone please tell me again? I promise to write it down this time.

I have an issue with Muslims killing anyone who doesn't agree with them.

When am I going to be accomodated?

The whole comic strip can be found at Washington Post website (registration required)

[Link: wpcomics.washingtonpost.com...]

Still, what a bunch of spineless crapping-in-their-pants editors.

Charles, is the a possibility for you to post the entire strip here (legal issues?)

re: #186 cpuller

I have an issue with Muslims killing anyone who doesn't agree with them.

When am I going to be accomodated?

Sorry, your ethnic, racial, gender, political, geographic identity is not one to which we kowtow.
Sorry.

Ok, that settles it for me - the news outlets have zero spine and carry zero weight with me.

Which makes today virtually indistinguishable from yesterday.

Seriously tho, do these people realize what p*ssies they are? Is there such a thing as a newschickenhawk? If not, there needs to be.

#187 hartabuna

From B. Breathed's site:

Note to Opus readers: The Opus strips for August 26 and September 2 have been withheld from publication by a large number of client newspapers across the country, including Opus' host paper The Washington Post. The strips may be viewed in a large format on their respective dates at Salon.com.

The comic is still up at the Post.
[Link: wpcomics.washingtonpost.com...]
(free reg. required)

#187 hartabuna

Also at Breathed's site.

re: #142 shanec99

re: #127 John Galt

Do you really expect someone to resign a six to seven figure a year job to satisfy some principle that they only pay lip service to?

There was a doctor in L.A. that basically resigned over giving non-serious care of illegals. He refused to give them help... he had to know that would cost him his job and it did. This man should be cheered, but you know the lefties will call him heartless and racist.

Not standing up for principle and selling out to a paycheck is greedy, opportunistic, and all the bad things with a capitalist system. We can fault people for selling their soul to the highest bidder. Whether it is the media that can't stand up for freedom of speech when it comes to "religious sensitivity" or google/yahoo/microsoft helping China crush free speech. It is all bad news and people should be aware of the scumbags that do these things. There are no excuses other than "We are miserable cowards or sellouts."

There are few Nathan Hale types these days.

re: #193 gamegrid

Not standing up for principle and selling out to a paycheck is greedy, opportunistic, and all the bad things with a capitalist system. We can fault people for selling their soul to the highest bidder. Whether it is the media that can't stand up for freedom of speech when it comes to "religious sensitivity" or google/yahoo/microsoft helping China crush free speech. It is all bad news and people should be aware of the scumbags that do these things. There are no excuses other than "We are miserable cowards or sellouts."

I could not have said it better my friend.

re: #153 charles_martel

I did. I was not so polite but didn't use bad language. I did tell them that I was surprised that they were so concerned about offending a Muslim staffer since as a Jewish subscriber, I find plenty offensive in the paper. I did say that selling their integrity because a client was offended was understandable since I believed they had sold their integrity some years ago. Bet I get "thanks for writing"

It would be interesting to read exactly why the WaPo Editors chose to submit the Opus cartoon to an assortment of Muslims for reaction.

Is this a new policy, or just a special case? Is it one-time-only or now SOP?

It would be interesting to read exactly why the WaPo Editors have never done such a thing for any other religion.

Further, it would be interesting to read exactly why the WaPo Editors then chose not to run the cartoon.

They've published controversial and unpopular things before; what's so special about this cartoon?

I’m not looking for their published explanation(s), or the later explanations that will appear in books; I wish to read, at some point, say 10 years hence, the logic they used and the reason(s) they wrote, at the time, in their personal, private diaries.

I wonder if any of them had the Private Secret Intellectual Courage, at the time, to log their actions and reasoning.

Writing The Truth, in one’s Secret Private Journal, that no one else knows about, that is kept safely locked, seems to require no courage whatsoever.

What, truly, is the worst that could happen? (besides, of course, a Crisis of Faith, and a realization that one’s actions and values are wrong)

I normally get little to nothing out of Opus and often skip it. I actually chortled over this week's mockery of Islam. I'd like to see.

Being of a pretty cynical bent at times it has occurred to me that the reason the WaPo would not publish the 'toon is that they feared that a popular lefty (Breathed) being attacked by the Religion of Peace™ would result in lefties opening their eyes a bit.

Mustn't wise the marks.

Even the Left Angeles Slimes ran the strip. And I agree: it wasn't even all that funny. After the buildup here and elsewhere, I was expecting a lot more.

re: #196 Arbalest

Writing The Truth, in one’s Secret Private Journal, that no one else knows about, that is kept safely locked, seems to require no courage whatsoever.

I sort of agree with you-but keep in mind that you are assuming they are capable of facing the truth and not dissembling about it-even to themselves.

#142 shanec99
Do you really expect someone to resign a six to seven figure a year job to satisfy some principle that they only pay lip service to?

Yes, knowing full well that my expectations will not be met. The freedom to speak freely is not merely "some principle" to the editors of the Washington Post; rather, it is the explicit foundation, proclaimed loudly and repeatedly, for their entire collective system of beliefs.

re: #76 shanec99

Look guys, we may be critical of the Washington Post. It is easy to be brave when you are standing on principle without a gun at your head, but when the gun gets pointed at you, then you become pragmatic.

They know the history of Salman Rushdie, the are well aware of the fatwa that was issued against Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, the flight of Ayaan Hirsi Ali cannot have gone unnoticed to the powers at the Washington Post.

Before we condemn them too severely, let us remember that if they should publish comics that poke fun at Islam members of their staff would face certain attacks and possibly murder if history instructs us on how some Muslims will behave.

Look, the Washington Post staff is well paid, live in comfortable homes and have children. They are not about to jeopardize that on some abstract principle like Freedom of the Press, or Freedom of Speech. They just wont.

Are the editors at the Washington Post hypocrites? Perhaps.
Are the intimidated? Absolutely.
Are the responding to a demonstrable threat? Yes.

Guys forgive them, they are scared and principle means something to them only when their children are not put at risk by those principles.

Yeah, ask their children what they think once the Islamists have us all living under Sharia law! Bet they would rather endure a little intimidation now than live as slaves later. Take your whimpy butt to Europe where they have already rolled over for the coming Caliphate.

Curiously, the Star-Tribune in the Twin Cities, which has gone to great lengths to avoid reporting on radical Islam, ran the dreaded cartoon.

"With violence one reacts in a cult to criticism says I" Yoda says.
"The dark side has weakened their perceptions of true criticism I fear"
"Yes, a sith lord at work at the Post is he. Learned from episode 3 did I", Yoda responds.
"Master what is his name?"
"WashPoCo" Yoda whispers "Wash-po-co".

because of the possibility that the jokes about Islam would be misconstrued and because of the sexual innuendo in the punchline.

We knew that because it was a sex joke, it could raise issues.

I wonder if they are living john edwards' other America, because the America I live in is overwhelmed with sexual innuendo and sex jokes. If sexual innuendo and sex jokes are all it takes for the media to self-censor itself, how is it I have any TV, films or music?

And I'm amazed to think of the complaints of "right wing Christian fundamentalists" forcing their morality on America, and at the same time here these people are with media control forcing the morality of another religion on America as well as the morality of a group the media usually rails against. Not only is that a two-fer, it's blatant hypocrisy.

What does Kent Brockman have to say about this?

story just made Fox news which pointed out the hypocrisy.

Here's gist of an email I sent to a friend who works for WaPo online. If any of this has been mentioned above, my apologies.
As far as I can tell, the Post- online and in print- has been silent on the missing strip. I could understand if they didn't publish it and explained why; instead the print edition Sunday ran a different Opus strip; the Post online posted the original. It's a bit Orwellian.

Why is the strip too sensitive for print but acceptable online? (Those unnamed persons who might be offended won't find it at washingtonpost.com?)
Did the Post think no one would notice?
Do they hope that if they don't talk about this, it will go away? (I could mention a dozen journalists and publications that prove that's a bad idea.)

It's easy to accuse the Post of censorship, fear, and political correctness. I'd add a poor sense of how the blogosphere works. By ignoring this, they miss an opportunity to talk about it. It's an important issue, on a number of levels. If it were not, Breathed's comic would have been printed Sunday.

So, you have a little scroll back through Breathed's comics and you find this one

Now, as has been asked before, did the eds think to aks any Christians on the staff whether they may be offended?

Perhaps they all agree that Gerry Falwell was right wing bigot and, well, who cairs.

Perhaps, more correctly, there are no Christians at WaPo to ask?

Oopsy daisy, care, CARE, silly me PIMF

Maybe it's not a sex joke at the end. Maybe it's a beer-and-pork-chops joke.

My wife is from NO VA. When we visited her parents I tried to read the Post, but gave up in disgust. Every article and even the sports pages are Marxist editorials masquerading as news reports.

re: #174 buzzsawmonkey

re: #173 OldLineTexan

A newspaper catering to Malaysia's ethnic Indians published a front-page apology Thursday for printing an image of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette.

As well they should. Everyone knows that Jesus didn't smoke, but chewed tobacco. WWJC?

WWJS - What Would Jesus Spit?
Wait, does this mean that He healed a blind guy with tobacco juice? This could be a whole new field of natural medicine!
Yecch!

re: #202 BeerForMyHorses

Why do you have to be so combative? If you took the time to read my statements you would realize that I disagree with the decision not to publish the cartoons, while at the same time looking for an explanation as to why they came to such a decision.

We must first of all be reasonable men and women and try to appreciate other as Americans and forge alliances based on common ideal if we are to survive as a nation and our culture is to prevail against the assaults by Islamic terrorists whose goal it is to destroy or subdue us.

Now perhaps you are not aware, I am on active duty. I was in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I was in Iraq until June of last year, and this fall I will be heading to Afghanistan. I volunteered to serve in Iraq, and I also let them know that I was willing to go to Afghanistan. Are you sure that I am the kind of guy you want to call wimpy? Please think about your statements before you make them,and not attack a person whose goal of protecting this nation and preserving her values are similar to yours.

Whether it was going to be funny is beside the point. The fact of the matter is that the WaPo and those MSM media outlets which followed it capitulated in advance because they feared (probably correctly) the the Religion of Peace (official motto: Don't call us violent or we'll kill you) would start rioting in the streets.

As well, there would be no such fear of printing hateful cartoons against Christianity or Israel because, again, the powers that be in those papers know full well that there would be Christian or Jewish equivalents of fatwahs issued against them.

Give the Moslems credit. They get what they want with what they do...

BHG

re: #9 Killgore Trout

ROTFLMAO!

:-D

BHG

So, let me just get this right. The following items will make a group of people riot in the street while maintaining the title "religion of peace".
1. Mock Mohammad
2. Make a picture of Mohammad
3. Mock the Koran
4. Mock the way they dress.
Signs, signs everywhere are signs! Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?

This is a total joke. Sometimes I question my dislike for the MSM, and feel like I am too tough on them.
Then they pull something like this and I remember why I think so little of the whole business of news reporting. How can the industry be "non-biased" but at the same time run on ad revenue, just like a network sitcom?

Total joke.

#76: "Look guys, we may be critical of the Washington Post. It is easy to be brave when you are standing on principle without a gun at your head, but when the gun gets pointed at you, then you become pragmatic."

So? Then WaPo should be honest and say that theyre not carrying the cartoon because islam scares the crap out of them. After CAIR protests their islamophobia, they can publish the cartoons. But! pretending they're not publishing the cartoons because they are being "sensitive" is unproductive and a hell of a lot funnier than that cartoon.

It's the "sex" issue that's offensive? This from the followers of a religion that condones four wives and as many sex slaves as one can capture in war. Now THAT'S funny!

re: #218 Abish

So, let me just get this right. The following items will make a group of people riot in the street while maintaining the title "religion of peace".
1. Mock Mohammad
2. Make a picture of Mohammad
3. Mock the Koran
4. Mock the way they dress.
Signs, signs everywhere are signs! Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?

don't forget...drop soccer balls with the flag of saudi arabia from helicopters...

re: #111 The Pulchritudinous Patriot

I misread the title of the thread...I thought it said Washington Post Blows Their New Islamic Overlords.

I must stop reading things out of the corner of my eyes.

I think the corner of your eye got it right.

re: #4 Dianna

My guess is must be the case that one of their highpaying "client" uh... sponsors/ advertisers has one of those overly sensitive Muslims approving advertising expenditures (in the WaPo)!

re: #220 myshkin

#76: "Look guys, we may be critical of the Washington Post. It is easy to be brave when you are standing on principle without a gun at your head, but when the gun gets pointed at you, then you become pragmatic."

Uh...I think it's even worse than that, it's advertising dollars !

re: #117 shanec99
Yes, I was thinking that you were sitting back and considering the reality of the WaPo's motives more than making any approval of them. On that, I think you are right on the money -1) it's easy to criticise when one is safe
2) the WaPo is definitely aware that there is a real threat

We just don't want to be distracted from the need to hold their collective feet to the fire - their reporting and editorials and opinions hurt our war effort - to hold those very extremists AWAY from our country.

Thanks for your service. We are also heavily invested in humanitarian actions overseas - non military, and truly one does become more thoughtful about these debates when we see real people in real conflicts and trials.

Once again the WaPo shows its true colors.

You gotta luv these PC cowards. Bash Christians- No problems. Bash Muslims - No Way!

re: #227 Trinitytim

Once again the WaPo shows its true colors.

You gotta luv these PC cowards. Bash Christians- No problems. Bash Muslims - No Way!

Christians won't kill them. What brave Americans they are. (sarcasm)

re: #147 Beagle

Boomers have surrendered our freedoms to medieval tribesman in just a little more time than it took for the Greatest Generation to defeat Imperial Japan and the Nazis.

The Worthless Generation

Excellent comment. Of course, the rot had been going on for some time, but your point is well taken. How fast they are willing to sell us all.

I'm only in my forties, but it is truly amazing how much the country has changed since my formative years. Sometimes I feel like I landed from another planet.

(Satire on WaPo’s decision to withhold the cartoon)

"TNOYF reporters obtained this video transcript of the meeting between Post Assistant Managing Editor Mike Keegan and the Muslim staffers."

[Picture of Mike Keegan talking to Muslim staff]

“You’ll get no argument from me, Mr. Ibrahm. It was clearly Zionist neckware. However, when our employees fillet each other in a public forum, it creates...problems for us as a corporate enterprise. Surely you understand.”

[Picture of Muslim staffers]

“The Jew-loving cur deserved to die.”

[Picture of Mike Keegan talking to Muslim staff]

Thanks. OK– the right-wing shill cartoonist Berkeley Breathed has submitted a cartoon for publication, and I would like to show it to you. Now, please remember, I did not conceive, write, color, print or transport this material. I am simply the reluctant messenger. Uh–Mr. Majeed–I thought we agreed that we would leave our machetes home. Would you mind putting that away?”

[Picture of Muslim staffers]

“Sorry, but I need to address the exposed ankle of my cousin’s wife tonight, and did not think I’d be able to get home in time to get my machete. And get to the gym.”

[Picture of Mike Keegan talking to Muslim staff]

“OK, gentlemen. Here is the cartoon-”

[Picture of Muslim staffers]

“BLASPHEMY!”
“BE-HEAD THE INFIDEL!”
“BUSH LIED, PEOPLE DIED!”

For the rest see: The Nose On Your Face

"The strip came in and I knew we would have to send out an alert to all the newspapers,”

Ya know, it must take a lot of energy to be a PCer these days. Oh the stress must be sooo unbearable for them, how can they handle the stress. My God, such a great undertaking, what will they do?
I only wish the LLL would show the same concern they show over a fanatic cult religion's feelings, as the say a Non-issue like, uh, I dunno, Border Security.

Whatever religion or race cannot stand the heat in the American kitchen of free exchange of ideas should not come here or should leave for countries where their belief systems will never be challenged (there's no shortage of those for Muslims.)

And it would be great if they could take with them most of the Left that also has problems understanding free speech. One of the toxic commonalities between the Left and Islam is their wish to suppress all opposition to their totalitarian views. Therefore the Left in the United States (including WaPo and most other MSM) bows and scrapes to Muslim hyper-sensitivities as the media wish to be bowed and scraped to by all of us concerning their own lefty shibboleths. They're modelling for us the behavior they dream of and expect.

The Left's dumbness comes from their seeming inability to see that something is going to have to give when their sacred cows of libertinism, feminism, the abortion that makes the first two possible, gay marriage, multicult etc. collide with sharia law which abhors all of these. Who will be bowing to whom?

"Make fun of anybody, PLEASE, just not a Muslim! For the LOVE OF GOD! man, don't say anything negative about Islam or Muslims, OK?

"(sweating) Jesus Christ, man! Be NICE to the Muslims! Whatever you do, DON'T OFFEND THE MUSLIMS!"

// bzzz! Wrong.

re: #233 rtheyserius

Yep, that is about the size of it.

No MSM coverage of this outrage so far. I sent a pointed email to the Post Ombudswoman.