April 27, 2006

Mohammed Cartoon Publishers Could Get Death Penalty in Pakistan

Papers have been filed in Pakistan to indict the publishers of the controversial Mohammed cartoons. Those named in the push for the indictment: The editor, publisher, and cartoonist responsible for the first publications of the Mohammed cartoons in the Danish paper Jyllands-Posten; papers in France (not named in story, but cartoons reprinted in France Soir), Italy (La Stampa), Norway (Magazinet), Ireland (The Irish Daily Star), and the Netherlands (Volkskrant). Google, Yahoo, and Hotmail were also named in the suit for providing access to the cartoons.

Pakistan's Daily Times:

Police have registered cases against the editor and publisher of a Danish newspaper and several other European dailies over their publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), under a blasphemy law that carries the death penalty, an officer said.
Remember, Pakistan is a moderate Muslim country and an ally in the war on terror.
Internet giants Yahoo, Hotmail, and the search engine Google were also named in the cases for allowing access to the drawings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) that were considered sacrilegious by Muslims. A lawyer who runs a citizens’ rights group submitted the cases.
Not that I wouldn't like to see Google stoned to death, but a line has to be drawn somewhere. I'm also a little disappointed that The Jawa Report wasn't named as co-defendant. Although, I did get a letter yesterday from a reader in Saudi Arabia who tells me that she can't access The Jawa Report there. Apparently the Saudis consider it a 'hate' website. This website is 'hate', killing homosexuals....that's just love differently shown. Go figure.
Islamic tradition bars any of drawings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), favourable or otherwise, in a policy to discourage idolatry. Lawyer Iqbal Haider, who runs Awami Himayat Tehrik or People’s Support Movement, had petitioned the Supreme Court against the publication of the cartoons under a blasphemy law that allows the death penalty for anyone guilty of insulting the Holy Prophet (PBUH) or the holy Quran.
All emphasis mine. What can you say about a religion that kills you for saying things they don't like? But I'm sure, these are just misunderstanderers of Islam...
Cases were registered on Tuesday against Jyllands-Posten, its editor, publisher, a cartoonist, and newspapers in France, Italy, Ireland, Norway and the Netherlands at a police station in Karachi on the court’s orders, said Tariq Malik, an official at the station.

“It is now the government’s job to contact the Interpol and bring the offenders to a court of law in Pakistan,” Haider said on Wednesday.....

A government prosecutor, who opposed the petition, says Pakistan’s courts have no jurisdiction over a crime committed abroad.

Don't expect this to go anywhere, but still, it says a lot.

Asia News adds this to the initial AP piece:

Since 1996, the year the law entered into force, dozens of Christians have been killed for defaming Islam, 560 people were charged with the crime and 30 are awaiting judgment. Often the law is used to settle personal scores.

Via Gateway Pundit who has more.

By Rusty Shackleford, Ph.D. at 02:10 PM | |