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A GERMAN NEWSPAPER in the northern port city of Hamburg that reprinted Mohammed cartoons from the French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo was the target of an arson attack early today.
“Rocks and then a burning object were thrown through the window,” a police spokesman told AFP.
Two rooms on lower floors were damaged but the fire was put out quickly.
The regional tabloid daily, the Hamburger Morgenpost, had splashed three Charlie Hebdo cartoons on its front page after the massacre at the Paris publication, running the headline “This much freedom must be possible!”
No one was hurt in the attack, which police said occurred at about 1.20am Irish time.
Two people were detained, while state security has opened an investigation, police said.
Whether there was a connection between the Charlie Hebdo cartoons and the attack was the “key question”, the police spokesman said, adding that it was “too soon” to know for certain.
Police declined to provide further information about the suspects.
No one at the Hamburger Morgenpost, known locally as the Mopo and which has a circulation of around 91,000, could immediately be reached for comment.
“Thick smoke is still hanging in the air, the police are looking for clues,” the newspaper said in its online edition.
Media reports said the newspaper’s publishers had ordered private security protection for the building in the western district of Othmarschen.
German news agency DPA reported that the attack had occurred from a courtyard of the building and hit the newspaper’s archive room where some records were destroyed.
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How about every newspaper publishes a cartoon….what are they going to do….burn everywhere!? These people need to start respecting their adopted homes and our way of life. They use our liberal laws and cry racism while their intolerance of everyone grows. They choose to live in the West. They either want to live with us or they don’t….repeal these daft blasphemous laws and take the fight to them. It’s time we in the West stopped this pandering to these people….
How about we stop killing them in the middle East first. Maybe then they can go home. The West has killed millions of people in the middle East, who they’ve killed less than 10k of us since the start of the war on terror.
“Them”? I thought this had nothing to do with Islam?
The West may have engaged in an ineffective war on terror (because we all know violence is the best way to defeat ideas), but the reality is that Muslims have thus far been the biggest victims of Islamic terrorist attacks. “Leaving them alone” isn’t going to solve that.
Are you trying to justify these attacks Sean by this animals in some shape or for?
Luckily I’ve never taken cartoons too seriously, I enjoy them and laugh at them like most rational thinking people, I never get the urge to go out and kill people after looking at a comic or watching the Simpsons.
This is exactly the response that they were after…. Wily give them what they want?
I have occasionally felt like killing Homer Simpson after watching that cartoon Paddy. But seriously, why doesn’t Marge just leave him?
And why is it that they never seem to grow any older?
Eagle, bombing them doesn’t help. It makes the situation worse. I think they’d rather not get bombed everyday. Supplying weapons also makes the situation worse.
Cuppantae you said that they chose to live in the west. No they have not. They got bombed endlessly and the lucky ones who survived have to come here as refugees and asylum seekers. Those who have come here by choice is because they didn’t want to get bombed in the future
I doubt Irish publications will publish anything to do with Mohamed as the blasphemy laws may be acted upon
The blasphemy law would not prohibit the publication of these cartoons. There’s a genuine public interest in seeing what got these men killed
The Irish media generally this week showed themselves to be true hypocrites. They huffed and puffed going round in circles endlessly avoiding mentioning Islam extremes as the root cause of violence and killing in many countries.
They tried salving their consciences yesterday holding some sort of service in Dublin in memory of the murdered journalists at Charlie Hebdo offices.
Ok to castigate and attack other religions but NEVER criticise the Muslim religion. WHY ??????
Freedom of expression is central to democracy.
John Campbell I agree, why do we treat them differently?
Fear !!!
I wonder what would happen if channel 4 produced a fr ted style comedy based on 3 Muslim clerics…
It is fear, but it’s insulting that none of them will admit that
Conor. Imam Ted perhaps? Channel 4 are possibly the only ones to go there? It needs to happen but it won’t. They could pretend the prophet was poor at crochet or golf.
That was already sort of done when Film 4 funded the production of Four Lions
Four Lions was very good Free. I don’t remember any great fuss from the Muslim community over that.
Worth watching for anyone who hasn’t seen it.
Here we go again! It’s very unfortunate that Jews are being attacked so often now in France, Toulouse, Paris, Marseille, and the attack on the Jewish museum in Brussels. Over 10% of the entire French Jewish population left France last year – over 60,000 people. They did not just leave because of once off horrific events such as happened this week but over daily harassment. Meanwhile France’s muslim population continues to increase, and they have suffered no attacks on their community – in fact people have gone out of their way to make sure muslims don’t feel persecuted against. All the while Trinity decide to run an anti-islamophobia event, a week to the day Jews are murdered in a bakery for being jewish. Has the world gone upside down? Is it not possible to see who is the real victim? Sometimes I feel that people have no sympathy for Jews because of what Israel does, we don’t blame muslims for what is done in the name of their religion and we shouldn’t blame Jews either. This arson attack seeks again to intimidate us into silence – like a bully in the school yard, we should stand strong for our values and stand with newspapers that re-print the cartoons!
We can’t blame all Muslims for what a few extremists do but it’s seems perfectly acceptable to label all Jews as z.ionists and war mongerers for the actions of Israel. According to some conspiracy commentators on this site, what has happened in France hasn’t actually happened at all and us just a Jew conspiracy to create a Jew lead one world government. If there is one thing that unites the left and the right it is their irrational hatred of the Jew. #JeSuisJuif
You’re 100% correct Jason… I mean this line from today’s Irish Times says it all if anyone is still in doubt about how deep this problem runs:
“At the head of the march on Sunday will be François Hollande, making it the first time since 1990 that a French president has joined a street demonstration. In May of that year, the then head of state, François Mitterrand, took part in a march against racism and anti-Semitism after the desecration of a Jewish cemetery.”
“All the while Trinity decide to run an anti-islamophobia event” – just to clarify, that event was organised by the SWP society in Trinity, and is not representative of the faculty or student body. In fact it has been criticised by a number of students.
https://www.facebook.com/events/332557686947526/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular
More specifically, it’s an anti-Charlie Hebdo event
Interesting that the very right wing that is responsible for desecrating Jewish cemeteries is loudest in its condemnation of the Islamic community.
I don’t recall it being immigrants that were responsible for the last two world wars.
Wasn’t it right wing militarism and nationalism.
There are those who will take advantage of this tragedy. Rather the pen than Le Pen.
No Silver Planet. It is not an anti Charlie Hebdo event. It is an anti-islamophobia event organised by a group of left wing students who have every right to their viewpoint.
It is hypocritical to defend free speech and then attempt to inflame opinions against a group who are exercising that same right.
Nope, it’s an anti-Charlie Hebdo event. Look at the title.
It’s hypocritical to use freedom of expression as a cover for a group who are staunchly opposed to it http://trinitynews.ie/socialists-threaten-to-sabotage-phil-recruitment-drive/
France is the one country that can have No complains about having a large Islamic population…… Maybe the UK as well.
Surely it would be more insulting and offensive to the prophet for innocent people to be murdered in cold blood in his name than any cartoon depiction, its contradictory to the motive of the murderers who claim to be defending Islam.
It is… That’s way you will see a huge cohort of Muslims protesting this weekend against violence.
Why insult them? They’ve done nothing
Please don’t say I’m trying to inflame anything… I was using it as an example of how one group is clearly more persecuted and vulnerable than another, yet it is chosen not to support or even mention them. Apologies for the confusion. No hypocrisy at all, just bewilderment
Bit of a pointless comment. No one said anything about immigrants
Vast majority are of Algerian descent. Do some research on why that is the case ….
Hi SP. There is no mention of Charlie Hebdo in that link.
Once again, look at the title. Do you think it’s some other guy named Charlie that they’re disavowing?
These nutjobs have all the free time in the world, destroying others time,money n businesses….blot on society and religion….
What about this dublin based jihadi vermin we’re giving €3k a month to:
It’s terror on our doorsteps. Ireland has all the nourishing whether for proliferation of radical elements. We offer high speed internet.loving garda force.non nosey neighbours.airport, seaport connectivity, everything they need..
…and we’re even building the boys a mosque this year
As Kenny Everett once said, “round em up, put them in a field, and bomb the ba$tards”. IMO every single Islamic extremist on the face of the earth deserves nothing more than a bullet in the head.
Ah the wisdom of Kenny Everett.
In moments of crisis I ask myself, “What would Kenny do?”
Great idea, Stephen! I’m sure once we’ve done that, anyone with latent extremist tendencies will think “Oh, better not be an extremist so. Maybe I’ll just learn embroidery instead.”*
*heavy sarcasm
Can’t you see that actions like that, exterminating groups of people because of what they might do, would plunge this whole planet into war?
I thought the whole point of #jesuischarlie and reprinting the cartoons was for everybody media/individual who is appalled by what is happening in France be able to as one voice say no to extremism but also dilute the threat of violence to everybody else by accepting some for themselves after all nobody is really safe these animals are not logical, but by not reprinting the cartoons some news outlets have just put a target on those who did.
I agree – was it not taken from “I am Sparticus” ?
Excellent point James
The vast majority of Muslims are disgusted by what has happened…… Why insult them? The only way the we can win the propaganda war is by showing our unity.
No intention to insult any Muslim Luke but why appease a terrorist.If we start now where will it end there are no end to things the radicals find offensive eg dress attire,alcohol education for women do we keep placating for fear of attack or do we say no.When in Muslim countrys it is advisable to follow local customs why not the same vice versa.
I looked up the difference between “Islamist” and “Muslim”?
- One of the answers was; – “They’re the same, But they prefer we don’t label them as such. Anyone who ‘submits’ to Islam is by definition an Islamist. They prefer Muslim because it shrouds their beliefs in a false ‘peace’.”
The Quran contains at least 109 verses that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers for the sake of Islamic rule. Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding. Muslims who do not join the fight are called ‘hypocrites’ and warned that Allah will send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter.
Quran (2:216) – “Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not.”
- Not only does this verse establish that violence can be virtuous, but it also contradicts the myth that fighting is intended only in self-defence, since the audience was obviously not under attack at the time. From the Hadith, we know that this verse was narrated at a time that Muhammad was actually trying to motivate his people into raiding merchant caravans & towns for loot.
“Muslims who do not join the fight are called ‘hypocrites’ and warned that Allah will send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter.”
That is exactly what is happening. Muslims who do not subscribe to barbarism or the particular interpretation of the Quran that extremists do are being cut down in exactly the same way as westerners. Which somewhat contradicts your implicit claim that Muslims and Islamists are the same.
You lot are as bad as them….. There are plenty of Christians who take the bible literally and that is as deranged as the Koran.
Everything you are posting is open to interpretation and you are not Islamic scholars so why muddy the waters with this obvious propaganda.
I don’t really have much time for the findings of ‘scholars’ of any religion – at the end of the day these religions are self-contained systems which exist to justify themselves. If you don’t accept the divinity of the message, then all you have is books filled with contradictions and hatred. So I support vehemently, the right to criticise, lambaste and ridicule belief systems founded on nonsense. At the same time, pointing to specific passages of the Quran willy nilly, and then claiming that there is no difference between Muslims and Islamists is patently ridiculous, and a lazy analysis. It is clear that most Muslims treat the Quran as a deli menu, in the same way Christians do, and pick and choose the particular they subscribe to beliefs based on upbringing, local culture, and other influences.
Since religion as a whole is going nowhere any time soon, the most effective thing we can do is to convince through persuasion and rebuttal of bad ideas, more Muslims who would otherwise would be sympathetic to the ideals of extremists, to pick and choose values which more closely align with liberal western ones. A process that is hindered if we start using Islam as a cover for peddling anti-immigrant nonsense (not saying you are, Francie), and castigating Muslims as a whole.
@Search Eagle
If someone doesn’t value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn’t value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?
It’s very hard to reason someone out of a position they didn’t reason themselves into!
The bible has some pretty violent and graphic passages in it too. Anyone who takes these texts literally is obviously a nutjob.
“If someone doesn’t value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn’t value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?”
That is a good question. The reality is, there’s no simple answer. You have to be persistent, and perhaps appeal to the same emotional arguments that underline their faith, if logic won’t have its way.
This is going to escalate out of all control.
This isn’t freedom of expression winning it’s showing what’s going to keep happening if they print the cartoons. These radicals won’t just say ok we won’t do any more retaliations !!
This is feeding the madness.
We need this tackled at the root.
What do you suggest? Let the nutters win? Small victories for extremists will just embolden them. Today we limit our freedom of speech on their behalf and what will it be tomorrow?
I agree with you Barry. I believe in freedom of speech.
Printing these cartoons being freedom if speech has put people who weren’t expressing their freedom of speech in the direct firing line of these lunatics. That’s what I’ve a problem with. If you want to aggravate a mad man but put my family at risk is that ok with you ?
The laws need to be changed to tackle these people. They should be vetted and regulated and any threat to our laws and citizens and they should be jailed or deported. Printing cartoons or telling them they’re stupid is going to do what ?? They’re not going to suddenly realise they’re wrong because you tell them they’re thick. This has never and will never work.
@Barry. Granted but 12 cartoonists were murdered! There is no reasoning with these lunatics and risking innocent lives to prove a point is ridiculous. Stop aggrevating an already out of control situation just to sell newspapers! Round up all the extremists? Great plan. I’m behind you a hundred percent. Now…where will we start?
Trinity college is a good place to start.
You are right, Duncan. The laws need to be changed. Police and intelligence agencies have a lot of these guys on watchlists but don’t have the necessary resources to keep up with the volume or the necessary powers to tackle the guys before they attack.
Well between help from the Muslim community and gardaí investigations the state is now aware of over 30 Muslims who have travelled from Ireland to fight with IS. A good start would be to ensure there’s legislation in place to stop them coming back. Or at least a quick trip to the special criminal court if they do come back! Maybe we should look at how we deal with people who facilitate their travel or cover for them? While many in the Muslim community came forward with information on these terrorists I’ve no doubt there were others who were not so helpful!
Gearoid
You’re spot on. Don’t let them back in and root out the fund raisers and facilitators. Let people see we won’t tolerate this behaviour. We fought our own wars for the freedom we enjoy as a nation. If they disagree with our way of life then move to a country where the can be more comfortable under sharia law. I wonder how many many if those cowards would take up that offer.
.
That’s the problem Barry. I must admit seeing that policemen being killed on the street really shows what you’re dealing with. You can’t negotiate with that mind set. They’re protected by our laws and yet hate everything we stand for. It’s incredibly worrying as the only thing these people understand is this kind of senseless violence and will only lead to more senseless violence. U
“The laws need to be changed to tackle these people.”
Which laws? You cannot fight terrorism with heavy-handed legislation, and I have a strong revulsion to proposed legislation that dismantles freedoms in the manner that these evil people claim to want. Any such changes need to stand up to scrutiny.
“We fought our own wars for the freedom we enjoy as a nation.”
The irony is, that Irish people enjoyed a lot more freedom under the British, before De Valera and friends started dismantling said freedoms to put in place a Catholic, nationalist, inward-looking state. It was only after that proved to be a total disaster that we started to gain “the freedom we enjoy as a nation”, we’re still to this day undoing the legacy of those days. There is a lesson to be learned there about allowing religion undue influence.
I agree Con. I’m all for freedom of speech, liberty etc but printing material to deliberately insult and offend others beliefs is not freedom of speech. If anyone feels that they have the right to say what they like then just strut along to your local traveller halting site and start mocking and ridiculing them for their way of life and beliefs. Or drop into the Lawnbrook Workers Club on the Shankill Road and start ranting on about the Unionist being a bunch of nutters etc. When those in the media cry out for free speech, first be clear to know exactly what free speech is and not confuse it with social bullying and mocking of others whilst hiding behind your desk.
This not going to escalate out of all control Duncan. One incident such a throwing a few stones through a print shop window and that flammable material followed by it quickly being put out is no indication of your supposition that it will escalate out of all control.
What is escalating out of all control is the reaction to such inevitable incidents.
There will be low key terrorist activity with occasional spikes such as the murders in Paris as long as some countries in the west continue to interfere in Middle Eastern politics. Islam is not going to try to take over Europe because a few loudmouths are shouting about it.
This situation will, like a dormant volcano, will rumble on for years.
May as well get used to the idea and stop erupting with hysterical statements. This is just another spike.
Nail on the head Jack. 100%
Wow Charlie. This probably isn’t happening either. !!
Jack that comment doesn’t make any sense at all. Freedom of expression is a right, not an act, and all of the things you describe are protected by it
” I’m all for freedom of speech, liberty etc but printing material to deliberately insult and offend others beliefs is not freedom of speech.”
I don’t really see why beliefs should be free from insult, ridicule or scrutiny. I can see a case for not allowing someone to say “all Muslims are hateful and backward” (clearly not true), me saying Islam is “a collection of hateful and backward ideas” (which I believe to be true) should be allowed. And people are free to debate that. I have no obligation not to offend. If people are offended when their beliefs are attacked, that’s their problem. We all have to put up with stuff being said about things we hold dear to us everyday, and no one bats an eyelid. It’s only when religion is involved that we start having to find ways to skirt around it. People deserve respect, ideas have to earn respect. Unfortunately religion feels it’s entitled to it.
Do you know that Israel murdered 17 Palestinian journalists in 2014. So much for freedom Expression. Double standards. Wake up and stop being fed crap from the media and do some research.
Of course it is happening Duncan. But as I said, there will be spikes and there will be periods of time where other news will take precedence.
There will be actions and there will be reactions.
There will be times of calm and times of hysteria.
Why should this be any different to any other news story or ongoing conflict throughout the world.
There is always something like this going on somewhere as long as there are people willing to take up arms for a legitimate or twisted cause.
This one just happens to have occurred to close to home to be another skipped over news item.
Charlie
history has proven you right !!
If you can’t see the increase of aggression on both sides of the coin then you’re just delusional Charlie.
Coming to a Dublin suburb quite soon.
The Emir of Qatar, who has long cultivated an image as a pro-Western reformist, has vowed to “spare no effort” to spread Wahhabi Islam throughout Europe. Wahhabism — which not only discourages Muslim integration in the West but actively encourages jihad against non-Muslims — threatens to radicalize Muslim immigrants in Ireland.
What a nice future to look forward to.
So Con what you’re saying is lets make the 12 deaths (murders) pointless. And ban everything from publication that might cause offence to anyone. Just a question for yo. Who gets to decide what gets censored or band? What moral authority is going to assume that authority?
Wouldnt they make u laugh them muslims
Stellar contribution
Get rid of the extremists the sooner the better. ..
All newspapers should publish Charlie Hebdo cartoons.
It would be a powerful message that violence can’t stop the freedom of expression.
http://www.sgoal.org/Every-major-newspaper-in-Europe-should-publish-Charlie-Hebdo-cartoons
If freedom of expression is so cherished and valued by western media, would it be as ‘acceptable’ to publish ‘satirical cartoons’ characterising Jews?
You might want to have a closer look at Charlie Hebdo – nobody was spared the pen :)
It’s done all the time, as Christians are lampooned all the time. Jews lampoon themselves all the time too – just watch Sarah Silverman, as one example.
I had a look at Charlie Hebdo Charles, it seems some people weren’t spared the P45, seems somewhat hypocritical to me.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/world/152585/charlie-hebdo-fired-cartoonist-for-anti-semitism-in-2009
…SAS rushed in to guard our streets as Al Qaeda warns… ‘you’re next’.
This is so predictable ….Yawn!!
# Problem – Reaction – Solution.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/551356/SAS-rushed-guard-streets-Al-Qaeda-warns-you-re-next
Frank copying and pasting from David Ickes Facebook page……Yawn!
Another Palestinian cartoonist was jailed in Israel over drawings criticizing treatment of prisoners. The same cartoonist also criticized the Palestinian government and Arab policies globally.
This Palestinian cartoonist was shot in the head.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naji_al-Ali
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Felectronicintifada.net%2Fcontent%2Fjailed-israel-his-cartoons-mohammad-sabaaneh-speaks-out%2F12924&h=gAQE2iaon No outrage from the western media here. Double standards and hypocrisy springs to mind.
Let’s either have it all and have true freedom of speech or lets outlaw mocking peoples beliefs and have none. At the moment we have only double standards:
In 2005 France banned a clothing ad depicting Jesus as a female because of its “intrusion on people’s innermost beliefs” – http://xrepublic.tv/node/11855#sthash.533MNNe8.dpuf
This article is concise and to the point.
I like how he says “I invite you to share your stories of travel to Muslim-majority countries, of making friends with Muslims, of your experience with Islam firsthand” and then closes the comments
I remember well the sight of much of our clothing being carried away by the wind when our luggage was opened and tipped out onto the dock in Ras Tanura when we were heading home. The Mutaween were looking for bibles etc and they surely must have found a Charlie Hedbo cartoon as they laughed so much as they trampled our belongings. hat was 50 years ago and they have not changed much it seems.
Je suis tres hungover!
Time to stop poking the mad dog?
Oh yeah, like the world did with Hitler? Fcuk them, fight fire with fire and eradicate them from the face of the earth, sooner rather than later !!
Time to put the mad dog down.
Time to like it harder.
You can’t Irradiance Islamic fundamentalism by printing these stupid cartoons.
Hi Stephen. Yes Hitler was killed but that did not eradicate Nazism from the face of the earth and caused misery to millions as capitalism and communism fought over the scraps left over after the war.
A line of rhetoric is not the answer to this current situation though it may look good and help you to feel better after posting it.
Hitler was big on eradicating as well.
That’s it Steve…propose the exact same solution that Hitler did. There are a few on here that can’t see the wood for the trees!
Jewish patrol cars out in force in London amid fears of copycat attack in wake of kosher store siege in Paris
Time to stand up and say no, just no. You don’t like it tough
If I see something I don’t like or is offensive I tut tut tut, I don’t go out and kill someone because it offended me
We are been bullied at the moment by certain fanatics, who won’t obey the law of the land, yet expect us to respect their law and we are allowing that to happen, that’s why I’m saying it time to say no
Question – those this free speech push also go further than just mocking muslims?
Can Christians and Jews now be mocked as well or will that be labelled anti-christian and anti-semitic?
Serious question as, you know, Je suis Charlie.
It does beg the question about making non pc jokes in the style of Jim Davidson or Bernard Manning – is that free speech?
Your question doesn’t make sense. Same goes for Jack Delaney above. You’re giving examples of things people find offensive and then saying “is that free speech?” Well no, because freedom of expression is a right and not an action.
Yes, saying things people don’t like is protected by your freedom of expression. Otherwise it’s not much use.
No Goldberg. That’s racism from a couple of old farts who pander to the less savory aspects of our human condition.
have your say