Rioters Torch Danish Consulate in Lebanon
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...home-headlines
From the Los Angeles Times
Rioters Torch Danish Consulate in Lebanon
By Megan K. Stack
Times Staff Writer
7:43 PM PST, February 5, 2006
BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Thousands of Muslims rioted in downtown Beirut on Sunday, setting fire to the Danish consulate, attacking a prominent Maronite Catholic church and smashing car and shop windows in protest of the publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in Western newspapers.
The pandemonium took a sectarian turn as demonstrators cut an angry path through a predominantly Christian neighborhood.
It was the first time in days of protests around the world that Muslims, who consider the caricatures blasphemous, took their anger out on another community. For Lebanese, the rioting was an unsettling echo of a 15-year civil war fought along religious lines.
The riots came just a day after similar unrest flared in the Syrian capital, causing some here to question whether Syria may be latching onto the controversy, and generalized anti-Western sentiment, for political purposes.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora suggested that the Damascus riots were "a lesson to some in Lebanon to do the same." There was no immediate response from Damascus.
In Beirut, where religious tensions have fueled generations of political violence, rioting dragged on for hours in the Christian neighborhood of Achrifiyeh, leaving at least 30 people injured and one dead, according to news agencies.
Interior Minister Hassan el Sebaa offered his resignation later Sunday in an emergency Cabinet meeting, as accusations mounted that security forces were too slow in responding to the mobs.
Wielding hammers, rocks and wooden clubs, Muslim demonstrators packed the streets, chanting against Jews and America. Many of the demonstrators marched calmly, but others set cars and dumpsters afire, smashed a police car into the side of a church and uprooted trees.
As they moved through the streets, some demonstrators spray-painted slogans on storefronts and ripped down commemorative posters of Gibran Tueni, an anti-Syria, Christian newspaper publisher who was assassinated in December.
"This is not violence, this is the right of every Muslim to fight for the prophet," said Ali Allameh, a cleric. "Those who insult the prophet are not people, are not human beings. They're pigs and chimpanzees. Even pigs are better than these people."
The demonstrations in Beirut were the latest eruption of outrage. European governments defend the publication of the cartoons -- one of which depicts the prophet Muhammad with a turban shaped like a bomb -- by citing freedom of the press.
But many Muslims, who have struggled with a sense of persecution since the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, took the satire as hard evidence of animosity between Islam and the Judeo-Christian cultures of the West. Sunni Islam forbids any artistic rendering of the prophets, including Jesus and Moses.
Denmark, which reportedly had evacuated its consular offices in Lebanon in anticipation of a Muslim backlash, urged its citizens to leave Lebanon.
Syrian protesters set fire to the Norwegian and Danish embassies in Damascus on Saturday.
Syria blamed Denmark for the violence. The Danish government should have apologized for the caricatures, which first appeared in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, said an editorial in Syria's state-run daily newspaper.
But many observers questioned how such intense unrest could erupt in a country as tightly controlled as Syria -- unless there was tacit approval from the regime.
Many Lebanese suspected Syria's hand in the streets of Beirut on Sunday. After sending soldiers into Lebanon during the civil war, Damascus remained the de facto ruler of its neighbor for years before withdrawing its soldiers last spring. Even now many Lebanese complain of Syrian meddling and blame Damascus for a string of political assassinations.
"These are people who want to destabilize the country," said tourism minister Joseph Sarkis, who drove through the Christian neighborhoods under armed guards to appeal for calm as the riots quieted down. "They are receiving orders from the source we all know to provoke a clash between the communities."
Lebanon's Grand Mufti Mohammed Rashid Kabbani blamed infiltrators for the violence, which he called an attempt to "harm the stability of Lebanon." Lebanese have been warning for months that Syria might try to provoke unrest by tampering with Lebanon's delicate religious balance. Many Lebanese fear Syria would like to drive Lebanon back into conflict to prove that the smaller neighbor can't keep peace without Syrian caretaking.
"Syria wanted to make another war in Lebanon, and they want the war to be between Christians and Muslims again," said Michel Saouma, a 34-year-old sales manager. "So they did this thing to show the world that the people of Lebanon cannot live by themselves."
Of the more than 170 protesters arrested, 76 were Syrian, 38 were Lebanese, 35 were Palestinian and 25 were Bedouins, according to news agencies.
When the demonstrators were pushed out of their neighborhoods, Christians gathered in the streets. Some wept as they swept up chunks of broken glass. Many described the rioting as an assault on their faith, and an unwelcome reminder of the battles of religious militias during Lebanon's 15-year civil war.
"Why bring it here? We have nothing to do with it," said Salim Seoud, a 43-year-old truck driver. "We feel awful about what happened in Denmark, but why bring it to the streets of Lebanon? We're trying to get away from these kinds of problems."
Some accused the Lebanese government of leaving them at the mercy of the Muslim mob. The demonstration had been publicized for days, with leaflets and calls from mosques.
The scene was a stark contrast to nearly a year ago, when the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri drove thousands of Lebanese into the street, chanting for religious tolerance and unity against the Syrians.
"They came for the Danish consulate, but it became Christian against Muslim. We thought there was national unity, but there is no national unity," said 29-year-old hair stylist Elie Diab, who stood outside the damaged church while chants rang into the night. "If they want to confront us, we're ready to fight face to face. If we are forced to fight, we will."
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Top Right: Thomas Paine
Bottom Left: Moslim Rioters
Rioters Torch Danish Consulate in Lebanon
Wow these muslims are getting out of control.SHouldn't something be done?
Rioters Torch Danish Consulate in Lebanon
Quote:
Originally Posted by VoidLivesOn
Wow these muslims are getting out of control.SHouldn't something be done?
Yes.
The danes should apologize.
In america, someone shows a titty and shit hits the fan. Controversy after controversy.
Delicious drink, anyone?
However, poor opressed people with nothing except their beliefs are insulted,PURPOSELY, and when they react enraged, they're "out of control" because they oppose free speech?!?!:confused: :mad:
Ol' George got SOMETHING right. there ought to be "limits" to freedom. Especially when you're intentionally trying to piss people off who don't fear death.
Rioters Torch Danish Consulate in Lebanon
The rioters need to be locked up. In London they had banners saying 'get ready for another 9/11 and 7/7, you have been warned.' Get ready for the real holocaust' all who insult islam must be killed.' etc. What do the police do FUCK ALL. I have been on peaceful demonstrations in this country and I have seen police truncheon completely innocent people. for being against the war These Isamic militant Nazis come along and they dont arrest a single one. I am absolutely disgusted with my government for not standing up for free speech (the only government in Europe to be so cowardly and PC). People choose to get offended by a cartoon then they have no right to impose these crazy islamic laws on civilized society just because they are still living in the dark ages.
Rioters Torch Danish Consulate in Lebanon
Quote:
Originally Posted by Raiden
The rioters need to be locked up. In London they had banners saying 'get ready for another 9/11 and 7/7, you have been warned.' Get ready for the real holocaust' all who insult islam must be killed.' etc. What do the police do FUCK ALL. I have been on peaceful demonstrations in this country and I have seen police truncheon completely innocent people. for being against the war These Isamic militant Nazis come along and they dont arrest a single one. I am absolutely disgusted with my government for not standing up for free speech (the only government in Europe to be so cowardly and PC). People choose to get offended by a cartoon then they have no right to impose these crazy islamic laws on civilized society just because they are still living in the dark ages.
The police will do nothing.
THey are under orders from despotic government officials. The plan is to let this boil over enough to depict Islam as a violent disease that must be wiped out.
So they'll let protestors wave signs and throw molotov cocktails willy nilly until it's time for war. Then anyone that disagrees must be a muslim sympathiser or terrorist.
This happens all the time and it's getting BORING
And also, that "free speech" you were talking about is garbage. Go to europe and question the holocaust. Send me a postcard from nuremburg.
If free speech requires there be a double standard agaisnt the poor and opressed, then you can have it.
Fuck, I might even agree to let george have his wish and become dictator.
:o well.....maybe not.:D
Rioters Torch Danish Consulate in Lebanon
Quote--
And also, that "free speech" you were talking about is garbage. Go to europe and question the holocaust. Send me a postcard from nuremburg.
Exactly:thumbsup:
Rioters Torch Danish Consulate in Lebanon
Quote:
Originally Posted by nicholasstanko
Yes.
The danes should apologize.
In america, someone shows a titty and shit hits the fan. Controversy after controversy.
Delicious drink, anyone?
However, poor opressed people with nothing except their beliefs are insulted,PURPOSELY, and when they react enraged, they're "out of control" because they oppose free speech?!?!:confused: :mad:
Ol' George got SOMETHING right. there ought to be "limits" to freedom. Especially when you're intentionally trying to piss people off who don't fear death.
i think it's good to piss them off...second that bullshit about poor opressed people is bulshit cause it's not the poor who are protesting and rioting, it's the "war lords"...and again don't mix poor and opressed this as nothing to do together...these rioters are opressed and willing to be, just the way they act...they were the first to say "do not generalize the muslim cummunity" after the 9/11 , and now they are the first to generalize about those charicatures, as if the whole danish population agreed with those simple drawings...
they are shitting their' own shit, and always did...now if you want the danish government to apologize you're just playing the muslim game of: we get mad you apologize"
grow the fuck up you extremist people...
Rioters Torch Danish Consulate in Lebanon
uh no the Danes shouldnt apologize at all. They did nothing wrong but excersise their freedom of speech. Sadly the Muslim world doesnt have this right. Notice the cartoons were made way back in September..and its only now "after several muslims leaders started spreading the cartoons and whipping up a furor" did the violence start. This is very simple
Muslims looking for an excuse to behead a Westerner.
Rioters Torch Danish Consulate in Lebanon
Quote:
Originally Posted by daves19
i think it's good to piss them off...second that bullshit about poor opressed people is bulshit cause it's not the poor who are protesting and rioting, it's the "war lords"...and again don't mix poor and opressed this as nothing to do together...these rioters are opressed and willing to be, just the way they act...they were the first to say "do not generalize the muslim cummunity" after the 9/11 , and now they are the first to generalize about those charicatures, as if the whole danish population agreed with those simple drawings...
Man, that was an awful lot of warlords i saw running through the streets...thousands...must be tough to get promoted.
The anger wasnt directed towards the danes. it was directed towards the danes who published it, and refused to issue an apology.
Again I say, go ahead and publish a newspaper ridiculing christ or making fun of the holocaust. Everything should be fine because its freedom of speech right?
Maybe you should grow up:thumbsup:
they are shitting their' own shit, and always did...now if you want the danish government to apologize you're just playing the muslim game of: we get mad you apologize"
grow the fuck up you extremist people...
Free speech= right of everyone except muslims
Rioters Torch Danish Consulate in Lebanon
Quote:
Originally Posted by nicholasstanko
Free speech= right of everyone except muslims
haha ! you make the job easy!!
The anger wasnt directed towards the danes. it was directed towards the danes who published it, and refused to issue an apology.
WTF!! i guess those people in the ambassy or this italian priest who was killed did published those cartoons!!
Again I say, go ahead and publish a newspaper ridiculing christ or making fun of the holocaust. Everything should be fine because its freedom of speech right?
the danish newspaper will publicize the cartoons of the holocaust contest there will be in iran!! poor lil you!
Maybe you should grow up
is this something i should even consider??? come on, if you ask other people t ogrow up than you must be god, or allah??
calm down dude, kick back your sandles and relax!
Rioters Torch Danish Consulate in Lebanon
Quote:
Originally Posted by daves19
haha ! you make the job easy!!
WTF!! i guess those people in the ambassy or this italian priest who was killed did published those cartoons!!
the danish newspaper will publicize the cartoons of the holocaust contest there will be in iran!! poor lil you!
is this something i should even consider??? come on, if you ask other people t ogrow up than you must be god, or allah??
calm down dude, kick back your sandles and relax!
It was annoying to have to decipher my quotes with your "retorts" as they were.
I omitted everything except your response to the last post.
Unfortunate consequences of a mindless mob. How many innocent children do you think died accidentally when there were riots during the Great Depression? How many Chinese people were killed by angry americans upset over immigrants taking the labour jobs?
See it's easy for you to sit back in your lil' easy chair while you simultaneously post ridiculous messages and surf for free porn. However, if you were in there position where you have nothing except your religion to keep you sane, how would you react if someone were to publish something YOUR religion srictly forbade? I could see if it was harmless poking fun, but those pictures were published for the purpose of stirring controversy in this very cautious and uncertain time.
Okay, so the danish newspaper will publish holocaust cartoons? what are you trying to say? is this accomplishing something? that's kindergarten mentality man. cmon now. the muslims still have the strict rule forbidding depictions of mohammed. have all the free speech you want but respect free speech itself by respecting other cultures.
think about that first and THEN kick back your sandals and relax.
Rioters Torch Danish Consulate in Lebanon
Quote:
Originally Posted by nicholasstanko
Ol' George got SOMETHING right. there ought to be "limits" to freedom. Especially when you're intentionally trying to piss people off who don't fear death.
I was gonna say it was kind of nice not seeing the U.S. drug the mud for once....leave it to good ol' Canada Nick to pick up the slack!!
THANKS NICK!!!:thumbsup:
Rioters Torch Danish Consulate in Lebanon
Quote:
Originally Posted by Psycho4Bud
I was gonna say it was kind of nice not seeing the U.S. drug the mud for once....leave it to good ol' Canada Nick to pick up the slack!!
THANKS NICK!!!:thumbsup:
lol. shaddap.
