Reason Wins Out
Thank You, City Court of Aarhus!Common Sense and Reason have won the day! Hurray!
You see, after the Jyllands-Posten in Denmark published the Mohammad cartoons that got all those Muslim panties in a bunch and resulted in the murders of innocents and the burning of buildings, sacking of Embassies, and riots, the top criminal prosecutor in Denmark refused to press charges for the publication of said cartoons.
This did not sit well with the bunched-panties group, so they filed a civil complaint seeking damages personally against the Chief Editor at Jyllands-Posten and the supervisor of the cartoon project (a project - if you recall - that was designed to challenge what was viewed as the cartoonists' self-imposed censorship on the topic of the violence of Islam).
The news today is that the City Court is having none of it! The court ruled that:
“It cannot be ruled out that the drawings have offended some Muslims’ honor, but there is no basis to assume that the drawings are, or were conceived as, insulting or that the purpose of the drawings was to present opinions that can belittle Muslims.”
Finally! Somebody extracted their head from their collective posterior.
I have to say that this makes me feel much better about the dhimmitude of Europe, at least in some respects. Although I also find it troublesome as well.
Were I on the court, I would have dismissed the lawsuit saying, "Free Speech is limited only by real damage and clear and present danger. Simply drawing a picture does not rise to that level. And as such, I would remind one and all, that there is no right that protects any person or group from offense. That's a slippery slope we can't afford to explore. Case Dismissed."
It troubles me that the Court's statement acknowledge's the insult (as though that gives the argument any weight in a court of law) and I fear that it only encourages more such suits. What's next? A court case against Jack Straw for his comments about the exclusionary nature of the veil?
Come on, people!
