h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It has been many years since I had any family members in harm's way, not counting weather situations, which are temporary. It is a horrible burden to carry around with you. Wilma, I am thinking about you and your family in Lebanon and hoping for the best.

Hi Bella, sorry, I haven't been paying much attention recently... My family is fine. I check every day. My parents are elderly and don't venture out much but my niece is a political journalist and my nephew is a uni student in Beirut so those two I worry about..

In case you were wondering what was going on here.. i am collecting links to articles related to Lebanon's part in this whole cartoon controversy thing. FOr example, I just found something that was only really reported in the Irish press not BBC, not the arab press, not US - nowhere. Just Sligo and the Irish whatsit...

http://breaking.tcm.ie/2006/02/06/story243307.html

Lebanon apologises after caricature protesters torch mission
06/02/2006 - 07:53:39

Lebanon today apologised to Denmark after thousands of rampaging Muslim demonstrators set fire to Denmark’s diplomatic mission in Beirut.

The riots yesterday were the most violent so far in the escalating worldwide Islamic rage over caricatures of the prophet Muhammad.

Lebanese Information Minister Ghazi Aridi, speaking early today after a late Sunday emergency Cabinet meeting, said the Lebanese government had unanimously “rejected and condemned the acts of riots ... that harmed Lebanon’s reputation and its civilised image, and the noble aim of the demonstration.”

He said the Cabinet was apologising to Denmark. Officials have said at least one person reportedly died and about 200 were detained in the violence yesterday in Beirut.

sorry, Hypatia, didn't see you there, either! Do I seem a bit distracted? Everything is fine so far, really. Just have the sense something ugly is brewing.

This could go either way at the moment. The youth are galvanised and for the first time EVER in Lebanon's history there is a true sense of patriotism. You have to understand we have over 17 religious minorites in a population of 4 million... doesn't make for a calm household, you'll agree. Our biggest challenge is unity. Our biggest asset is resilience in the face of adversity. I am worried that my children will have no cultural homeland as they grow up.

W

It's horrible, isn't it ? I don't mind the protest, and let them burn some flags,too if they feel better, bbut I really detest the violence. But I guess it is a reaction to what the USA have done to prisoners in Iraq, and what they've done in Guantamo Bay. And now the Danes are a welcome scapegoat because they seemed to blow the same trumpet as the US.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=22018

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=22037

http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/getstory?openform&E9689E9BF4AC8D29C225710E0036B46B


Protesters Set Fire to Danish Consulate, 30 Injured in Clashes with Security Forces (Beirut)

Demonstrators protesting caricatures depicting Prophet Mohammed set fire Sunday to a building housing the Danish mission in Beirut. Security forces fired tear gas at the crowds and their weapons in the air in a desperate attempt to stop the onslaught. At least 30 were injured with reports of fires and damage of public property.
Thousands of protesters took part in the rally held against publication of caricatures of Islam's revered Prophet in European newspapers. The protest quickly degenerated into violence when groups of Islamic extremists tried to break through the security barrier, prompting troops to fire tear gas and water cannons from fire engines to try to disperse them, said an official.

Troops also fired repeatedly in the air and over the protesters' heads to keep the demonstrators away.

Security officials said at least 30 people were injured, including policemen, fire fighters and demonstrators. Witnesses saw at least 10 people taken away by ambulance.

The trouble threatened to take a sectarian spin especially after some protesters began stoning the nearby St. Maroun Church, one of the city's main Maronite Catholic churches in the district of Ashrafieh, a Christian area near Beirut's commercial district. Muslim clerics on the scene were seen trying to stop the protesters using shields and their hands.

Cars were overturned and their windows smashed and some people picked up rocks from the street and hurled them at nearby buildings.

The demonstrators also attacked policemen with stones and set fire to several fire engines, witnesses said. Black smoke was seen billowing from the area. They also burned Danish flags.

Justice Minister Charles Rizk called on those influential with the protesters to take action to bring the situation to an end.

"What is the guilt of the citizens of Ashrafieh of caricatures that were published in Denmark? This sabotage should stop," said Rizk, a Christian, in an interview on LBCI.

Some 2,000 army troops and riot police were deployed around the embassy building in the district of Ashrafieh, close to Beirut's commercial district. The protesters, who came in buses from all over Lebanon, waved green Islamic flags and banners, some of them reading: "O nation of Mohammed, wake up!" Muslim clerics were seen among the protesters.

Some witnesses said the protesters set fire to several cars and burned several Danish flags.

"There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of God!" they shouted as they tried to push their way against riot police to reach the embassy building.

Mohammed al-Sammak, a member of a committee advocating dialogue between Christians and Muslims, condemned the attacks on the Church by some protesters. He said that the Vatican was among the first to denounce the cartoons depicting the Prophet.

A security official said embassy staff had evacuated the building along with their belongings and documents two days ago, in anticipation of protests.

An Nahar reported on Sunday that the Danish diplomatic staff left Beirut Saturday night and headed to Copenhagen.

The violent demonstration comes a day after thousands of protesters in neighboring Syria, Damascus set fire to the Danish and Norwegian embassies in the most violent in days of furious protests by Muslims in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.(Naharnet-AP)(Photo shows a protester burning the Danish flag)




Beirut, Updated 06 Feb 06, 12:37
http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/getstory?openform&E9689E9BF4AC8D29C225710E0036B46B

No Bella, the protesters in Beirut were peaceful. 200 have been arrested. 75 were Palestinians, many more were Syrians. It was a plot. the Imams (muslim priests) were seen desperately trying to stop the attacks on the embassy and the church... something stinks.
W

Sorry, what I meant is that there have been several protests in Lebanon about the cartoons. Only one was violent (see my previous post) The next day there were protests against that attack on the embassy and the church..

Also the cartoons were intially published in sept and mainly ignored. For some reason several newspaprs then decided to republish them simultaneously... I wonder why? I definitely smell something...


Here is Rosner's take on it (Haaretz.com)
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/rosnerBlog.jhtml?itemNo=679378&contrassID=25&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=1&listSrc=Y&art=1

An honesty test: Are you enjoying the Danish caricature affair?

1.

You won't find this in the official statements by Jewish or Israeli leaders, or by Israel supporters or Jewish sympathizers. But the truth of the matter is, a lot of people are watching European media outlets, European diplomats, and European public opinion polls with some amusement.

Those naive, peace-loving, good-hearted, wishy-washy darlings. Isn't it nice to see their astonishment as fundamentalist outlaws burn their embassies and scare them away from the places they came to save? Well, let's admit the obvious: as long as nobody gets killed, it is a joy for many.

2.

All this talk about the freedom of the press is nonsense. Newspapers do not print everything - that's exactly the reason why we have editors.

Simplistic by nature, caricature tends to generalize, provoke and offend without explanation. Caricatures need editing - not a journalistic editing, but one of common sense.

It's perfectly OK to think that a racist caricature should be censored.

3.

The problem with the Muslim protesters is not that they don't understand the meaning of freedom of the press. The problem is that they don't share the rest of the world's understanding that violence is a last resort. It's only for situations serious enough to put the lives of others in danger.

Printing a nasty caricature in 200 newspapers will not teach them a lesson. And it is not the lesson they should be taught.

Come to think of it, the violent rioters aren't the ones who need the lesson - the media do. In a nutshell, they need to learn to stop deluding themselves about the motives of hatred and terror.

4.

The saddest truth about this affair, and about the sometimes nasty nature of caricatures in general: The most outrageous cartoons often tell us the truth.

Not the truth about the subject, but about those doing the drawing and the enjoying. Are Jews really ugly, blood thirsty, greedy, and sneaky? Yes they are, in the minds of many Arabs. Does Islam - the religion of Mohammed - promote violence, terror, fear, ignorance? Yes, in the minds of many Westerners it does.

5.

But were these doodles too vicious and racist to print? Nobody should really care.

Talking about the nature of this caricature plays to the hands of those who are trying to frame this mess as one that pits freedom against restraint and racism.

It's all spin. The cartoon affair is a case study of ways manipulative leaders can use an insignificant publication to gain some political points.

Give it a rest.

You know, that's what stuck me as odd: the reprinting in other Scandinavian newspapers after so many months. There are so many questions we'll just never get the answers to The problem is, that after this violence, I say : don't let them frighten and terrorise us. But that's easy to say for me, isn't it ? It's much more difficult for others, who have been terrorised and have paid with many dead people.

Yep, very complex.... Thanks for popping in, ladies. i'm off now. talk to you soon, I hope.
W

cartoon timeline
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2021760,00.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ukfs_news/hi/bb_wm_fs.stm?nbram=1&news=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1&bbram=1&nol_storyid=4835560


Newsnight last night...

eureka

http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/01/news/international/lebanon_fortune_051506/index.\htm

double try again:

http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/01/news/international/lebanon_fortune_051506/index.htm

It had started then, the rhetoric by HizbAllah, that is why we were so nervous. Should have known....