Eurabia Is Already Here: European Parliament Condemns Danish Cartoons

Via Spanish Eowyn/Blueslord, check out what the EU Parliament is up to:


Regarding the Danish cartoons, MEPs and members of parliament from the 25 EU member states as well as the ten Euromed partner countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey) strongly condemned "any offence against religious values" and urged governments "to ensure respect for religious beliefs (...) and to promote the values of tolerance, freedom and multiculturalism".

The resolution also defends the freedom of expression as a fundamental value, which should however respect the rights and values of others. The Euromed parliamentarians called on "governments and political leaders to refrain from making any declaration or speech which might bring to mind the expression 'clash of civilisation'."

Debate

In the morning, the Euromed MPs held a wide-ranging debate.

On the Danish cartoons, Egyptian parliament speaker Ahmed Sorour said that the cartoons and other recent events showed the existence of a cultural deficit, while stressing that freedom of expression cannot be unlimited.

Jordanian MP Hashem Al-Qaisi said it was not enough to deplore the cartoons, as these things might then happen again in another country.

Danish MP Troels Poulsen stressed that Danish society was based on both freedom of expression and religious tolerance and that the government could not influence the media. He felt that the violent reaction to the cartoons was disproportionate.

Turkish representative Zeynep Uslu said freedom of expression was an essential value, but not a limitless freedom, something the Court of Human Rights had also stated. Freedom of expression must be exercised with respect for religions, she said. She stressed the goal of an alliance of civilisations, not a clash between them.

Pasqualina Napoletano (PES, IT) said that the cartoon crisis was a real problem, but that EMPA was a lay assembly: "We must separate political from religious activities. We cannot allow people to divide us by using religion as a means."


Why are these uncivilized Turkish and Jordanian "representatives" given a table at a European Union Parliament meeting?

Yes, that's from the website of the European Parliament. Arab Muslim countries are already "partners" in the European Union, and, as such, they are rendered a voice and a vote in Europ ... uh, Eurabian affairs.

I didn't know that.