Al-Qaida: Bounty on Swedish cartoonist

[PeteC]

This isn't Islam or a valid religion, it's a cult. Their knowledge of God is less than a rabid street dog. I curse them all to hell. There's no emoticon for my middle finger. Pete
____________________________
Al-Qaida: Bounty on Swedish cartoonist By MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press Writer
51 minutes ago

CAIRO, Egypt - The leader of al-Qaida in Iraq offered money for the murder of a Swedish cartoonist and his editor who recently produced images deemed insulting to Islam, according to a statement carried by Islamist Web sites Saturday.

In a half hour audio file entitled "They plotted yet God too was plotting," Abu Omar al-Baghdadi also named the other insurgent groups in Iraq that al-Qaida was fighting and promised new attacks, particularly against the minority Yazidi sect.

"We are calling for the assassination of cartoonist Lars Vilks who dared insult our Prophet, peace be upon him, and we announce a reward during this generous month of Ramadan of $100,000 for the one who kills this criminal," the transcript on the Web site said.

The al-Qaida leader upped the reward for Vilks' death to $150,000 if he was "slaughtered like a lamb" and offered $50,000 for the killing of the editor of Nerikes Allehanda, the Swedish paper that printed Vilks' cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad with a dog's body on Aug. 19.

Vilks said from Sweden he believed the matter of his cartoons had been blown out of proportion.

"We have a real problem here," Vilks told The Associated Press by telephone. "We can only hope that Muslims in Europe and in the Western world choose to distance themselves from this and support the idea of freedom of expression."

Ulf Johansson, editor in chief of Nerikes Allehanda, said he took the bounty "more seriously" than other threats he had received. "This is more explicit. It's not every day somebody puts a price on your head."

Johansson said he had contacted the police and that they had already started work on the threat.

Aside from a few scattered protests and condemnations by Muslim countries, the reaction to the cartoon has been muted, in contrast to last year's fiery protests that erupted in several Muslim countries after a Danish newspaper published 12 cartoons of Muhammad that were reprinted in a range of Western media.

In an attempt to defuse the tensions caused by the cartoon in both Sweden and abroad, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt last week invited 22 Sweden-based ambassadors from Muslim countries to talk about the sketch.

Reinfeldt expressed regret at the hurt it may have caused, but said that according to Swedish law it is not up to politicians to punish the free press.

Al-Baghdadi added in his message that if the "crusader state of Sweden" didn't apologize, his organization would also attack major companies.

"We know how to force you to retreat and apologize and if you don't, wait for us to strike the economy of your giant companies including Ericsson, Scania, Volvo, Ikea, and Electrolux," he said.

No photo has ever appeared of al-Baghdadi, whom the U.S. describes as a fictitious character used to give an Iraqi face to an organization dominated by foreigners.

The U.S. has said that under interrogation, a top al-Qaida member revealed that al-Baghdadi's speeches are read by an actor.

Al-Qaida in Iraq in the past has carried out operations in Jordan and may have links to militant groups in Lebanon, but is not known to have any kind of presence in Europe.

[The understudy]

Those radical Islamsits are to blame for misinterpretation of Islam as a Religion. I would show them to my middlefingger ind BIG disapreciation!!!

[Burger]

Biggest hypocrits in the world.

Burger

[caller]

This isn't Islam or a valid religion,

Have to disagree with you there, Pete, it is. They don't show it, but its inside.

Poll after poll, interview after interview has failed to extract denial here in the UK. On the beeb radio the other morning, the reporter tried to commit a member of the "Muslim Council" of the UK (or some self-appointed body, most who have been "outed" as being sympathetic to the cause, this being the UK, they advice Govt. although they are now being distanced), as to his views on the fact that it is a worthy outcome for someone who renounces Islam as their religion of choice, to receive the death penalty. The Islamist wouldn't have it in a black and white sense but hedged his bets, much to the shock of Beeb interviewer.

We had the local Muslims out on the High Street here agAin today seeking converts to their faith. I can't respond in a way that is lawful, sadly.

Don'tcha just love the UK!

[richard]

3rd world war looming

[richard]

Thanks Bush and Blair

[Burger]

Withdrawn.

[caller]

Surprisingly, I'm with Burger on this! Although we should be thanking Bush and Blair on this, not blaming them.

Blame previous Govt's - those that came in after them just had to pick up the mess.

[caller]

Withdrawn.

Goodness, you're getting shy! I have the post saved if you should ever change you're mind!

It was pretty innocent!?

[Burger]

Goodness, you're getting shy! I have the post saved if you should ever change you're mind!
It was pretty innocent!?

Shy ....... just on me best behaviour as first week back!!
I just thought the 50 mg bit was a tad too low, wouldn't want to give anyone the wrong impression of me

Feel sorry for anyone left 'over there', I was bought up next to Hounslow, where 15 years back there was ethnic only schools, where the curriculum including all sorts of far away languages.

Their just plain mad. Nutters. Plus the women have no dress sense, they all go for that long flowing black number.

Burger

[The understudy]

[quote="richard"]3rd world war looming[/quote]

I hope it's far far out on the Horizon and moves slowly towards us. Otherwise we could be in for Nuke Bombs throwing Free for all.

By the way I'm Optimistic the World would go that far. Lessons from both previous Wars had to be learned nowadays

[redzonerocker]

Feel sorry for anyone left 'over there

i know what you mean mate & its no wonder that record numbers of brits are leaving the uk.
don't think it's any safer in thai or any colonised area of the world for that matter from the threat of the terrorists though, just remember bali.
there will be conflict & not in the to distant future. iraq & afghanistan are just the beginning.
its no coincidence that wherever in the world there are wars & conflict, muslims are involved.
as for the gesture of thanking bush & blair?? i think osama bin laden has to jump the queue on that score along with the cowards that flew the planes into the twin towers. add to that the so say liberal muslims of the world who have failed to condemn the acts of terrorism by the islamic extremists with any real conviction.

[Condoking]

"How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its
votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a
man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy.
The effects are apparent in many countries, improvident habits,
slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and
insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet
rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace
and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in
Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be
a great power among men. Individual Moslems may show splendid
qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social
development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force
exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a
militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout
Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it
not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the
science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization of
modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome."

Quoted from a speech given by Sir Winston Churchill, aged 19 way back in 1899.

[matthew80]

"Dear God! Protect us from those who believe in you!" No truer words...