Gridlock News

In an effort to improve their standing and perception in the world, Muslim leaders gathered this week to consider taking away freedom of speech from people around the world.  They would like to do this the old fashioned way by litigating people that say anything about their religion that might be construed by their own leaders as blasphemy.

"I don't think freedom of expression should mean freedom from blasphemy," said Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade, the chairman of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference. "There can be no freedom without limits."

Muslims Nations: Defame Islam, Get Sued?

Muslim nations from the middle east and east are trying to improve their relationships with the west, but in taking away sovereign authority from other countries and their citizens they couldn't be closer to increasing the divide.

There is no way in the world that a newspaper editor in Denmark or even a Billy Bob Smith in Texas is going to take to kindly to a lawsuit if they utter something that is unacceptable to a madrassa in Senegal or Iran or anywhere.

I have to think they are more intelligent than  that.  After all, these are humans that we are talking about.  They can't actually think that non-muslims or even non-religious people would go for this hogwash.  When I give them that level of respect and consideration for their intelligence, I can only then consider that they are purposefully trying to denigrate people in the west, and attack our freedom of speech.

To put it less diplomatically, I think they are nuts.  I'd no sooner pay attention to a religious fundamentalist in the east any more than I'd pay attention to a religious fundamentalist in my own backyard (and there are lots of those).  I need that like a painting contractor needs more ladder racks mounted on their van.