A Wake-Up Call for those who value Free Speech

The Afghans who are rioting and murdering in response to the burning of the Koran in Florida are sensitive chaps, aren't they? Also atavistic, backward, barbaric, brutal, cruel, primal, primitive, savage, simpleminded, uncivilized, wholly unrestrained by decency, humanity or morality, and of course, oh so Islamic.

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This should be a wake up call and warning for everyone who values free speech and freedom of expression. The people in Florida were perfectly within their rights to express themselves by burning the Koran, regardless of how distasteful and offensive it was to Muslims.The United States and other western countries are democratic, free, pluralistic, secular societies and free speech and freedom of expression are paramount. Islamization in the U.S. and the west is growing all the time and unless it is stopped in its tracks, free speech and freedom of expression will be lost. Mocking, criticizing or doubting the Koran, Muhammad or any aspect of Islam in general will simply not be tolerated, no matter how benign, justified, reasoned or well informed. The fact that these events took place in Afghanistan is irrelevant. There are plenty of people in America and every other western country who feel exactly the same as the Afghans do. They would take away our civil liberties and force us to live under Islamic law in a heartbeat. This is a warning, alright. Theo van Gogh (if he could), Kurt Westergaard, Salman Rushdie, Elizabeth Sabaditsch-Wolf, Geert Wilders and innumerable others would attest to that. Personally, having studied Islam in depth and watched it manifest itself in the world for a number of years. I think it is the single greatest threat to western civilization and our way of life which exists today. I also think Islamic law, Sharia, is barbarous beyond measure and has no place in a civilized society. Should I be prevented from expressing these views or punished or killed for doing so? Should you suffer the same fate for not toeing the Islamic line? Of course not. That is where we're headed though unless we stop the Islamists among us from taking over our lives. Afghanistan is just a harbinger of things to come if we're not careful, one among many I might add. Jerry Philipson Comox, British Columbia, Canada

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