El ciberterrorismo y las caricaturas

Ya posteó AMDG que el Blog de Michelle Malkin había sido atacado por hackers. Pues bien no ha sido el único:

Gangs of pro-Muslim computer hackers have unleashed a withering cyber attack on Danish and Western websites in the past week, escalating their defacement barrage to coincide with dozens of violent street-level demonstrations across the Arab world in protest at the publication of a cartoon depiction of the Prophet Mohammed.

The victims of the cyber attacks ran the gamut of large and small websites, from estate agents in Essex to a Danish online gamer community called the 47th Royal Marines. As of Tuesday morning, the latter’s site was still defaced to read ‘Hacked by RedHackeR» with the following statement: «IM SORRY, STOP WAR, DON’T TOUCH ALL ISLAM COUNTRY! F[***] DENMARK, F[***] YOUR GOVERMENT!!!’ (via Fu2rman)

Al respecto decía The Counterterrorism Blog:

An article yesterday on Britain’s «Computer Shopper» website caught my eye. It discussed the assault of Danish and other Western websites by gangs of Muslim hackers. «The number of Danish websites alone – those carrying a ‘.dk’ suffix – knocked offline in the past week numbered 578 between 30 January and 6 February, according to Zone-H.org, a cyber-crime observatory that tracks website defacements. Hundreds more websites of European, Israeli and American companies and private citizens have also been defaced during that period, with the vast majority occurring after the re-publication last week of the cartoons in European newspapers.»

Y The Counterterrorism Blog recoge el siguiente caso de ciberterrorismo:

This morning, I received an e-mail from CT Blog fan Ms. Tracy Twyman in Portland, OR, in response to my report yesterday about a hacking of a Seattle-area website by Muslim cyber-terrorists (that’s what I’m calling you, get used to it) – quoting her below with edits for the links:

«Thanks for covering the story about the cyberterrorists. If you’re keeping a list, you might like to know that my websites, Dragon Key Press and Plus Ultra Blog, were hacked about 1 and a half weeks ago, because I was republishing the Mohammed cartoons, as well as other incindiary material. Both websites were down for about a day until our web host was able to fix it. To tell you the truth, I never thought about going to the police or the FBI about it. I assumed they wouldn’t do anything.

I did come across some interesting info though. Lately my website has received frequent visits from people in Turkey clicking links to the site that have been posted on two separate forums, each of them clearly forums for Islamic cyberterrorists. They are here and here. I was not able to get into these forums to see what they were saying about my website, but I can only assume they were discussing plans of attack. I thought you might be interested in this information.»

This afternoon, a very interesting follow-up from Tracy (thanks Tracy!), which I hope will attract attention from law enforcement and ideas from other knowledgeable CT Blog fans:

«This morning, yet another person from Turkey visited plusultrablog.com from yet another Islamic hacker forum. If you go to the main page here, you can see that that’s exactly what it is.

Y el administrador de Nordish.net escribió lo siguiente a Michelle Malkin:

I’ve just read your blog entry about the coordinated hacking attacks from the Islamic world. They targeted my site on the same day they targeted zombie’s. I know where they are launching one of their main attacks from. There is an Islamic hacking message forum that coordinates these attacks, apparently. I saw the IP addresses that accessed my site, and it matched those who spammed and flooded my site. My site was offline for 5 hours 2 days ago, and 3 hours yesterday… 2 hours today. Fortunately my host has been very helpful and we have inserted those malignant IP’s into our firewall. So far so good… Anyway, here is the site that has been coordinating attacks against the Mohammed Image Archive.

¡Qué curioso! El foro en ambos casos es http://www.cyber-security.org/CW/Forum/ de Turquía…

Es que hasta Al-Qaeda tiene una «Universidad» para que se aprenda a hacer estas cosas:

If you read Arabic and want a degree in jihad, click on www.al-farouq.com/vb/. If you’re lucky–the site disappears and reappears–you will see a post that belongs to the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF). It announces the «Al Qaeda University of Jihad Studies.» According to Ahmad al-Wathiq Billah, the GIMF «Deputy General Emir,» students «pass through faculties devoted to the cause of the caliphate through morale boosting and bombings,» and the site offers specialization in «electronic, media, spiritual and financial jihad.»

The Internet has long been essential for terrorism, but what has surprised experts is the growth of such Islamist (radical Islam) and jihadist sites. Their continuing rise suggests that recruitment for a «holy war» against the West could proceed unabated, despite capture of key leaders.

A todo esto, los sitios jihadistas han desarrollado unos importantes formas de defensa, lo que no quiere decir que no hayan sido hackeados. Pero Bush advirtió que «los hackers patrióticos» al fin y al cabo eran hackers y que serían castigados como tales. (via Kokonut Pundits).

También tratan esta cuestión: Kim Priestap, Dust My Broom, The Scratching Post, Iowa Voice, Junkyardblog, Viet-Justice, IBA.

Tags: caricaturas, cartoons, ciberterrorismo, cyberterrorism

(Crossposted at IBA)

Irán: las negociaciones fallan y aumenta la represión

Las negociaciones entre Irán y Rusia han vuelto a no tener éxito:

• The Guardian reported that Iranian negotiators headed home after the first day of an expected two day negotiation session in Moscow.
• The Financial Times reported that Tehran vowed to pursue nuclear research.
• Adnkronos International Iran’s foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki announced on Tuesday. «The phase of negotiations with the EU trio is over.»
• Times Online reported that Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Russian Duma’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said: «Unfortunately, Iran so far has not shown sufficient good will.»
• Malaysia Star reported that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said: «China hopes Iran will restore suspension of all activities relating to uranium enrichment.»
• The Wall Street Journal warned that the West, it seems, is now putting its future security in the hands of Russia and China.

Amnistía Internacional por fin hace algo útil y denuncia la falta de respeto a los derechos humanos en Irán.

This report illustrates an apparent intensification of repression over the past six months since the President took office, which includes frequent use of the death penalty and torture, persecution of ethnic and religious minorities and limitations on freedom of speech.

Amnesty International regularly receives new reports of torture and ill treatment of detainees where the denial of medical treatment is increasingly common. The human rights organization is extremely concerned for the safety of journalist Elham Afroutan who has been held incommunicado since 29 January 2006 amid unconfirmed reports that she may be in a coma or may have died while in custody (see also «Concern for Journalist Elham Afroutan«).

(Complete report)

Las noticias a este respecto, desde Irán, son preocupantes:

• Iran Press News reported that Elham Afroutan’s father is saying his daughter has not committed suicide and spoke to him last Friday, despite government reports to the contrary.
• Iran Press News reported that political prisoner journalist, Mostafa Jowkar who was transferred to a hospital due to complications from heart disease, was returned to Evin prison without proper medical care.
• Iran Press News reported that 11 regime murderers were present at the despicable execution of political prisoner, Hodjat Zamani. En el caso de este último, todavía es peor por cómo fue la ejecución: After Zamani’s brutal execution the authorities refused to release his body to his family; the Zamani family, in this time of mourning was therefore forced to appeal to the revolutionary court in order to obtain their sons body for a proper burial. In further cruelty, the revolutionary court has claimed no knowledge of Zamani’s execution and have told the Zamani family to come back in 3 days so that they can investigate the situation and see what if any information or date of release can be given to them.
• Rooz Online reported on the increasing number of executions of dissidents in Iran whose backgrounds range from political activism to young women, children, and men.
• Journalist and blogger Ahmad Reza Shiri (Persian) will have a permanent threat hanging over him as a result of the suspended sentence (used to silence journalists who bother the authorities) of three years in prison handed down by a court in the northern city of Mashhad, Reporters Without Borders said today. He was reportedly accused of writing articles in his blog calling for a boycott of last February’s legislative elections.

Así que las mujeres quieren unirse para protestar contra los ayatolás-mulás (y nosotros las apoyamos porque ellas se están llevando la peor parte) -via Atlas Shrugs-:

Join us, the Women of Iran
for the commemoration of
International Women’s Day in Tehran
to fight for our freedom from under the rule of the misogynist Mullahs
Date: March 8th, 2006
Time: 16:30 p.m.
Place: Laleh Park, Tehran

Y la lucha del poder se sucede:

• Rooz Online reported that it was discovered that followers of Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi had occupied the Sufi temple and had turned it into a surveillance station to spy and eavesdrop on the grand ayatollahs of Qom, prior to the Sufi’s temporary retaking of the temple.

Eso sí:

• Piden que se financie a Hamas: The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran’s supreme leader called on Muslim nations to provide annual financial aid to a Hamas-led Palestinian government (Arabia Saudí en seguida les ha hecho caso). En Yahoo News: «The only way to succeed is to continue resistance against the occupier regime,» said Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters and who dominates Iran’s policy on the Middle East conflict. «Palestinian people knew that their vote for Hamas meant the fight against the Zionist occupier regime,» Khamenei said.

• Ha contratado a Cuba para que le construya un Centro Biotecnológico en Teherán. (via Babalu’s Blog)
• Stratfor reported on Iran’s efforts to create strategic partners in South America.»Cuban National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon received Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, speaker of Iran’s parliament, Feb. 16 in Havana. Haddad-Adel had just come from signing a memorandum of understanding on the peaceful use of nuclear energy in Caracas, Venezuela, on Feb. 14, and will be wrapping up his tour through Latin America with visits to Uruguay and Brazil«.

Y por último, tenemos Sudán (aunque son un poco antiguas -del mes pasado-, es necesario tenerlas en cuenta):

Coaliton for Darfur publishes BBC Monitoring’s text [no date] of a report by Sudanese newspaper Alwan claiming Iran says «No» to foreign meddling in Darfur. In a press conference held at the Hilton hotel [in Khartoum] yesterday morning, he urged to end foreign interference in Darfur and let the Sudanese government work towards resolving the issue in a suitable way. He further reiterated Iran’s support for a Sudanese solution in this regard, and his trust in the mediation of the AU member states to resolve the crisis.» (via Tehran Watch)

Y Sudán le da su apoyo en lo que más le importa ahora a Irán: la cuestión nuclear:

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Wednesday pledged his country’s support for Iran’s position on peaceful use of nuclear technology. Iranian Deputy President Ahmed Moussawi, who arrived in Khartoum earlier Wednesday on an official visit to Sudan, delivered a letter to the Sudanese president from his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmedinejad concerning the position of the Iranian authority toward its nuclear file and its right topeaceful use of nuclear energy, the Sudanese news agency reported. (Via Tehran Watch de Xinhua)

Los musulmanes moderados daneses y la caricaturas

Si algo está teniendo de bueno esta crisis, es que algunos moderados se están defendiendo de los «Abúes Labanes» al uso:

Finally, some good news from Denmark:

Dozens of Danish Muslims are joining the network of moderate Muslims, the Demokratiske Muslimer (Democratic Muslims). About 700 Muslims have already become DM members and 2,500 Danes have expressed their will to support the network. The initiative has caused anger among the Danish imams and their leader, Ahmad Abu Laban, who have referred to the moderates as «rats.» The imams feel that they are beginning to lose their control over part of the Muslim population.

Hehehe…

[…]Mr Tahmasebi is one of the people involvedin the newly established network of moderate Muslims in Denmark led by Naser Khader, a member of the Danish Parliament. He says he is well aware of the risk he is taking by siding with Mr Khader, who has for a long time been living under police protection. But Mr Tahmasebi feels it is his duty to take part in this debate. «Naser Khader has carried this responsibility for too long. I share his beliefs and now I want to stand up and say so. Apart from that, as a parent I feel a responsibility to fight, so that my children will not have to live under Islamist dogmas. They shall be able to live free in this country.» Mr Tahmasebi adds that he believes the imams are one of the biggest problems Denmark is facing today.(Via The Egyptian Sandmonkey)

Algunos apuntes sobre Abu Laban

Este imán danés, llamado Abu Laban, parece ser una joyita:

Here are a couple of tid bits of interest on the Danish Imam accused of travelling the world to stir up trouble for his host country.

From a 2002 report on anti-semitism in Denmark:
…On 5 April Palestinian imam Ahmad Abu Laban called on his congregation at Friday prayers to offer their lives in a jihad for the Palestinian cause. Outside the mosque buses were waiting to take the congregants to a demonstration at Parliament Square, where they held up signs equating Judaism with Nazism, brandished a gun and burned the Israeli flag. […]

El 5 de abril [del 2002], el imán palestino Abu Laban llamaba en su congregación de las oraciones de los viernes a ofrecer sus vidas en una jihad por la causa palestina.

From a 2005 report:
…Danish-Muslim reaction to the murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh sent shock waves throughout Danish society. A group of young Muslim women, among them the daughter of fundamentalist Imam Abu Laban (see ASW 2002/3), was shown on television laughing. The women stated that Van Gogh had gotten what he deserved since he ought to have known what sort of response his provocation would receive. Other spokesmen for Danish Muslims agreed and a debate ensued on whether freedom of speech should be limited by law so that statements offensive to Muslims would become illegal…

A propósito del asesinato de Theo Van Gogh, un grupo de mujeres jóvenes musulmanas, entre otras la hija de Abu Laban, salieron en la tele riéndose. Declararon que Van Gogh se había encontrado con lo que se merecía porque debía saber la clase de respuesta que su provocación podía recibir.

En el debate subsiguiente trató de SI LA LIBERTAD DE PRENSA DEBERÍA SER LIMITADA POR LEY PARA QUE LAS DECLARACIONES OFENSIVAS A LOS MUSULMANES FUERAN ILEGALES.

Y después las caricaturas…

Un imán de Michigan: muerte a los que profanan al Profeta

A Muslim leader of a Michigan mosque with links to a man who taught confessed shoe-bomber Richard Reid at the Finsbury Park Mosque, has called for the «physical death» of those who «defile» the Prophet Mohamed and other Prophets of Islam, describing it as «blasphemy».

Hanafi Abdul-Malik, Imam of the downtown Flint Michigan mosque Muslim House made the statements to a reporter for the Flint Journal.

The article in the Journal quotes Abdul-Malik as saying:

«Muslims respect God and all his prophets,» Adbul-Malik said. «We would not bring harm to any of them.»

«For anyone to defile any of them as has been done to the prophet Muhammad is blasphemy,» he said. «We think the consequence for doing so is physical death.»

«El que profana a cualquiera de los profetas como se ha hecho con el Profeta Mahoma es blasfemia. Creemos que la consecuencia de hacer eso es la muerte física».

(via Noisy Room.Net)

Al Gore dice que USA ha cometido «terribles abusos» con los árabes desde el 11/S

Hmm, lo entendemos fue el vice-presidente con Clinton. La noticia dice:

By checking with our network watchers and double-checking with Nexis, ABC, CBS, and NBC have all completely ignored Al Gore’s speech in Saudi Arabia, where he denounced the U.S. government for committing «terrible abuses» against Arabs after 9/11, and that Arabs had been «indiscriminately rounded up» and held in «unforgivable» conditions.

Sí, tan «imperdonables» condiciones que hasta han salido amenazando con la jihad y ni siquiera se les ha detenido…

(Via Newsbusters)

Estos pacíficos palestinos

A JMCC poll shows that 56.2% of Palestinians support suicide bombing operations against Israeli civilians (including women and children). LGF rightly points out that the poll «…….shows that over 80% either support or only mildly oppose suicide bombings against Israeli civilians.» Mildly oppose means willing to tolerate. Via LGF.

Q18. How do you feel towards suicide bombing operations against Israeli civilians? Do you support them, or oppose them?
Strongly support 22.4
Somewhat support 33.8
Somewhat oppose 24.3
Strongly oppose 16.4
No answer 3.1

(via Gindy.blogspot)

Lo cual no debería sorprendernos después de las declaraciones de la «madre» Umm Nidal.

Israel vs Suecia, la ONU y la Autoridad Nacional Palestina aka Hamas

Sweden’s state-run aid group on Monday pledged more than five million euros in additional aid to the Palestinian territories as Israel and the United States halted much of their funding following Hamas’s election victory.

«The humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip has worsened,» the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) said in a statement, adding that it would provide 50 million kronor (6.4 million dollars) to the United Nations’ aid programs there.

In 2005, SIDA donated nearly 100 million kronor to the Palestinian territories, a spokesman for the group told AFP.

The additional aid was necessary since Israel was not living up to its responsibility as an occupying power, Peter Lundberg of SIDA’s humanitarian unit said in a statement.

«According to the fourth Geneva convention, the occupying power has a particular responsibility to support and ensure the human dignity of the occupied,» he said.

«Since Israel is not living up to its responsibility under international law, large parts of the Palestinian population are now completely dependent on international humanitarian aid,» Lundberg added. (Via Free Thoughts)

Creo que no necesita comentarios…

Pero es la ONU ha criticado a Israel por suspender la ayuda a los palestinos:

UN Middle East Envoy Alveran de Soto blasted Israel’s decision not to transfer funds to the Palestinian Authority following the induction of the new Hamas-led Parliament.

In his statement on Monday, De Soto called the steps «futile» and «haphazard» adding, «The funds belong to the Palestinians and it is illegal to block them.»

No me diga más: los israelíes tienen que pagar a una entidad que directamente ha dicho que NO piensa renunciar a eliminar Israel (de hecho ahora en una web amenaza con ¡¡¡tirar bombas nucleares a Israel!!!). Muy bien, tiene lógica. Siempre que entendamos la lógica como no-lógica, claro.

UPDATE/ACTUALIZACIÓN: Encuentro en el blog Big Picture lo siguiente al respecto:

Israel has been collecting monthly tax and customs receipts and giving these funds to the Palestinians, on condition that the Palestinians abide by specific agreements — agreements which they have now abrogated:
«The transfer of the money, which has been routine, is part of the accords signed between Israel and the PA [Palestinian Authority], part of the Oslo Agreement and the Paris Protocol,» said [Israeli spokesman] Mark Regev. «Now Hamas, the new incoming leadership on the Palestinian side, say they reject all those agreements – from their point of view those agreements are null and void. So they cannot have it both ways. They cannot say they are against all these agreements and then, at the same time, expect Israel to keep the part of the agreement they want, which is the transfer of funds.»

«Ahora Hamas […] dice que rechaza los acuerdos [de Oslo por los que Israel daba a la Autoridad Palestina el 75% de lo recaudado del impuesto de la renta de los palestinos residentes en Israel empleados en Israel y el 100% de lorecaudado del impuesto de la renta de los palestinos residentes en Israel empleados en los asentamientos ] -desde su punto de vista los acuerdos sob nulos e inválidos. Así que no pueden tener las dos cosas». Pero, claro, los medios de esto, nada de nada (NYT, BBC). Lo recoge también Solomonia.

Pero claro, siempre hay alguien que piensa esto:

[…] the main objective of my writing today, is to nail the lie that to reject Zionism as it practised today is in effect to be anti-semitic, to be an inheritor of Hitler’s racism. That argument, with the Holocaust in the background, is nothing other than moral blackmail. It is highly effective. It condemns many to silence who fear to be thought anti-semitic. They are often the very opposite. They are often people whose heart bleeds at Israel’s betrayal of its true heritage.

I began with the recognition that the cancer of anti-semitism has not been cured. Tragically, Israel’s policies feed it – and when world Jewry defends Israeli policies right or wrong, then anger turns not only against Israel, but against all Jews. I wish it were mere rhetoric to say that Israeli politics today make a holocaust the day after tomorrow credible. If the whole Muslim world hates Israel, that is no idle speculation. To count on Arab disunity and Muslim sectarian conflict and a permanent American shield is no recipe for long-term security. (via Free Thoughts)

¿The Guardian? Sí, es un periódico inglés muy parcial con los musulmanes que incluso ha llegado a abogar por la sharia pero cambiándola por «ley familiar musulmana» para hacerla más aceptable al público británico:

In November 2004 an editorial in the Guardian (where else?) made the helpful suggestion that sharia could be spun as «Muslim family law» to make it more acceptable to the wider British public. «Muslim family law» – I can already hear the phrase tripping off the tongues of Labour ministers. (via Drinking from Home).

Así que le han puesto al The Guardian el siguiente logo:

Lo que dije el otro día: Los pedos huelen a rosas. (Lo siento, este blog NO es políticamente correcto).

Ossama Bin Laden afirma que «no le cogerán vivo»

In the tape posted to the Web site Monday, bin Laden offered the United States a long-term truce but also said his al-Qaida terror network would soon launch a fresh attack on American soil. The tape was initially broadcast Jan. 19 on Al-Jazeera, the pan-Arab satellite channel.

«I have sworn to only live free. Even if I find bitter the taste of death, I don’t want to die humiliated or deceived,» bin Laden said, in the 11-minute, 26-second tape.

«The jihad (holy war) is ongoing, thank God, despite all the oppressive measures adopted by the U.S. Army and its agents (which has reached) a point where there is no difference between this criminality and Saddam’s criminality.»

Sin embargo, lo mejor es el pie de foto:

Exiled Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden is seen in this April 1998 picture in Afghanistan. American officials said they are looking at Bin Laden for involvement in the Friday, Aug. 7, 1998 Kenyan and Tanzanian U.S. embassy explosions. He has threatened a holy war against U.S. troops and Americans, and is suspected of backing other terrorist acts, including the 1996 attack in Saudi Arabia. (AP Photo)

Bin Laden es un disidente y los oficiales americanos dijeron… ¿Por qué por querer ser objetivos e imparciales, al final no son ni lo uno ni lo otro? ¿No falta algún que otro atentado? El 11/S por ejemplo. En cuanto a lo de «encuentro amarga la muerte«, ¿pero no ha sido tan maravillosamente bueno declarando la guerra santa y le espera Alá con las 99, sigo 72 huríes? Me estoy estrujando los sesos pero no encuentro una respuesta adecuada…

(Visto en Elmer’s Brother)

La Unión Europea reconoce el asesinato del Padre Santoro en Turquía

Me entero a través de CUSTOS FIDEI:

The European parliament has condemned the slaying of Catholic priest Father Andrea Santoro in Turkey.

It’s nice to see that the European Union (EU) show some dignity in respect to the slain missionary. Usually I cannot say much of anything positive about the European Union, nor Turkey for that matter, but it’s good to see that they do care for their own.

For more on this short article click here.

«Within the resolution is contained an explicit condemnation of the assassination of Father Santoro, and a strong calling to local, political and religious leaders to put an end to the acts of violence,» said Mario Mauro, vice president of the European Parliament, in a statement.

[…]The resolution further mentioned that «many of the countries in which there have been acts of violence and demonstrations protesting the cartoons, are countries in which the freedom of expression, speech, and the freedom of assembly are routinely violated.»

Al menos esta semana, la Unión Europea ha hecho algo que no es eurabiano.

Tags: Father Santoro, Padre Santoro

Arabian Dissent sobre las caricaturas

Me parecen muy interesantes las reflexiones de The Arabian Knight que escribe el blog Arabian Dissent, sobre las caricaturas:

I see that Ezra Levant has decided to publish the cartoons in the upcoming Western Standard issue. And is already facing the howls of outrage from the usual groups, let’s get things in perspective here.

1. If your the kind who defended other publications of mocking Christianity, Judaism or any other organized religion, your in no position to condemn a publication that ridicules Islam. Your either for freedom of the press, satire and free speech or you believe that some control to those rights should be in order. Its that simple.

2. To use the excuse that this would spur a violent reaction and therefore should be stopped is also a dumb condemnation of the Western Standard. What your implying is that all I or any other group that decides some content in the media is insulting towards our beliefs have to do to bring about some control of the press is to protest like a bunch of deranged monkeys, burning, killing and pillaging anything in sight and you would come to our aid and demand that the content should never have been published. In other words, your allowing the intimidation of free speech to take hold.

3.Why hasn’t anyone asked themselves why don’t western Muslims become equally as vigilant when cartoons in the Muslim world publish cartoons that are anti-Semitic and bigoted in nature? Why are angered by ridicule done against them, while silent against their own kind who ridicule others?

4. If Middle Eastern dictators are able to crush large protests against their rule, why couldn’t they use that force to prevent the torching of Foreign Embassies that were under their security obligation? Simply re-enforces the nation that some Middle Eastern countries helped fuel the incidents.

En 4 puntos ha resumido la problemática de las caricaturas bastante bien. Me congratula encontrar otro musulmán con sentido común.

¿Pintó Ronald Mac Donald las caricaturas?

Pues parece que sí… o por lo menos tuvo algo que ver:

(De AnkleBitingPundits.com)

El periódico THE PHOENIX dice la verdad

THE PHOENIX is Boston’s leading «alternative» newspaper, the kind of brash, pull-no-punches weekly that might have been expected to print without hesitation the Mohammed cartoons that Islamists have been using to incite rage and riots across the Muslim world. Its willingness to push the envelope was memorably demonstrated in 2002, when it broke with most media to publish a grisly photograph of Daniel Pearl’s severed head, and supplied a link on its website to the sickening video of the Wall Street Journal reporter’s beheading.

»Our primary reason,» the editors confessed, is »fear of retaliation from . . . bloodthirsty Islamists who seek to impose their will on those who do not believe as they do . . . Simply stated, we are being terrorized, and . . . could not in good conscience place the men and women who work at the Phoenix and its related companies in physical jeopardy. As we feel forced, literally, to bend to maniacal pressure, this may be the darkest moment in our 40-year-publishing history.»

Exacto: «Nuestra primera razón [para no publicar las caricaturas] es el miedo a las represalias de islamistas sedientos de sangre que quieren imponer su voluntad sobre los que no creen como ellos. Para decirlo simplemente, estamos aterrorizados«.

(Via A Deeper Look).