Iran Goes Over the Top - and Engages in Double Standards

"An Iranian paper is holding a contest for cartoons about the Holocaust, to retaliate against the publication of images of the Prophet Muhammad.

Hamshahri says it wants to test the boundaries of free speech, echoing the reasons European papers gave for publishing the caricatures".

So reports the BBC in this latest news item [read it in full].

Whoa! For years the Arab media has systematically villified both Israel and Jews in the most vile and offensive way. There is ample evidence available of cartoons, tv images, videos and articles. Many school books in Arab countries are not purely anti-Israel but downright anti-semitic.

To now be so precious about the cartoons that are said to have caused offence is to engage in double-standards at there very best. Some Arab spokesman talk of freedom of the press being OK but it must be exercised responsibily. Fine! - if it cuts both ways......

On the topic of the the reponse to the cartoons, who better than Richard Neville [twice prosecuted] one-time editor of the satirical magazine Oz to weigh in with his comments on the current controversy. Read his opinion-piece in today's SMH here.

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