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According to this BBC report, the editor of the France Soir newspaper was fired for reprinting the editorial cartoon depictions of Mohammed that have Muslims in an uproar. Several European papers, like France Soir, republished the cartoons originally published by the Norwegian paper, Jyllands Posten, setrting off protests and a trade embargo against Norwegian products in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. (Michelle Malkin has posted the offending cartoons here.)

This incident may have a salutary effect. The Euros have spent so much time and energy avoiding any circumstance that would give offense to anyone, they've gradually surrendered freedom of speech and of the press to radical Islamists who want to preclude criticism of terrorism. This incident is, to some degree, reviving European concern at the erosion of free speech by imposition of religious dogma. Let's hope they rebel against the Islamists and get back to being democracies. We need to follow this debate closely because we need to have precisely the same one here, and for the same reason.

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Trade, Islam, Energy