23-03-2005 23:07									#1
	Austrian cartoonist faces Greek jail over blasphemy Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

quote: Cartoonist faces Greek jail for blasphemy Krysia Diver in Stuttgart Wednesday March 23, 2005 The Guardian He meant it as a piece of religious satire, a playful look at the life of Jesus. But Gerhard Haderer's depiction of Christ as a binge-drinking friend of Jimi Hendrix and naked surfer high on cannabis has caused a furore that could potentially land the cartoonist in jail. Haderer did not even know that his book, The Life of Jesus, had been published in Greece until he received a summons to appear in court in Athens in January charged with blasphemy. He was given a six-month suspended sentence in absentia, but if he loses his appeal next month his sentence could be increased to two years. Haderer's book is the first to be banned in Greece for more than 20 years, and he is the first artist to fall prey of the European arrest warrant system since it was introduced in June 2002. Yesterday in Vienna, a group of prominent writers and poets called a press conference to draw attention to the plight of Haderer, an Austrian, whose case they claim is crucial to the freedom of international artists. "It is unbelievable that a person can write a book in his home country and be condemned and threatened with imprisonment by another," said Nikki Conrad, a human rights expert who organised yesterday's press conference. "But he is not going to just sit back and accept this injustice. He is prepared to take this to the European court of human rights. When Gerhard first got the summons he thought it was a joke. But now he is starting to get a bit nervous." Mr Conrad added that a 1,000-signature petition of international artists, signed by people including the Nobel prize winner Elfriede Jelinek, would be delivered to the EU within the next two weeks. "This campaign is crucial for the future freedom of international artists. Haderer is unique and situations like this will inhibit his artistic style," said the poet Gerhard Ruiss. The Austrian comedian Hubert Kramar, who is next week due to star in a new satirical play about Christ, turned up to the press conference dressed as Jesus. "We are supposed to be living in a democratic society. Greece is in Europe and the whole idea of the European Union is that everything is supposed to be more open. But what happened to Haderer is scaring artists like me," he said. Haderer's 40-page book has been already published in seven countries, including Germany, where 100,000 copies have been sold. Well known in Germany for his weekly illustrations in the news magazine Stern, he is to appeal against his six-month sentence in Athens on April 13.

This strikes me as a bit... backwards.

	23-03-2005 23:15									#2
	Re: Austrian cartoonist faces Greek jail over blasphemy Increase the size of your Attachments

quote: Originally posted by St Leo This strikes me as a bit... backwards.

Just a bit?

	23-03-2005 23:22									#3
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Making progress, not too long ago the sentence would have been death

	23-03-2005 23:24									#4
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Wait . . . our site is publshed by a Greek. Greeks read it. OMFG!!! We could be punihsed for blasphemy!!!

	23-03-2005 23:36									#5
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Quick! We must burn the corpse of time-travelling Jesus before they discover we used it to pleasure our every whim for a week!

	23-03-2005 23:47									#6
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quote: Originally posted by chegitz guevara Wait . . . our site is publshed by a Greek. Greeks read it. OMFG!!! We could be punihsed for blasphemy!!!

Good thing then it's moderated by progressive-thinking Americans hey.

	23-03-2005 23:51									#7
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Stupid greek courts. If they've known what goes around the sea of galilee for real, they'd know that a stoned-out-of-his-mind unshaved guy with a long beard trying to surf on the lake is a pretty accurate description of reality.

	23-03-2005 23:55									#8
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Well first this is great publicity
Second being able to get charged for blasphemy, Greece shame on you!!

Btw, the greek publisher did not get punished, only the austrian artist, because the publisher could not be found guilty... yeah of course it's only the bad Austrians!! Soon we'll end up like evil finland.

	23-03-2005 23:58									#9
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Where does the guy live? If not in greece then why even show up in court? I'd say F**k them, I'm staying home.

Spec.

	24-03-2005 00:07									#10
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Our legal system that does not get rid of antiquated laws and the judge who made the primary decision are stupid.

I bet you anything you want that Haderer will be acquitted this time. After the recent scandals that still haunt the Church and the justice system, they would have to be real fools not to ditch this case.

As for the European arrest warrant system, on behalf of the european Left, I have to say "WE TOLD YOU SO". Perhaps these people in Vienna should be asking their government why they have voted for it.

	24-03-2005 00:18									#11
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Jail time is questionable. However, the cartoon is definitely blasphemous. And it is certainly going to be highly offensive to most Christians.

	24-03-2005 00:20									#12
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So? Who gives a **** about blasphemy!!

	24-03-2005 00:22									#13
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quote: Originally posted by The diplomat Jail time is questionable. However, the cartoon is definitely blasphemous. And it is certainly going to be highly offensive to most Christians.

So what? I find Creationism offensive.

	24-03-2005 00:30									#14
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quote: Originally posted by The diplomat Jail time is questionable. However, the cartoon is definitely blasphemous. And it is certainly going to be highly offensive to most Christians.

GOOD

	24-03-2005 00:42									#15
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quote: Originally posted by Spec Where does the guy live? If not in greece then why even show up in court? I'd say F**k them, I'm staying home.Spec.

He doesn't have to worry, he can just walk out of the Greek prison.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm.../greece_guns_dc

quote: Prison Guards on Strike Over Antique Guns Thu Mar 17, 9:27 AM ET Oddly Enough - Reuters ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek prison guards will go on strike next week demanding a change of their American-made weapons that date back to the U.S. wars in central America almost a century ago. While antique shops would be eager to get their hands on them, prison guards just want to get rid of their obsolete 1911 U.S. Cavalry revolvers. The guns do not scare inmates any more as safety experts have advised guards not to fire them. "We have more and more escape attempts and prisoners just say 'I'll try it because they won't shoot me with these guns anyway'," Exterior Prison Guards union president Giorgos Kostikas told Reuters Thursday. The guards will go on strike and demand new weapons and more staff to secure the country's growing prison population. "We need 2,800 guards but we currently have only 1,200 armed with completely inappropriate weapons to secure the perimeter of the prisons," Kostikas said.

	24-03-2005 00:44									#16
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quote: Originally posted by The diplomat Jail time is questionable. However, the cartoon is definitely blasphemous. And it is certainly going to be highly offensive to most Christians.

so what, there is still freedom of speech and it does not cross the borders to being "hate-speech".

	24-03-2005 00:46									#17
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Pyrodrew

	24-03-2005 00:47									#18
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funny, I thought blasphemy was legal

	24-03-2005 00:49									#19
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.

Attachment: jesuslovesgayporn.gif
This has been downloaded 191 time(s).

	24-03-2005 00:49									#20
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@ Greek muskets.

	24-03-2005 02:42									#21
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It'd be good if You condemned BOTH the sentence AND the drawing. It has no style. It's intentionally offensive to 3 bilions of people (Christians and Muslims) and a noble person not deserving such offending - Jesus.
These pictures are symptoms of hatred, and should be treated not otherwise that symptoms of racial or national or religious hatred - if not banned, it should be solidarily condemned.

You all

	24-03-2005 02:49									#22
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It's not as if they are forced to view the pictures, so nothing wrong here...

	24-03-2005 02:49									#23
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quote: It'd be good if You condemned BOTH the sentence AND the drawing. It has no style. It's intentionally offensive to 3 bilions of people (Christians and Muslims) and a noble person not deserving such offending - Jesus. These pictures are symptoms of hatred, and should be treated not otherwise that symptoms of racial or national or religious hatred - if not banned, it should be solidarily condemned. You all

He was drawing a picture, not throwing people in jail.

	24-03-2005 02:53									#24
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quote: Originally posted by Heresson It'd be good if You condemned BOTH the sentence AND the drawing. It has no style. It's intentionally offensive to 3 bilions of people (Christians and Muslims) and a noble person not deserving such offending - Jesus. These pictures are symptoms of hatred, and should be treated not otherwise that symptoms of racial or national or religious hatred - if not banned, it should be solidarily condemned. You all

I think you are over-generalizing just a tad. Not all of Christians and Muslims would be offended by this. Just the ones who have no sense of humor and are overly sensitive.

Humor is a good thing. This was done in jest. Somehow, I think Jesus would approve.

symptoms of hatred?

you need to lighten up...

and I think it's repugnant that you would advocate censorship just because it "offends" you or pokes fun at your beliefs.

plus, if your beliefs are true, aren't they strong enough to withstand a joke? or perhaps you are not as confident in your beliefs as you would like to portray...

	24-03-2005 02:54									#25
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So this is bad, but having as one of your national cultural treasures a book which has a scene where paedophiles talk about the kind of boys they like is just fine.

Yes... I'm speaking of The Republic.

	24-03-2005 02:55									#26
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the republic has historical value.

	24-03-2005 02:58									#27
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quote: Originally posted by MRT144 the republic has historical value.

The surfin' Jesus has humour value.

But if the Greek government thinks that promoting books that promote man-boy love is better than a hippie Jesus calendar, they must be weird.

	24-03-2005 02:58									#28
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dude, man boy love is the new jesus

	24-03-2005 02:59									#29
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The drawing is offensive, but this should not be a criminal matter.

However, I wonder if the European Leftists who are so horrified over this censorship are as equally upset against censorship over Nazi symbols such as the swastika.

	24-03-2005 03:00									#30
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edit: @ Oerdin