Tel-Chai Nation: The Islamofascists threaten both Pope Benedict and France

Two more cases of jihadists threatening free speech and countries have come up this week. First, there is the Islamic world's violent (surprise surprise) reaction to Pope Benedict's very courageous criticism of Islam. There's more about the case here.

In the wake of this, the New York Times once again shows off its dhimmitude by saying that the pope owes the Islamofascists a "deep and persuasive apology". Uh-uh, NYT, he owes them no such thing, and was very brave to take them to task. I'm sure he knew quite well what he was getting into here, and it's good to find some good folks with the courage to speak out. It's a shame that more violence erupted, but the thing is, it just proved the pope's point - that Islam is violent. Michelle Malkin backs the pope in full, and points to some obscene photos that the online jihadists have been putting on the black market.

Islamofascists have now run amok, vandalizing five churches in Shechem and Gaza (H/T: Hot Air and Michelle), and an Italian nun in Somalia was murdered (also via Hot Air). More photos and news at Gateway Pundit. I think it's time for politicians everywhere to start openly condemning the Islamofascists and call for a ban on the so-called religion.

As reported by David Warren (via Betsy's Page), the BBC was one of the worst offenders in taking the pope's words out of context, one of the things that led to the violent reactions:

The BBC appears to have been quickest off the mark, to send around the world in many languages, including Arabic, Turkish, Farsi, Urdu, and Malay, word that the Pope had insulted the Prophet of Islam, during an address in Bavaria.

He had not, of course. Pope Benedict XVI had instead quoted, carefully and without approval, remarks by the learned 14th-century Byzantine emperor, Manuel II Palaeologus, in debate with a 14th-century learned Persian. He was trying to provide a little historical depth to present controversies about the meaning of "jihad", and his very point was that on their own respective theological terms, Muslims and Christians were bound to talk past each other today, in the same ways as they did seven centuries ago. But in the most conscientious media reports I have seen, even the Byzantine emperor is quoted out of context.

The Beeb is one of the worst tools who shine the shoes of the enemy, and who try to keep the west in a state of fear, reluctant to speak the truth about the dangers we face today.

Next up, the al Qaeda have declared jihad against France (surprise surprise!). Here's the video of Zawahiri's issuing the threat at Hot Air. Trouble is, does Jacques Chirac take the case seriously? Because, as No-Pasaran (also via Gateway) explains, the MSM in France sure don't. From AP (also via Gateway Pundit):

PARIS - Al-Qaida has for the first time announced a union with an Algerian insurgent group that has designated France as an enemy, saying they will act together against French and American interests.

Current and former French officials specializing in terrorism said Thursday that an al-Qaida alliance with the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, known by its French initials GSPC, was cause for concern.

"We take these threats very seriously," Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said, adding in an interview on France-2 television that the threat to France was "high" and "permanent," and that "absolute vigilance" was required.

Al-Qaida's No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahri, announced the "blessed union" in a video posted this week on the Internet to mark the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.

France's leader[s] have repeatedly warned that the decision not to join the U.S.-led war in Iraq would not shield the country from Islamic terrorism. French participation in the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon could give extremists another reason to strike.

The national police had no immediate comment on the announced alliance, but officials have long regarded the GSPC as one of the main terror threats facing France.

French experts agreed, but also noted the group has been severely weakened by internal divisions, security crackdowns and defections in Algeria, a former French territory still working to put down an Islamic insurgency that reached its most murderous heights in the 1990s.