Portuguese appeasement

Today I am shocked to read these news in the Portuguese newspaper, Público.

The appeasement efforts of the left wing apoligist Portuguese government is second only to the Spanish.

The Spanish after being butchered by arab terrorists (all peace loving Muslims, I am sure) say: We are sorry!, and meet the terrorist's demands by withdrawing their troops. Consequently they make demonstrations of peace to show solidarity with the peaceful Muslims and promise dialogue.

Why is the Portuguese second to none? Well, actually I give them this rank in Europe and with a shared second place with the Swedes and Norwegians.

Notice! They all have left wing governments. Who else could have given a Nobel Peace prize to Arafat? A terrorist. Where I a Muslim fanatic, I would think: Spank them and we own them!

Here is my translation of the article from the Público:

Government: "cartoons" about Mohammed "offend the beliefs" of the Muslim people
07.02.2006 - 12h28 PUBLICO.PT
The government "regrets and disagrees" with the publication of the cartoons about the prophet Mohammed which, according to the government, "offend the beliefs or the religious sensibility of the Muslim people".

This official position manifests today through a message from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE), which points out further that "the freedom of expression (...) has as its principal limitator the duty of respecting the freedoms and rights of others".

"Among these other freedoms and rights to respect are, manifestly, the religious freedom - which includes the right of having or not having a religion, and having a religion, the right to have respected the fundamental simbols of the religion in question", declares the text of the MNE.

The note signed by the head of the Portuguese diplomacy, Diogo Freitas do Amaral, points out further that "freedom without limits is not freedom, but profligacy". "All who profess to a religion have the right to expect that such simbols and figures are respected. What recently happened in this matter in some European countries is regrettable because it incites an inacceptable 'war of religions' - even knowing that the three monotheistic religions (Christian, Muslim and Hebraic) all descend from the same prophet, Abraham".

Note not an utterance about support to the Danish people or the hipocracy of peace loving monsters preaching anger over a cartoon through violence.

My adoptive country has ashamed me. I know there are many Portuguese who do not think like this.

To understand this article I shall try to put a small defence in for an undefensible position.

Portugal is the youngest democracy in Western Europe. The went through a period of roughly 50 years of a fascist dictatorship. During that period political opinions and meetings were forbidden. You notice this even today, when democratic traditions are weak or even absent as two entire generations grew up without. Demonstrations or remonstrations by citizens are rare.

Politicians will take up criticism as diffamation and go to the courts for banalities. The police and state apparatus has kept the traditions from the time of fascism. The citizen is expected to bow and scrape to authorities.

It is also a very catholic country. One of the few countries in the western world where abortion is forbidden.

So it is the most old fashioned country in Europe with a strong religious conviction and just as the Pope they defend the limitation on free expression to protect feelings.

Finally it is the Western World country with the lowest level of education as well as the country were fewest people read.

It is still incredible that a people with dictatorship and no freedom so recent in memory will speak in favor of limiting the freedom of expression. Without there can not be freedom!

I never did like this government.