A thought experiment: How long before Salvador Dali's "blasphemous" caricature of Mohammed is expunged from art history classes? How about Auguste Rodin? or Gustave Dore? Each of these artists caricatured Mohammed's suffering in Hell-- as related in Dante's trilogy "The Divine Comedy" [Inferno XXVIII, 19-42]. http://nordish.net/mohammed_image_archive/dantes_inferno/ The same forces that plotted to destroy the fresco of Dante's Inferno in Bologna's Church of San Petronio in 2002 remain at work today. http://www.zombietime.com/mohammed_image_archive/euro_medi_ren/index.html And if academia and journalism remain unwilling to fight this battle, what's to stop the global Taliban from silencing any and every expression Muslims deem "offensive"? Archived depictions of Mohammed serve as a poignant reminder that such imagery has been part of Western and Islamic culture since the Middle Ages -- and serve as a resource for those interested in defending free expression. http://nordish.net/mohammed_image_archive/ Tiniest Violin (in the World)

The right to free speech is not absolute, Rishi said. "It does not give a right to defame Prophet Muhammad or any other" religious figure. Indeed? I refer the learned CAIR board member to Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell, 485 U.S. 46 (1988). There, the court stated that satire (even outrageous satire) has a long and important history in America and that the Founding Fathers had specifically intended for the First Amendment to protect these types of parodies. The court cited many examples of famous, if bitingly satirical, political cartoons, "from the early cartoon portraying George Washington as an ass down to the present day." The Court paid particular attention to the cartoons of Thomas Nast, whose cartoons ridiculed the corruption of Tammany Hall and brought about the downfall of Boss Tweed. The court noted that Nast's cartoons were successful because of their emotional impact, which arose out of going "beyond the bounds of good taste and conventional manners." Would CAIR care to rule on the permissibility of Mohammed's image on the fresco of the US Supreme Court building? http://www.humaneventsonline.com/story-images/xsword.jpg Tiniest Violin (in the World)

Good to see a College stand up against the Imperial american concept of 'free speech' everyone knows the religion of peace no not the buddhists are more tolerant and we should all worship their every whim and violent attack as intellectually superior than our dim wits freedom of speech what is it good for? Thanks UPENN for sponsoring such intelligent speakers help us realize how silly our american freedom is oh and thanks for using that same said american freedom to do so - brilliant we shall discuss more over our lattes Im ready to puke now - you sure this SPEECH wasnt in IRAN? like the University of Tehran? Well at least we know why PENN voted Kerry - you guys have the brains of nats minus the gray matter YO JOE, Programmer Detroit

freedom for all speech except against the one and only Prophet muhhamed and the real and only religion you will all obey Islam Also we want more anti-zionist conferences sponsored by this great university you are much like us in Europe not like dumb free americans - great to see submit to Islams rule over your idiotic view of womens rights and freedom of religion only islam can rule you all - women should be behind burkhas good to a college finally agree with the obvious role of broads also we must stone all christians you understand.. and you better give us more money quickly or else... he ha just kidding we like your support of jihad agaisnt America and all other religions and lets divest from israel and give us as 22nd arab state a few billion dollars more please thanks dhimmis UPENN RULES! Thanks for meeting our demands I mean requests - great to see you are so tolerant of our intolerance very liberal of you Kim

anti free speech islamic conferences anti jewish islamic conferences Under the guise of you guess it freedom of speech - interesting Well I notice a pattern do you? Janet

It doesn't speak well for Penn or the other ivies that they are turning out students and bringing in speakers who are incapable of making basic legal distinctions. Samir Malik shows his overwhelming legal ignorance when he claims that these are "slander". (1) Slander is spoken, not written. (2) You cannot slander the dead. (3) There can be no defamation if the statements are true, like saying that Mohammed liked to have sex with little children because of Aisha. (4) There is a "fair comment privilege" defense to defamation, meaning that even if Mohammed were alive and I were speaking, I would be well within my rights to call him a pedophile because of his relationship with Aisha. (5) The cartoons receive the further benefit, like it or not, of being put out by media outlets. These idiots really need to brush up on their supreme court precedents. (6) Contrary to what the CAIR-Bear is saying, freedom of speech is MOST protected when it comes to religious matters. I can call Mohammed a child-raping oath-breaking terrorist because that is an expression of MY OWN religious beliefs. These speakers are simply saying that THEIR own religious beliefs are so paramount that nobody should be allowed to bruise their delicate religious egos. Of course, Islam's incredibly offensive statements (usually, but not always, in Arabic) about Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism will be protected because they don't criticize the Islamikaze tradition. Loweeel, law student VA

don't you, or anybody else for that matter, ever tell me that i have to respect any religious figure. i will defame any and all religious figures when ever i want. i do not have to have any respect for any religion at all. i do have to respect your right to your religion. if you cant handle the double edged sword of free speech, move back to a country whos laws reflect your religious laws on free speech. samUwell, real estate california samuwell@hotmail.com

So, I guess the Islamofascists want to come to this country and tell us how to run things? I think not. We will be free to print cartoon about Mohammed and call him a pedophile and a vile man and a murderer, for he was all of these things. We are not dhimmis, and if they want to argue this point we will point to the 2nd amendment and be quite happy about the fact that we have our friends at the NRA that are quite ready to defend our rights on that point. Stand up Americans and face down these wolves in sheeps clothing; there is nothing "sacred" about Mohammed and no reason at all why Americans cannot mock Islam in this country. If they feel uncomfortable, too bad. Weclome to America; this is not a theocracy and we don't practice Islam and we don't nbelieve in your false prophet here. John Galt, Consultant Newport Beach CA tribehooker82@yahoo.com

CAIR needs to get in line with American Values and the US Constitution and quit demanding that others obey their religious dictats in the public square. If Muslims can't handle free speech, they are free to move back to the Islamic run countries from which they or their parents immigrated and inflict their bigotry on other Muslims and dhimmi's in those totalitarian countries. Squishy college lefties need to quit enabling the destructions of freedoms here at home and recognise what groups like CAIR are doing to basic constitutional freedoms in the name of diversity and sensitivity. This same group wants to deny you the freedoms they claim for themselves using their religion as the justification. Just as most of you reject Biblical rule, you should be rejecting Koranic rule as well. SGT Ted, Career Soldier California sgtted@comcast.net

Mahammed the Pedophile. Yes, that's correct, Mohammed was a pedophile, a vile man of vile practices who was directly responsible for the murders of around 70 men. A man who lusted after pre-pubescent girls. What a prophet! What a man of God! What a shining example of humanity! This is what ISLAM holds up for us? What an ABSOLUTE JOKE!! Compare the life of Mohammed as documented in his day by his own people to the life of Jesus Christ and you will know who is the real deal, who is the WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. I can tell you that any mean that is a PEDOPHILE IS NOT THE TRUTH. There can be no peace with a vile religion headed up by a prophet that has sex with little children. John Galt, Consultant Newport Beach tribehooker82@yahoo.com

CAIR will rue the day they decided to support suppression of free speech. To the degree that it exists, it protects the rights of everyone. The easily offended should learn to ignore what they do not like. omar, doctor CA

When Mazhar Rishi said "The right to free speech is not absolute. It does not give a right to defame Prophet Muhammad or any other" religious figure, he was absolutely wrong. First, since Muhammad has been dead for over 1,000 years it is impossible to defame him. A person has to be alive to be defamed. Second, it does give a person the right to be critical of Muhammad and the religion he started. And that right is absolute. Mr. Rishi needs to take a course in American history and politics. The Founding Fathers knew that a key to democracy is freedom of speech. Any action to limit that freedom narrows democracy; it does not "broaden democracy." Brian Stuart, Attorney Ontario, California

The ignorance that is being spread regarding the Dane "cartoons" is mind-boggling. Every comment regarding them in this article is deceptive to anyone who has not yet seen them. We are supposed to be left with the impression that the published drawings from the Jyllands-Posten were so damning and offensive, that the world-wide reaction to them was to be expected. The fact is, they never did receive the sort of reaction we are seeing now back in September of 2005 when they were published. It's a hoax hatched by immams and CAIR in order to impose THEIR sense of "free speech" upon us. I am outraged by this imposing upon OUR rule of law by those who wish to rule us beneath their Islamic law. OUR Constitution is above Islamic law, not the other way around. If they don't like it, then they can try to change their local laws in order for them to present their point of view. I am NOT going to be told that I cannot say ANYTHING that opposes what someone else thinks or feels regarding "the prophet" Mohammed. It is MY right as a citizen of this, the GREATEST COUNTRY ON EARTH to say what I think is right, even if it is contrary to what a Mohammedite says. That is what debate is about. Debate is good. Squelching debate is bad, and that is what these fascists want to do. John Beam, other Lansing, Michigan

The right to free speech is not absolute, Rishi said. "It does not give a right to defame Prophet Muhammad or any other" religious figure. Such a basic misunderstanding! The various particularities of U.S. citizens' right to free speech are not spelled out like some section of a European constitution. There are very specific limitations, which have nothing to do with religion. Everything else is, by definition, permitted. Rishi can respond however he likes and we can then continue to ignore him, as he too should just ignore any loons who offend him. If Rishi can't deal with being offended then he can move some place that beats their women when they're caught wearing pants in public. Joe Ego Southern California

The right to free speech is not absolute, Rishi said. "It does not give a right to defame Prophet Muhammad or any other" religious figure. Dead wrong, Mr. Rishi. It absolutely does give a right to defame Muhammad, or Jesus, or Buddha, or Moses, or Brahma, or any other religious figure. It gives the right to create and publish cartoons of Muhammmed. It gives the right to dunk a crufix in urine and present pictures of it as art. If the right to free speech does not include the right to offend, it is not the right to free speech. RonF, Network Engineer mars

HEY CAIR...DON'T FORGET THE 2ND AMENDMENT. IT GUARANTEES THE 1ST. SUGGEST YOU BASTARDS TAKE YOUR WORHTLESS ASSES AND FILTHY PEDO-PROPHET RELIGION TO SOME THIRD WORLD TOILET...WHERE YOU AND IT BELONG. Armed American Infidel

I cannot engage anyone at home or work regarding the threat CAIR and other muslims represent to this great nation. The apathy is staggering. These people would, as they did the great library of Alexandria, and without blinking an eye, burn most of the books in the Library of Congress as unbefitting Allah. Great literature, great music and great art are all threatened. Better wake up before it's too late. semper fi, planner san jose howdymaam_99@yahoo.com

Dear Mazhar Rishi, Well, your comment of the absolutes of free speech has certainly raised the ire of many Americans. You should take note of this. You see, in America you are free to worship any God you choose, and if any person would try to deny you that right, they will face criminal charges. The laws of America guarantee this. However, you do not have a right not to be offended. Regardless of any claims of diversity or political correctness from the U of Penn faculty or any other vaulted towers of higher learning you may have heard, they are not true. I am fully within my rights to refer to you as a towelhead, call Jews kikes, call Italians whops, call Poles polacks, call Hispanics spics, and call French frogs. Is it offensive? yes; is it illegal? no. You see, you have basic freedoms of worship, assembly, and speech here, but so does everyone else, whether you agree with them or not. If you enjoy your freedom here in America, you are going to have to accept every one else's. Sincerely, Wm. Mark Cosby Wm. Mark Cosby, scientist Raleigh, NC wmmcosby@earthlink.net

Wake up America! Stop allowing Islam to act like a battered spouse. If in deed Islam is a religion of peace where are their leaders and followers when Muslims murder the innocent in the name of their religion? Silent that's where the leadership is, acting as if they have no accountability. A cartoon outrages these peaceful people to kill Christians, Priests and burn Churches. Imagine if Christian and Jewish Americans had acted out and killed Muslims in the streets and burned Mosques? Somehow that would be more horrific than just a few Christians, a preist or two and a couple of churches. The value of human life means little to the religious leadership in the Muslim world. Thousands of noncombatant men women and children have been blown up to wage holy jihad. Where is the leadership and outrage? You will not see it. We are told over and over again that a true Muslim would never kill innocent people. Yet human bombers are killing people all over the world even killing fellow Muslims. Holy warriors chop of the heads and kill innocent men, women and school girls. I ask you where are the mass demonstrations and moral condemnation? When have the Imams brought these criminals and false Muslims to justice? The answer is never! Instead Streets are named after these murdering Martyrs. Their families are paid large sums of money and the mothers are honored for the sacrifices for Islam by committing murder. If you believe that the murder of innocents is not condoned at the highest level of Islam then you are a fool. I do believe that the vast majority of Muslims do not condone the madness and killing of the few. Is it indifference or fear that is keeping these good Muslims from speaking out and taking action. Either way it is morally unforgivable. I'm challenging the Muslim community to stand beside your fellow citizen all over the world! Challenge the practices of killing and Rules of dhimmitude; The vanquished non-Muslims peoples are granted security for their life and possessions, as well as a relative self-autonomous administration and limited religious rights according to the modalities of the conquest. These rights are subject to two conditions: the payment of a poll tax (the jizya) and submission to the provisions of Islamic law. The concept of toleration is linked to a number of discriminatory obligations in the economic, religious and social fields, imposed by the shari'a on the dhimmis. The transgression by the dhimmis of some of these obligations, abolished their protection, and threaten them with death or slavery. Dhimmis suffer many legal disabilities intended to reduce them to a condition of humiliation, segregation and discrimination. These rules, established from the eight to nine centuries by the founders of the four schools of Islamic law, set the pattern of the Muslim's community's social behavior toward dhimmis. I await your answer. Hopefully some of you will stand up and act. I am going to hold my breath. Chas, retired US Military Ohio

Hey everyone I wrote this article. Just wanted to point out, I see a lot of people using "Upenn" broadly in their responses. Please keep in mind that the Daily Pennsylvanian is completely independent from the University itself, and the latter doesn't necessarily support the information presented in the events or in the articles... Sameer Khetan, Penn junior skhetan@sas.upenn.edu