German anti-Islam movement hopes for big showing at Leipzig rally.

[oberliner]

11. Have you seen this?

Leaked emails from the Middle Eastern television channel al-Jazeera reveal that staff were divided on how to respond to the fatal attack on the staff of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Some journalists and editorial staff branded the publication as “racist” and “extremist” while others defended the right to publish cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad.

The emails, published in full by the National Review, begin with one sent to staff by Salah-Aldeen Khadr, the London-based editor and executive producer, on Thursday suggesting a list of questions that should guide their coverage of events.

He said it should be “the best it can be” but asked staff to question whether the terrorist attack was “really an attack on free speech”, asking if an “attack by 2-3 guys” on “a controversial magazine” was equal to a “civilizational attack on European values”.

He suggested that the massacre could be viewed as a “clash of extremist fringes” – implying Islamic fundamentalists were on one side and staff at the magazine on the other.

He added: “Defending freedom of expression in the face of oppression is one thing; insisting on the right to be obnoxious and offensive just because you can is infantile. Baiting extremists isn’t bravely defiant when your manner of doing so is more significant in offending millions of moderate people as well. And within a climate where violent response – however illegitimate – is a real risk, taking a goading stand on a principle virtually no one contests is worse than pointless: it’s pointlessly all about you.”

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jan/11/al-jazeera-leak-charlie-hebdo-emails