Molly Norris, the cartoonist behind “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day”, has received serious death threats against her.
The threats were serious enough that the FBI warned her and she has since reportedly removed all her websites from the internet.
Anwar al-Awlaki, a popular cleric linked to the botched Times Square bombing and the Fort Hood massacre, has called her a “prime target” for execution and stated that her “proper abode is hellfire.”
Scary stuff. When you recieve death threats and are put on an Al-Qaeda execution list, it’s enough to make anybody think twice, pack up their virtual bags and move on.
I can’t fault Molly Norris for attempting to protect herself, but I can fault the FBI.
It’s being reported that in an interview about the threats with the NYDN , David Gomez, the FBI’s assistant special agent of counter-terrorism in Norris’ hometown of Seattle said the following:
“We understand the absolute seriousness of a threat from an Al Qaeda-inspired magazine and are attempting to do everything in our power to assist the individuals on that list to effectively protect themselves and change their behavior to make themselves less of a target,” Gomez said.
Am I the only one who see the problem with that statement. The state, the FBI are spending money and resources to assist people to change their behaviour to make themselves less of a target?
In other words, they are helping people to not piss off the terrorists. They are helping people to “change” who haven’t done anything wrong at all.
I’m sorry, but when the federal government is using money and resources to change your behaviour so you don’t piss the terrorists off, rather than catching the terrorists and protecting your right to free speech, then something is seriously wrong.
When we are actively trying not to piss off the terrorists, they have already won!
Paul O'Flaherty 