Muslim Clerics Calling For Fatwa Against Cartoonists
DOBBS: The values of freedom of speech and expression remain under attack tonight as the Danish cartoon fury has intensified in the Muslim world. Tonight Muslim clerics calling for a fatwa against the cartoonists, as protests intensify and remain unchecked. Kitty Pilgrim reports.</s>KITTY PILGRIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Friday, the day of prayer for Muslims, in Iran, Iraq and Pakistan, many Muslims had more violent plans. This Muslim cleric and two members of his congregation openly offered to pay $1 million plus a car to anyone who killed a Danish cartoonist.</s>MOHAMMED YOUSAF OURESHI, CHIEF CLERIC, MOHABAT KHAN MOSQUE: Whoever will take this insulting man to his end will get this prize.</s>DANIEL BENJAMIN, AUTHOR, "THE NEXT ATTACK": Pakistani religious parties have been increasing their power pretty substantially and this is a big opportunity for them to turn into the streets and to demonstrate and to put President Musharraf under real pressure.</s>PILGRIM: Denmark has had its embassies burned to the ground and has shut its missions in Syria, Iran, Indonesia and Lebanon. Radicals have also used the incident to stir up hatred against the United States. Passions are being inflamed for various reasons around the Muslim world.</s>OMAR MCDOOM, BELFER CTR. KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOV.: A lot of the violence we have seen has been orchestrated. The initial violence we saw, for example, in Beirut and Lebanon when the Danish embassy was attacked there. When we looked at the arrest records of the rioters, we discovered that in fact the vast majority of them were Syrian nationals who were resident in Lebanon, so these are people who I think have been bussed in deliberately to escalate what would have ordinarily have been peaceful protests into something more violent.</s>PILGRIM: In Libya today, riots left 11 people dead or wounded. As police clashed with 100 demonstrators, the Italian Consulate was set on fire.</s>PILGRIM: Now, the street tensions are high, but many official governments are also cracking down on those who publish the cartoons. Reporters in Yemen, Syria and Algeria have been jailed for also printing those cartoons -- Lou.</s>DOBBS: And the clerics calling for the death of the cartoonist.</s>PILGRIM: Yes, they put a bounty on is head.</s>DOBBS: And have we heard from Muslim leaders of the Muslim community globally condemning those clerics? Because it does offend a civilized persons sensibility.</s>PILGRIM: It certainly does. And this has been sorely lacking, the moderate Muslim voice, in this entire incident.</s>DOBBS: And also lacking has been the courage in the Western press to print and publish and present these cartoons. But it is obvious that sensitivity and sensibility of course is reciprocated in this environment. Kitty Pilgrim, thank you very much. The Dutch cartoon protest rising to new levels of absurdity tonight. Iranians outraged over the Danish cartoon controversy have done something almost seemingly rational in all of this madness. They have decided to rename Danish pastry. Do you remember French fries and freedom fries? Well, bakeries across Iran are now calling Danish pastries, quote, "roses for the Prophet Mohammed." They call this a punishment for those who insult Islam. A somewhat more palatable punishment than, say, a fatwa, which is also of course now in effect as well. Turning now to a crisis in this country. As we have reported, millions of illegal aliens pour across our borders every year. Many people try to confuse illegal immigration with legal immigration. It suits their agenda, their purposes. And that can overshadow significantly the millions of people who wait years even decades to earn the rights and privileges of U.S. citizenship. Christine Romans reports.</s>CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Seventy-five people from 39 countries, all new Americans. This pediatrician from Pakistan, architect and professor from Mexico and pharmacist from Colombia weigh in on the historic possibility to fix America's broken borders. Rocco Duran served in the U.S. military and has three American children.</s>ROCCO DURAN, AMERICAN CITIZEN: I have played by the roles. And, yes, it's been, you know, at times maybe a little bureaucratic, cumbersome, but, you know, to hear about, you know, these proposals where, you know, illegals are coming across the border and just having some kind of a, you know, to give them citizenship or amnesty or a driver's license, I mean, I think that's just not the right single to be sending.</s>ROMANS: Enrique Norten, on his first day as an American already a cynic about Washington's motives.</s>ENRIQUE NORTEN, AMERICAN CITIZEN: There's many of the other issues. And I clearly understand that its tainted by many political interests. And that sometimes it defers really from the interests of the people of this country.</s>ROMANS: Pediatrician Dr. Fouzia Rishi has been in this country since 1988. She stayed using an Visa she could, tourist, student, exchange visitor, H-1, finally a green card, and now citizenship. She says even those who get to this country illegally should have a pathway to citizenship.</s>FOUZIA RISHI, AMERICAN CITIZEN: The diversity over here, that's very appealing, and I think it make a better people. So I agree with the residents, you know, giving amnesty and bringing people in.</s>ROMANS: But these people are products of America's official immigration system.</s>ROMANS: Having played by the rules, these Americans now have a voice and a vote, and true to the nature of America, there were as many opinions on immigration reform, Lou, as they were new Americans in the room.</s>DOBBS: And like all Americans, there has to be a majority, because it still is majority rule, sometimes just barely. What did the majority believe on the issue of illegal immigration?</s>ROMANS: Majority believe that something has to be done. How to do it -- that's where they all differ.</s>DOBBS: OK, Christine Romans, thank you. We'd like to know your thoughts. Do you believe the presidential guest worker amnesty program is an insult to the millions of immigrants who wait for years to become legal citizens of this country? Cast your vote at loudobbs.com. We'll have the results later here in the broadcast. Up next, we'll take you back live to the Pentagon for the very latest on the breaking story. Two of our marine helicopters have crashed off the coast of Africa tonight. And charges of cronyism once again for the Bush administration, another high-profile nominee drawing attention for his absolute lack of qualification and experience for the job. But he wouldn't be in charge of anything special or critical, just the economy. And another week the White House might like to forget. I'll be joined by three of the country's sharpest political minds. Stay with us.