'SOUTH PARK': Bill Maher to radical Muslims: Freedom of speech is 'not negotiable'

On "The Daily Show," Jon Stewart relatively soft-pedaled his defense of fellow Comedy Central employees, "South Park's" Matt Stone and Trey Parker, against a group of Muslim critics. Over at HBO this weekend, though, Bill Maher wasn't holding anything back.

On his show "Real Time With Bill Maher," the show's every-incendiary host opined during his segment "The Rules":

"When South Park got threatened last week by Islamists incensed at their depiction of Muhammad, it served -- or should serve -- as a reminder that our culture isn't just different than one that makes death threats to cartoonists. It's better."

In his defense of the First Amendment and other Americal civil liberties, Maher -- who made the film "Religulous" -- continued: "The Western world needs to make it clear: Some things about our culture are not negotiable. And can't change. And one of them is freedom of speech, Separation of church and state is another."

Maher's comedic kicker to the segment: "If you don't get that, and you still want to kill someone over a stupid cartoon, please make it Garfield."

Video of "The Rules" segment, captioned "Cartoon Nutwork," can be seen HERE.

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