How dare they!!!
The Muslim furor over the tame depictions of Muhammad and God is exploding. It might be only a matter of time before this fury translates into actual explosions. For anybody who pays attention to what Islamic fundamentalists say, the general Muslim response is hardly surprising.
But where is OUR fury? Freedom of speech and the freedom to express ourselves is one of the most sacred freedoms and rights that we have in the West. These medieval minded fanatics suppress and stifle freedom of expression in their own despotic societies and now they are trying to do it in our societies! We must not let them!
Nobody wants to admit that the war against Islamic terror is really a manifestation of the brewing war of civilizations—Islamic vs. Western (Judeo-Christian). But the cartoon issue shows that, indeed, this is a war of civilizations. Just look at the how far the gulf is between our two societies. Many Westerners are stunned that a mere picture of the prophet Muhammad has elicited such rage.
This issue is not about making horribly offensives statements about Islam, which could understandably have offended Muslims. Rather, it all began months ago when a Danish newspaper wanted to exercise it’s freedom of expression, and so asked cartoonists to merely draw pictures of Muhammad, knowing, however, that in Islam one may not depict a prophet or God. They wanted to test the waters and see if freedom of expression was still possible in Denmark, despite the large Islamic Danish community. But if Muslims find depictions of prophets and God offensive, does that mean that anybody who has a depiction of Jesus is thus offending Islam, since Muslims consider Jesus to be a prophet? Where does their madness end? I hope this latest episode wakes more people up about the danger that faces us, because it is creeping into our own societies and affecting us; not merely via increased security measures, but now our blessed and sacred freedom of expression.
Freedom ain’t free. Not too long ago Theo Van Gogh was slaughtered like a lamb in the streets of Amsterdam for offending Muslims. We cannot afford to be cowed and to cave in to these fanatics. We’ve been lampooning our own faiths in the West for generations. Why should Islam be given special dispensation? If we back down on this, they will have scored a huge victory against us; they will have infringed on our sacred right of freedom of speech and expression.
Again, where is our rage? They can suppress themselves in their own medieval-minded societies all they want. But not here. Not ever. We must take a stand. We should be the one’s who are enraged. They wish to take away the rights that so many Americans fought and died for. How dare they!
But where is OUR fury? Freedom of speech and the freedom to express ourselves is one of the most sacred freedoms and rights that we have in the West. These medieval minded fanatics suppress and stifle freedom of expression in their own despotic societies and now they are trying to do it in our societies! We must not let them!
Nobody wants to admit that the war against Islamic terror is really a manifestation of the brewing war of civilizations—Islamic vs. Western (Judeo-Christian). But the cartoon issue shows that, indeed, this is a war of civilizations. Just look at the how far the gulf is between our two societies. Many Westerners are stunned that a mere picture of the prophet Muhammad has elicited such rage.
This issue is not about making horribly offensives statements about Islam, which could understandably have offended Muslims. Rather, it all began months ago when a Danish newspaper wanted to exercise it’s freedom of expression, and so asked cartoonists to merely draw pictures of Muhammad, knowing, however, that in Islam one may not depict a prophet or God. They wanted to test the waters and see if freedom of expression was still possible in Denmark, despite the large Islamic Danish community. But if Muslims find depictions of prophets and God offensive, does that mean that anybody who has a depiction of Jesus is thus offending Islam, since Muslims consider Jesus to be a prophet? Where does their madness end? I hope this latest episode wakes more people up about the danger that faces us, because it is creeping into our own societies and affecting us; not merely via increased security measures, but now our blessed and sacred freedom of expression.
Freedom ain’t free. Not too long ago Theo Van Gogh was slaughtered like a lamb in the streets of Amsterdam for offending Muslims. We cannot afford to be cowed and to cave in to these fanatics. We’ve been lampooning our own faiths in the West for generations. Why should Islam be given special dispensation? If we back down on this, they will have scored a huge victory against us; they will have infringed on our sacred right of freedom of speech and expression.
Again, where is our rage? They can suppress themselves in their own medieval-minded societies all they want. But not here. Not ever. We must take a stand. We should be the one’s who are enraged. They wish to take away the rights that so many Americans fought and died for. How dare they!
posted by semite1973 at 7:34 AM
6 Comments:
Yes, I am enraged. (Could you please post a link to those cartoons so I can print out and distribute?) Muslims once again show that they have no concept of what a free society is. We must stand firm on this one.
Thanks and salaam aleikum
Ryan
I've been enraged for a loooong time, zak. The problem is that, although I personally see no problem reconciling what I believe to be a classicaly liberal life-view (for instance, I am in full favor of gays who really feel the call to serve in the military to do so) and fighting to maintain the right to such a worldview; too many people think that that this will all go away if we just cave a little more.
These are the same people, mind you, who think that children are born with perfectly wonderful and altruistic personalities and never require more than a mere spoken (softly) correction and that correctly administered corporal punishment makes children into serial killers.
Honestly, I was incredibly offended by a crucified Christ in urine. I was horrendously offended by cartoons of Ariel Sharon eating babies. I was appalled at the disgusting spectacle of a female suicide bombers photo bobbing away in a pool of fake blood with the intent of making her seem like a wonderful person.
The problem, though, (and I'm sorry to use up so much of your comment space) is that too many people see the world like your "Mel" pen-pal. If they just "feel" a certain way, it must be right. Facts can not get in that way. They are so deep down guilty for living in a country so successful, for having so much, that instead of spreading the good, they vilify it to make themselves feel as if they actually have had some hard-ship somewhere in their lives.
Not that I'm a psychologist. And, once again, I'm sorry to drag on. You totally struck a nerve with this one, though. As a good writer should. :)
What I am wondering about cartoons and freedom of speech is this: would any of these european newspapers publish cartoons of jews that depicts them with big noses and money hungry? Would they publish cartoons that deny holocaust? It's crime in these countries. The editor or cartoonist would go to jail. Hypocrisy? Apparently freedom of speech has limits to them.
anonymous, first of all there have been some cartoons in EU newspaper that have crossed the line into pure anti-Semitism. The "worst" thing Jews do is write letters-to-editors or op-ed--not threaten violence.
Secondly, you are clearly not very well informed about the entire case. The Danish paper that originally published pictures of Muhammad and God were relatively innocuous and in no way could be considered "anti-Islamic" in a hateful or unfair way.
One of the most "offensive" cartoons depicted Muhammad with a bomb in his turban. Can you deny that literally hundreds of Muslims have detonated themselves or planted bombs in the name of their faith? Is making a cartoon then of their prophet with a bomb in his turban equal to showing hooked nose Jews in classical anti-Semitic stereotypes? I don't think it is. And again, when European newspaper have ran clearly anti-Semitic cartoons, the Jewish response was not one of violence or threats of violence.
AFW,
My blog is your blog. You are always free to write as much as you wish or even pen a posting if you like.
I am just honored that you visit my site.
Zak
Muslims are all for freedom of speech when it enables them to preach jihad throughout the West...but they don't like it when it doesn't suit them. This cartoon conflict is absolutely crucial: if the West succumbs to Mohammedan pressure a very bad precedent will have been set.
Buy Danish and publish those pictures!
Salaam Al-Zakari Al-Mazuroun!
Ryan
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