No, I don't need to explain that. And if it's unclear, just Google "danish cartoons" and you will be deluged. CaNN has extensive compendia of news and comment here and here
My punditry will not be unique, but it will be brief.
There are some really stupid comments being made out there about purported Christian hypocrisy over critizing the Muslim protests. Somehow these dim-watts think that simply because Christians quickly object to many offensive slights and slurs on our Faith, that somehow we have no reason to criticize the Muslim protests. These "brights" also aver that Christians who organize boycotts at the drop of a hat ought not also balk over the clear organization of these worldwide Muslim protests.
But they are extraordinarily blind to the obvious.
When Christians boycott Disney, they don't call for Mr. Eisner to be beheaded. When Christians object to the actions of gay activists, they don't kidnap their sisters, mothers or daughters and threaten to kill them. When Christians object to NBC's "Will and Grace" episode trivializing the Crucifixion they send emails. They don't set the Rockefeller Center on fire. In fact, when persons who claim the religion of Christianity go on and bomb abortion clinics, assassinate doctors, or blow up federal buildings, there is a concerted, united and prominent condemnation of these vicious and evil acts by Christians of all stripes, Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox. Christians also reach out and aid the victims. But aside from a few scattered press releases from a few Muslim academic intellectuals (who live and work in the liberal West, I must point out), there is no such concerted and prominent condemnation of the kidnapping, beheading, bombing and destruction that go on around the world in the name of the Prophet and his religion.
For more than four years now we have heard that the actions of Islamic terrorists are the works of a radical few who are holding hostage their global faith. And that sounds fine, except when they play video of ululating women (mothers and sisters) rejoicing at death and destruction and proclamations of violence, except when they show small boys dressed in combat gear and carrying guns, except when infants are decked out in messages that proclaim bloodshed in the name of their religion. Check out the pictures. (Some are posted here and here and here and here and here.)
Don't get me wrong. Christians are deserving of criticisms of hypocrisy here in the U.S. We've allowed the public face of the Faith to be supplanted by capitalist consumerist feel-good-ism. We are also right to object to offenses against our Lord and the Faith of His Church.
But to equate the Muslim reaction to Christian boycotts, to claim that the Muslim protests, however much organized they are, are only a small segment of the religion, is to not be merely ignorant, but determinedly and devoutly blind to reality. Such blindness is and will continue to be lethal.
Posted by Clifton at February 6, 2006 11:00 AM | TrackBackNoz commented on my blog reminding me that one of the issues is that no images of the Prophet are allowed...none whatsoever. So, not only are we encountering a lack of a sense of humor, but the insulting of a primary belief/law in Islamic faith.
Now, that being said (sayed?), here is an interesting link from Reason: http://www.reason.com/links/links020306.shtml
There is no excuse for the violence of the responses, but if it teaches me anything, it teaches me that we are much more comfortable dealing with secular powers than they are.
Once upon a time you'd get lynched, stoned or burned at the stake for such an offence. Now we send e-mails. Will Islam change?
Posted by: Tripp at February 6, 2006 11:32 AMHere is something from the reason article.
A sign that the worldwide protest is at least a tactical error surfaced in this interesting passage from the weekly Al Ahram:
"Muslims might have miscalculated the manner in which they handled the crisis," noted prominent Islamic scholar Abdel-Sabour Shahine, who suggested that instead of pursuing a boycott of Danish products, the Islamic world should have shown more tolerance, by focusing on promoting dialogue with the west, and educating them more about Islam. "The Qur'an ordains Muslims to engage in peaceful dialogue and use a more logical approach with those of different creeds." The prophet himself, Shahine argued, was constantly subject to offence during the first years of his prophecy in Mecca, and his reactions were so tolerant that those who initially opposed him ended up becoming Muslim.
"After all," said Shahine, "we'd rather have the Danes apologizing out of conviction, rather than because they feel threatened." Fortunately, the violent voices are not the only ones speaking.
Oh, and here is another link worth noting.
http://www.black-iris.com/?p=491
Posted by: Tripp at February 6, 2006 12:06 PMIt strikes me as a mistake to look at the world with one eye closed. The very christians one would expect to offer and pursue peace, seem bent on criticism. Muslims are more likely listen to christians who offer respect and valuable insight. Come to think of it, most christians respond well too.
Posted by: Glen at February 6, 2006 05:36 PMTripp: The belief that no images of the Prophet are permitted is apparently not one of universal understanding: http://www.getreligion.org/
Posted by: Jane Ellen at February 6, 2006 05:38 PMSo, not only are we encountering a lack of a sense of humor, but the insulting of a primary belief/law in Islamic faith.
I might remind those who do not know, that the Koran itself (you know, the Muslim book which is the actual and literal Arabic word of God) specifically and intentionally insults numerous primary beliefs of Christians, not the least of which is that Jesus is God.
Posted by: jamesofthenorthwest at February 8, 2006 04:26 PM