Muslim Rage
I’m not too sure how I feel about this one.
I can sympathize with the Muslims who find this offensive, but a building burning riot in the street kind of offensive?
I can imagine that many religions around the word do not believe in the same level of sacrilegious freedom that many countries take for granted.
I wonder if this one will cause the same level of outrage among the Christians?
February 6th, 2006
I’m pretty sure that the correct response to an offensive cartoon appearing in a newspaper is a strongly-worded “Letter to the Editor,” but then again, I’m not a bloodthirsty heathen with poor impulse control.
yet another point of view
Islam is to peace as America is to freedom.
February 6th, 2006
I’m almost speechless…
I wonder how Mohammed would feel about people dying over a picture. In the past I had always viewed the militant Muslim groups as being isolated from the main body of the religion. I hope it stays that way.
Never underestimate the power of the easily led in large groups (wording changed to be less offensive).
February 6th, 2006
There are plenty of folks who do what their preachers tell them to do, whether that preacher is a rabbi, priest, imam, or lay preacher. This is generally a more successful ploy when your congregants are illiterate and/or otherwise lacking in access or willingness to seek access to alternative sources for their news and education.
In much of the Arab world, the majority of people are illiterate and/or have limited, if any, access to any source of news save that of their governments and imams. This pattern of behavior, as seen in the response to the Danish cartoons, while extreme, is no different than many events that have taken place here and in other parts of the world where the so called religious have engaged in hateful, violent behavior and/or have been urged to it by their leaders. Locally, the lynching of Leo Frank in Marietta, GA, comes to mind. Hell, all KKK activity has been and is, in part, religion driven, or so they’ll tell you. Much white supremacist literature and art is infused with Christian themes. There have been Jewish terrorists too. Meier Kahane comes to mind. One more good, and current, example is Fred Phelps and his congregation at Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, KS. Most recently, they’ve been here in Atlanta protesting near Coretta King’s body because of her advocacy of civil rights for homosexuals. Education, with emphasis on encouraging critical thinking and open debate are the best tools for combatting what may be called either taking advantage of the religious or using religion as an excuse to engage in hateful, violent behavior. Sadly, most folks, at least from what I’ve seen, aren’t even remotely interested.
February 7th, 2006
Education, societal pressure to meet behavioral norms, and a slightly less inciteful press would.
There are more recent examples here in the us. There was a riot that could be considered a close analog that occured in Ohio , and of course the massive French riots within the last year.
February 7th, 2006
I just question a group of people who will riot in the streets when someone draws an offensive picture, but do nothing, or maybe celebrate, when someone from their peacful religon blows up a school, hijacks a plane and slams it into a building.
BTW here is a response from a newspaper out of Bahrain:
The cheese, shaped like a Star of David, is labeled “Danish products.” The text on the far left reads, “Boycott it! Yep must be the zionists fault again.
February 7th, 2006
Well my pic didn’t show up. You can see it here:
http://volokh.com/files/davidb-mohammed.jpg