Drawing The Line
498 words.
I think it’s about time to draw a distinction between sensitivity toward religion and denial of information. So many MSM reports about the Danish Cartoon Incident contain disclaimers that say, “we will not show the cartoons because they aren’t relevant to the story,” or something like that. Then they go on to describe the cartoons as “offensive” and run a lot of quotes from outraged and insulted Muslim leaders over the horror of it all.
So how are we to make an objective decision about these events without seeing the cartoons? How are we to know if the Muslim protesters are justified or overreacting?
When we hear something described as “offensive,” and hear outraged and insulted Muslims, we think the worst. Those cartoons must be the most vile depictions ever conceived, we think. It must be like Abu Ghraib times a thousand, we think.
Yet when we actually look at the Danish cartoons objectively, we don’t see anything even approaching “the worst.” At least I don’t. I’ve seen more controversial drawings scratched into the desks of elementary schools.
Sure, I can see how they might be offensive to a devout Muslim. But offensive enough to kill a priest and burn down buildings? Give me a break. This leaves us with the pretty obvious conclusion that some Islamic radicals are deliberately misrepresenting the cartoons and inciting the Muslim people to violence. (Could this be the imminent attack Osama was referring to in his last video?)
I’ve read a couple of articles by Muslims with thoughtful arguments about why the Danish cartoons are offensive to them. (See Depicting Mohammed and Why We Muslims Are Angry.) It doesn’t seem to be the cartoons themselves so much as the propagation of a negative stereotype, an image that Islam already battles daily thanks to Osama and his terrorist pals. I cannot help but sympathize with that argument, and feel bad for what is undoubtedly the vast majority of peaceful Muslims around the world.
But would anyone be talking about these cartoons now if a group of radical Danish imams hadn’t showcased (and embellished) them throughout the Middle East? Not likely. Most of us never would have seen them or even heard about them. Those imams “hijacked Islam”-a phrase I hear a lot-for political gain, pure and simple. (How starting a fight between Europeans and Muslims is beneficial, I have no idea… unless they’re trying to hasten that apocalypse thing so their 12th prophet guy can get here faster.)
P.S. I read a transcript of a Danish TV interview with one of the aforementioned radical Danish imams (see The Pig Snout Swindle). (Incidentally, the imam in question looked to be in his mid-20s.) The interviewer nails him about spreading the completely fake pig-snout picture, and then the imam clearly tries to double-talk his way out of it. He would have made a Zionist infidel politician proud!
P.P.S. Now people (in the West) are talking about laws to ban religious blasphemy in the media. Yuck.
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