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February 08, 2006

Comments

Jim

"The anguish in the Muslim World" - not a word about the anguish in the Western world about intimidations and murders of writers. How very generous of these idiots who imagine they speak for someone.

"deeply unprincipled gush.."

Except that it is not unprincipled at all. The principle is an arrogant, patronizing atitude towards everyone but themselves - Muslims are wild and hysterical to these people, Westerners who demur are uneducated racists, etc.

"cheap points about freedom of expression";

Disgusting. Freedom of expression was bought with rivers of blood and there is nothing cheap about it or any assertion of the right.

I don['t get the commnet about Kanye West though, although I wonder that it may be a little heretical to cast someone as pretty as Kanye West as Jesus. The thing is that Jesus is amused rather than insulted.

Ross

Have you seen this?- http://egyptiansandmonkey.blogspot.com/2006/02/boycott-egypt.html

A (sane) Egyptian who points out that a major egyptian Newspaper ran the 'offensive' cartoons months ago to little reaction by the public.

Abiola

"I don['t get the commnet about Kanye West though, although I wonder that it may be a little heretical to cast someone as pretty as Kanye West as Jesus."

A bunch of the fundagelicals have their knickers in a twist because it offends their "sincere", "deeply held" beliefs that a black rapper who insulted George Bush should be trying to pass himself off as Jesus H. Christ, whom everyone knows to have been an Aryan GOP Voter. This irritation is no more rational than the Muslim ire over these cartoons, but at least it isn't being expressed in boycotts, flag-burnings, death threats and embassy burnings.

"A (sane) Egyptian who points out that a major egyptian Newspaper ran the 'offensive' cartoons months ago to little reaction by the public."

Bah! He's obviously another racist trying to hide his religious and ethnic hatred of Muslims and Arabs behind a veil of rationality, of course (and maybe even a paid agent of Mossad to boot)! Who else but such a person could say as he did that

["They proved, once again, that the arab world is retarded and deserves no better than its leaders."]

If it is racist to state obvious facts about the condition of the Muslim world today, then an awful lot of commentators with Muslim backgrounds must be self-hating or something ...

dsquared

The Offili picture of the Madonna was not regarded as blasphemous generally in the "Christian world" and attracted no comment at all when it was displayed in London, not even from our own evangelicals; it was only a small sect of Americans who disliked it and it is quite likely that they were at least as offended by the portrayal of the Madonna as a black woman. Curiously nobody was offended by the fact that there were also details in the picture made up of pictures cut out of pornographic magazines, but since you had to actually see the picture in order to realise that, I suppose it's not surprising.

gene berman

You're all missing something--or at least not stating it. The fact that sometimes such potentially inflammatory images (or statements) pass under whatever radar serves as the threshold for the ummah outrage detector points to the socialization factor in these (especially the violent) outbursts.

I would gather (actually have gathered from a lifetime of observing human behavior) that these people are not different in most ways from ourselves and our society. What IS different is that, in the case of certain matters having to do with religion or social matters, they have a poorly-developed "rule of law" and poor enforcement of whatever law exists in such matters.

What we are actually witnessing is an example: an illustration of the extent to which so many Muslims--apparently everywhere--are deathly scared of certain of their fellows (and somewhat uncertain about just which ones may pose potential danger to themselves and their loved ones. History in the West provides plenty of examples of similar behavior (witch-hunts, lynch-mobs, urban riots, etc.). Further, the same history indicates that effectively applied suppression (of ACTION) actually works, not only by preventing or punishing malefaction itself but by freeing most from the danger posed by a presumed influence of the few.

These people are not different from us in nature but in behavior; and, while the former is not malleable, the latter is certainly so.

Matt

I agree with you 100%. The UN and EU bureaucrats are so far removed from the opinions of regular people that it is hard to believe. Obviously, there is no accountablity.

Chuckles

Just look at this bloody moron threatening the Japanese:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060211f1.html

I tell you: people associate with these countries at their own risk. Contrary to what John Esposito and his ilk might want us to believe; the problem *is* freedom of expression. Muslims believe they have the right to goad and prod dissenting views into silence; whether it be on women, on religion, or on science. And when they cant get their way politically, they take to the streets. This is not about \"special sensitivity\" needed during the war on terror, it is about what Muslims believe and what they do. They would have \"sacred areas\" erected where the mind of individuals do not venture, neither their mouths comment, nor their fingers write. This is what they want. Anyone who pretends otherwise is deluded.

Feelings? Care about your \"feelings\"? Grow the hell up! Can you imagine a diplomat telling a free country that an exercise by a private establishment is a provocation? This is what we have come to: Accept tyrannical immigrants at your own risk!

Abiola

"The Foreign Ministry on Monday recommended media organizations not reprint the caricatures out of consideration for Muslims and for fear it could trigger attacks on Japanese. The ministry also issued a statement Tuesday saying Japan understands the distress of the Muslims but they should not resort to violence.

"Reprinting (the images) is a provocation," the ambassador said. "It is as if they are saying 'we don't care about your feelings.' "

He added that even pictures of the caricatures that show them indirectly is unnecessary. The Japan Times printed a photograph in its Feb. 4 editions of a person holding a French newspaper that carried the cartoons."

The scary thing is that the threat is a realistic one, even in a country with as few Muslims as Japan; just look at what happened to the Japanese translator of "The Satanic Verses", Hitoshi Igarashi, way back in 1991.

http://www.nytimes.com/books/99/04/18/specials/rushdie-translator.html

["TOKYO, July 12 -- The Japanese translator of "The Satanic Verses," by Salman Rushdie, was found slain today at a university northeast of Tokyo.

The translator, Hitoshi Igarashi, 44 years old, was an assistant professor of comparative culture who reportedly studied in Iran in the 1970's. The police said he was stabbed several times on Thursday night and left in the hallway outside his office at Tsukuba University."]

Funny how far the peaceful reach of the Religion of Peace extends.

Chuckles

The death of H.I. was a particularly poignant episode: And I wonder, just how besieged people in countries with less robust political structures must feel...Look at Isioma Daniel for instance: Yet, many would have us believe that Muslims, and other Religionists arent the problem!

On another note: It seems Hindus are desperately giving Muslims a run for their money.

http://atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HB11Df06.html

[...However, attention is being drawn to Hindu fundamentalists taking umbrage at India\'s top artist, M F Husain, who has been booked by police for \"hurting sentiments of people\" with paintings that depict nude gods...]

Yeah, yeah, dem gods sure dont like to be nude, do they now? And what fickle sentiments all these acolytes seem to possess. At least, they arent beheading people and burning embassies yet...
This world is a hopeless place with so many stupid people around. All these crazy religions need to be housebroken.

Chuckles

By the way Abiola; you and some of the other readers might find the comments of Spengler over at Asia Times Online on this affair to be particularly apropos: When he isnt worrying about Hispanics and rhapsodizing about Xtian virtues and Franz Rosenzweig, I find him to be quite a delightful affair - certainly more nuanced and savvy than many other pundits out there.

http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HB07Ak02.html

His closing, with a flourish:

[...I would not have drawn nor published these cartoons, but when the lines are drawn, I stand with Western freedom against traditional authority. I write these lines over a Carlsberg and shall drink no other lager until the boycott of Danish product ends...]

PS: It seems the Pope shares your belief on the incompatibility of Islam with Western Democracy. And I say, *he should* know about such things.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HA10Ak01.html

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