I keep trying to write about the "Muhammad Cartoons Row" and I get lost in just how many different groups of people I want to yell at.
To the protesters -- what on Earth could be going through your minds? Do you honestly think that a bunch of cartoons published in Denmark constitute the most dire threat facing the Islamic world today? And what do you think the outcome of your protests could possibly be? Do you expect the rest of the world to declare "freedom of speech -- except where Islam is concerned!" Because they're afraid that you'll bomb their embassies and slaughter their cartoonists? And this leads to a better world how?
(Oh, and great job convincing the world that Islam is a peaceful religion and Muslims aren't violently unhinged bomb-throwing terrorist loonies.)
To the right-wing anti-Muslim racists -- just shut up. Your sudden dedication to the cause of freedom of speech isn't fooling anyone. Next December, when you're suddenly all upset over "anti-Christian persecution" just because not everybody in the world is Christian or wants to say "Merry Christmas," I'm going to remember this -- I'm going to remember how righteously offended you were when a bunch of fundamentalist Muslims copped the same attitude. Okay, yeah, you guys haven't bombed anyone over this particular issue -- yet. But I think you would, if Bill O'Reilly told you to. I think you've got more in common with those protesters than with me.
(And as an example, Iran has started calling the pastry formerly known as Danishes "Roses of the Prophet Muhammad." Hmm...does that remind anyone of anything? Perhaps..."freedom fries"?)
So, just shut up.
To the left-wing appeasers -- seriously, what is WRONG with you? Suddenly freedom of speech is less important than cultural sensitivity? Because it's Muslims? Violence and oppression are now a valid alternative lifestyle choice? Since when? Is your collective guilt over the Iraq war so diffuse, so blinding, that you fail to recognize that these protesters are protesting on behalf of oppression? They are protesting against free speech and for fundamentalist religion dictating the behavior of secular government and press? Don't try to tell me that the violence, death threats, and wholesale destruction are somehow justified because the cartoons might be considered racist. Our own ACLU defends the free speech of those most of us find repellent: neo-Nazis, the KKK, Rush Limbaugh. Because their speech is our speech. Just think for a moment how you'd react if the protesters were nominal Christians being led by James Dobson.(And Alternet, thank you for bucking the trend and speaking out about the dangers of creeping self-censorship.)
To the official governmental spokesmodel appeasers -- if you say "sensitivity" one more time I'm gonna hurl. (My lunch. Not a bomb or anything.) Your stated position makes not one bit of sense. Freedom of speech is important, but publishing the cartoons was wrong because it turned out they really offended some people? What part of "freedom of speech and of the press" do you not understand? You might think you're being diplomatic, but it doesn't look like diplomacy to me -- it looks like you're violating the basic principle of a secular government by giving one religion special treatment, a special dispensation not to be offended by anything. And further -- it looks like cowardice. Like you're giving one religion special treatment because that religion happens to have a certain violently outspoken contingent.
Way to go, really, way to set an example. Now the fundamentalists from other world religions will see how well the technique works and start bombing things in the name of Jesus, or Yahweh, or Buddha, or whoever. See, these people have made their position very clear -- like fundamentalists everywhere, only more explosively -- they do not respect our right to have values different from their own. So appease them all you want, they won't be happy until their values have swallowed our values whole, digested them, and...
You know the rest.
And someday when schoolchildren read that World War III was started by "a bunch of cartoons" they'll be as confused as we were when we read that World War I was started by "the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand."
Oh, and curious to see the offending cartoons? You can see them here: God bless
