Equal Treatment or Special Treatment?
I have two questions to Moslems about their fury about the Danish cartoons.
1. Why do you expect expect to be treated better than Christians and Jews in their own countries? Religous satire is part of our Western culture and history since the Enlightenment. Apparently, Moslems want to receive unique, special treatment for their religion, upon threat of violence to Western culture in which they live as a minority.
2. Why do you expect Islam to be accorded special respect, when Islam does not give such respect to other religions? In many Islamic countries, other religions are frequently insulted in state controlled media, especially the Jewish religion. Furthermore, Islam does not grant equal rights to members of other religions, nor the right to proselytize others. As an extreme example, the Taliban destroyed historically and artistically valuable statutes of the Buddha in their effort to eliminate any trace of competing religions.
It seems clear to me that these Moslems who are rioting in the streets and threatening newspapers will be satisfied with nothing less than the establishment of Islam as a state religion the tearing down of western principles of separation of church and state and freedom of the press. Does this not support the notion, often ridiculed by liberals, that there is a war of civilizations, and it is being instigated by Islam against the West?
Bob Clasen
1. Why do you expect expect to be treated better than Christians and Jews in their own countries? Religous satire is part of our Western culture and history since the Enlightenment. Apparently, Moslems want to receive unique, special treatment for their religion, upon threat of violence to Western culture in which they live as a minority.
2. Why do you expect Islam to be accorded special respect, when Islam does not give such respect to other religions? In many Islamic countries, other religions are frequently insulted in state controlled media, especially the Jewish religion. Furthermore, Islam does not grant equal rights to members of other religions, nor the right to proselytize others. As an extreme example, the Taliban destroyed historically and artistically valuable statutes of the Buddha in their effort to eliminate any trace of competing religions.
It seems clear to me that these Moslems who are rioting in the streets and threatening newspapers will be satisfied with nothing less than the establishment of Islam as a state religion the tearing down of western principles of separation of church and state and freedom of the press. Does this not support the notion, often ridiculed by liberals, that there is a war of civilizations, and it is being instigated by Islam against the West?
Bob Clasen
Comments
I would have to concur, but the larger question is what if anything we can do about this.
I think the only way this can be resolved is to either pursuade or eliminate the influence of the Muslin clerics and scholars.
How this is actually accomplished is another matter. However, deliberately excerbating this situation isn't likely to work.
In fact, didn't this play into OBL's hands?
What plays at home as very principled will probably sound about as clear to the Muslim street like so many buzzing flies.
What I am trying to say Bob is that it is not enough to sit hear in our living room chairs or car seats, listening to the grand bloviator or Sean the Leprican, spouting how principled we are.
This will teach/inform the Muslim street of NOTHING.
If the translation literal translation of "trust me" in Arabic is "Fuck You", there is no communication. It's like talking to a mirror.
To be right and dead may be principled, but I don't think you have the stomach for it.