Plenty of Christians were sorely offended when Sinead O'Connor tore up a photo of the Pope on Saturday Night Live, or when artist Andres Serrano displayed a photograph of a crucifix submerged in urine, but no gunmen showed up at the Irish Embassy, and nobody advocated a boycott of the whole city or state of New York (where Serrano was from). They criticized, they complained loudly and they wrote angry letters to news papers, the network, and the NEA. That's how civilized people in a free country react to offense.
What a disturbing dust-up concerning a Danish newspaper that published several cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, one of which featured a turban shaped like a bomb. Sure, these cartoons were provocative, but that's the nature of political cartoons. That's no reason for Islamic fanatics to threaten to bomb the offices of the newspaper, and to issue death threats against the cartoonists. A fatwa has been declared against the Danish troops in Iraq. And now masked gunmen in Gaza have stormed the EU offices there. These thugs have lost all sense of perspective. Not only are these misguided people directing their ire with wildly indiscriminate breadth against the entire nation of Denmark (and beyond), but their response is so vastly disproportionate as to completely overshadow the original offense. Had these people any moral sense at all, they would be utterly ashamed at their own overreaction. Which profanes the Prophet more? A cartoon or a death threat against the cartoonist?
Thursday, February 02, 2006
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2 comments:
They shouldn't have published pictures like that.
In Islam we're not even allowed to draw pictures of the Prophet peace be upon him.
We dont draw pictures of Jesus or Moses, we respect all the prophets.
We love our prophet peace be upon him.
"These thugs have lost all sense of perspective. Not only are these misguided people directing their ire with wildly indiscriminate breadth against the entire nation of Denmark (and beyond), but their response is so vastly disproportionate as to completely overshadow the original offense."
"Had these people any moral sense at all, they would be utterly ashamed at their own overreaction."
"Which profanes the Prophet more? A cartoon or a death threat against the cartoonist?"
i am a muslim girl and i am honestly disturbed by the cartoons, but living in Malaysia, a multiracial community that had fought for our independance TOGETHER, i have learned the value of tolerance..
ur words that i have quoted above moved me cos its what other "moderate muslims" and i are thinking time and time again, regarding violence and terrorism in general.
it takes time to educate a mob, a group of emotionally insecure group, and it takes sensitivity.
i know some measures are taken from the inside and realisticly, muslims cannot depend on simpathy to justify our actions.
a lil sensitivity would be nice, but when a line is crossed, both parties need to be tolerant , and forgive.
its a wonderful word: forgive
and the word Muslims maybe looking for is sensitivity and respect..one is required, and the other , EARNED..
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