| No, Mohammed, we will not censor | 12:51 am |
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A few months back a Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published some caricatures of the prophet Mohammed, who of course is the most venerated prophet of the Islamic faith. This was done to make a political point. Some felt that the media was censoring itself, which personally I think is dangerous. Certainly less so than when government censors but to hinder expression because it might offend leads to very little being said, and issues remain unresolved. Political correctness not only stifles dialog but creates an unrealistic depiction of what's going on.
There was on one caricature in particular which depicted the prophet wearing a headdress that was a bomb with a lit fuse. I don't know what point they were trying to make with this particular cartoon, but that's not really the point anyway. The point here is that societies which value freedom in general allow such things as freedom of speech and/or expression and also freedom of the press. These are liberties that are imperative to the survival and value of freedom in a society. Without them all the rest either crumble or become meaningless. This is an example of people, in the case the press electing not to censor itself, not to cave-in to the demands of certain groups of people, and thereby exercise freedom.
Naturally, these illustrations apparently insulted many in the Muslim world, and it started quite a controversy. The illustrations have been reprinted several times, and recently other European newspapers reprinted them to show their support for free speech. Well, that is when the proverbial shit hit the fan.
Since that reprinting outrage among many Muslims, mostly in the Middle East and Europe, has grown out of control. Angry mobs have demanded everything from apologies, prosecution, and even executions of those responsible. Many now are boycotting Danish and French products or burning flags. Editors from the paper which reprinted these in Jordon have warrants for their arrest and in two other mid-Eastern countries copies of a French newspaper which reprinted them were confiscated.
Government officials all over the world have denounced these illustrations for their 'insensitivity to religion'. Mostly in the East but also throughout Europe and even the US. Several officials from European countries, the UN and US have argued for freedom of speech but also said that it comes with a degree of responsibility. True, it does, but I argue that government doesn't need to be the one enforcing that this responsibility be met.
While it seemed enough to voice opinions that they didn't approve and found them insulting, those protesting this in earnest haven't stopped at that. They have employed censorship in their own countries and demanded it in others. Some countries are even talking about pulling their Ambassadors out of Denmark and Iran already has. This after the Iranian President has recently said that the "Holocaust is a myth" and "Israel should be wiped off the map".
It seems there is a bit of a double standard here. It's acceptable to disregard the lives of 6 million human beings and millions more who suffered in concentration camps yet he is whining over some pictures which supposedly 'insulted his religion'. In light of other recent events like the disagreement over their nuclear program it seems like the guy should have his tongue cut out. Not because he disregarded the lives of millions with his idiotic and callous statements, rather because he's a hypocrite. And sadistic punishment seems to be popular throughout the Middle East.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said, "Freedoms should be accompanied by responsibility."
Considering the situation here what he means is, 'you can have freedom to say what you want, but if what you say is 'irresponsible' then you must be punished'. How convoluted. I suppose in that case we should just do away with freedom of speech then. Why not, considering that is exactly what fundamentalist Muslims want.
I would have to say, if they want to reject freedom, then by all means they can live under the most rigid system of laws they can devise, but the rest of us flatly refuse to follow suit. We live in our countries, we have our beliefs, our laws. We don't have to agree with and certainly don't have to abide by theirs. Furthermore, we are not going to have a freedom of speech that has no substance. Not for Allah, not for Jesus.
That aside, the issue of freedom of speech is not the only issue here. As if the attacks on freedom wasn't enough, it didn't stop there. Violent mobs have taken to the streets to clash with police and close or burn down embassies. In Lebanon they burned the Danish Consulate.
Many are out for blood, and to me it's become obvious that too many in the Islamic world who might even be considered moderate, comparatively speaking, are not only enemies of the West, but enemies to freedom in general. Their pompous indignation smacks of arrogance. It's as if the whole world is supposed to bow down to their beliefs and respect their oversensitivity regardless how much we may disagree with them or at least give theirs little relevance to our own beliefs.
To me this latest issue is yet another example of a pattern here. It seems every time the 'Muslim world' is offended by something, no matter how minute, many of them have an initial reaction of violence. They burn flags or property, even buildings. They riot or use explosives to kill innocent people. They call for the execution of anyone responsible for 'insult' or 'injury' to their beliefs or agendas. I think it says a lot about the underlying culture overall that large numbers of them settle their grievances in this way. It's happened time and time again, and not just in the Middle East. We have witnessed this throughout Europe, Asia, and northern Africa as well.
Take a look at the news and you can hear all about the terrorism in Afghanistan, and Iraq. Suicide bombers, roadside bombs, kidnappings, executions, beheadings. There have been bombings in Spain, Britain, Israel, Jordon and others. One need not go back more than a few months to the riots in France to see a fine example of mobs of Muslims resorting to violence to make air their grievance. And even here in the United States. In California there were two incidents of a gang of young Muslim men (dressed in dark suits and bowties, typical attire of Nation of Islam members) who walked into liquor stores smashing bottles of alcohol and preaching to the attendants of the stores to stop selling alcohol.
Police, baffled by attacks on liquor stores, add patrols
What is perhaps most ironic here is that the picture that offended Muslims the most, which seems to portray Mohammed and therefore Islam as violent, is made more valid as Muslims react violently because of it. When it comes to advocating a cause, it seems to be the Muslim extremists who are the most extreme and violent of all. They need only refrain to prove this to be incorrect. But in the coming days and perhaps weeks it is more likely that this will yet again be proven true.
I realize that not all Muslim's have such reactions, and I wouldn't make the unfair generalization that they do. I certainly admit that Muslims aren't the only religious group who makes such extreme demands or resort to violence. Christians and Jews have whined about 'cruel insensitivity' or cried 'insult' to those who don't put their god or their beliefs on the same pedestal as they do. They have had boycotts, angry protests, absurd demands, even riots but I must admit, I haven't seen such a consistent degree of violent reaction, en mass among Christians and Jews as has become nearly commonplace among Muslims.
All this leads me to conclude that they need to get the fuck over themselves already. It's time they acknowledge that no one owes them a fucking thing. Others are not beholden to their laws and beliefs. Particularly those of us in the West. We will not be expected to set aside our own beliefs or opinions for the benefit of theirs. To the rest of us, they and their beliefs hold no more significance in the grand scheme of things than we do.
If they consider what they are doing practicing their religion, and their religion genuinely calls for this type of action, then it leads one to have a great disrespect for their religion as a whole.
~ James Feeling like:  aggravated |
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