Controversy is about culture clash, not cartoons

JewishWorldReview ^ | 2/8/06 | Jonah Goldberg

[GeorgiaDawg32]

The riots and demonstrations across the Middle East and Western Europe (though not yet playing here) over some cartoons of the Muslim prophet Muhammad have set off a parallel intellectual riot in the West over the nature of free speech and free expression. Many pundits and editorialists have worked feverishly to keep this a debate about the propriety of running cartoons. Some news outlets are updating their procedures so as not to offend "religious" sensibilities in the future.

[msnimje]

Next time the Muslim "rage" will be about something just as meaningless as this. President Bush is absolutely right, they HATE FREEDOM.

I think it also pisses them off that the cat is out of the bag about this so-called religion of peace.

[Peach]

So the media knew the Muslim world would be enraged at the Abu Graib pictures and published them anyway since the outrage would be directed at our soldiers.

And now the media won't publish cartoons because the Muslim outrage would be directed at them. The media. Who, collectively, seem to be cowards.

[YOUGOTIT]

The news organizations are caving to Islam. Islam won. But freedom has lost. Even though I disagree with the left-wing fascist hate America media I am disgusted with their rush to surrender.

Shows that they are not for freedom except when it is for something they want like abortion, free sex with whatever, people in prison voting, no death penalty, no prison time, lowering the age of consent and the NAMBLA.

Sick, Sick, Sick are those who profess freedom but surrender at the first sign of war. And that is what this is war on our society, our freedoms and our right to practice our religion.

Cowards are such that they will grovel at every opportunity and give whatever to the enemy.

[NearlyNormal]

So the media knew the Muslim world would be enraged at the Abu Graib pictures and published them anyway since the outrage would be directed at our soldiers.

And now the media won't publish cartoons because the Muslim outrage would be directed at them. The media. Who, collectively, seem to be cowards."

Excellent!!!

[jordan8]

Considering that an Iranian newspaper just announced a contest for the best Holocaust cartoon, the odds seem slim. Besides, why belittle the Holocaust for something a Danish newspaper did?

"Islamic censorship in the West is just an offshoot of the last several decades of politically correct censorship, and could only happen because that earlier censorship paved the way for it and legitimized it." -- Moiself. The point these Muslims are making is that there are many subjects of speech that are outlawed in Europe, including Holocaust denial, why can't disrespect for Muhammad be included on the list? That's a difficult question to answer from those who have supported jailing people for speech in the past. The only possible defense is that religion is different from race or ethnicity. (The effort by the Iranian newspaper demonstrates a hilarious misreading of reality in the West, though.)

[Mind-numbed Robot]

The news organizations are caving to Islam. Islam won. But freedom has lost.

You are right, of course, but this is just political correctness carried to the extreme. Political correctness has the same purpose as this Muslim uproar, to silence its critics with the threat of a response totally out of proportion to the sin/crime. It is all part of the same scheme and once again points out the similarities between the left and the terrorists.