Posted on 03/31/2006 10:23:32 AM PST by Ed Hudgins
The West once again has been forced to confront the clash of cultures. Muslims worldwide rage and riot over Danish newspaper cartoons that, in their eyes, commit the double sin of depicting Mohammad and satirizing him disrespectfully. Many Muslims consider any illustration of their prophet to be an insult to their religion. Of course, other religions often find their ideas and icons satirized or criticized. Yet rarely do they respond with death threats, riots, arson, and murder.
There’s a noteworthy irony in the violent Islamic reaction to the publication of the cartoons. The editors of the Danish paper Jyllands-Posten printed them to illustrate a story about self-censorship by the European press over fear of offending Muslims, who now make up substantial minorities in EU countries. Part of the story concerned the difficulty that a Danish author had in finding any artist to illustrate his educational book about Mohammad and Islam, intended for Danish children. So to make that point, some of the cartoons associate Mohammad’s image with terrorism and intimidation. (See the cover of the printed version of this issue, and the cartoon on page 9.) The violent response by radical Muslims simply confirms the grim message of the cartoons. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at objectivistcenter.org ...
I'm sure you'll find this interesting. Muslims are such nice people.
Maybe some Christians do support blasphemy laws that would prevent criticism of Christianity, but at least in this country I think the most common reaction of Christians was to note the blatant hypocrisy of everybody criticizing the cartoons or refusing to print them when Christians are shrilly accused of censorship for just complaining about the very common anti-Christian slams that we often see in our society and media. Moreover, the "Piss Christ" controversy involved government funding, not just freedom of speech.
No, they just do not understand freedom....yet.
Actually, the Muslim reaction is similar to many conservative's reaction to Howard Stern.
How many Christians showed up at Stern's daughter's school, looking for her, in a threatening manner, as was the case with Muslims and one of the cartoonists?
You want to guess how many death threats Stern and his family received from Christians over the years?
The following is a description (slightly modified) from Dr. Peter Hammond's book: Slavery, Terrorism and Islam: The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat. www.frontline.org.za/books_videos/sti.htm
As long as the Muslim population remains around 1% of any given country they will be regarded as a peace-loving minority and not as a threat to anyone. In fact, they may be featured in articles and films, stereotyped for their colorful uniqueness.
At 2% and 3% they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs [Europe, Australia, USA and Japan]. Six percent of US prison inmates are Muslim. Like any other minority, they won’t integrate, but work to build their own separate community.
From 5% on they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. South Africa's Muslim population is 2%, but they control 35% of the businesses, a large percentage of the banks and have five Cabinet seats while Christians (77% of the population) have none.
They will push for the introduction of halaal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature it on their shelves (along with threats for failure to comply).
At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves under Sharia; Islamic Law. The ultimate goal of Islam is not to convert the world, but to establish Sharia law over the entire world.
When Muslims reach 10% of the population, they will increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions. (Ei: car-burnings in France last October.) Any non-Muslim action that offends Islam will result in uprisings and threats.
After reaching 20% expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings and church and synagogue burning (India, Mindanao, Philippines).
At 40% you will find widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks and ongoing militia warfare [Indonesia].
From 60% you may expect unfettered persecution of non-believers and other religions, sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon and Jizya (infidel tax). (Sudan, Kosovo, Lebanon and Egypt).
After 80% expect State run ethnic cleansing and genocide [Western Papua (New Guinea), Iran, Biafra, Turkey and North Nigeria].
100% will usher in the peace of "Dar-es-Salaam" - House of Peace - as in Saudi Arabia, Libya and Yemen.
That's not what I asked.
An *hole on the phone is bad. One physically showing up in a threatening manner is a quantum leap worse.
It's amazing how many are unwilling to recognize that progression, and all the places it is happening in.
Oh, you don't think his family has been threatened in person? You don't think he was ever threatened in person?
How many Christians show up at abortion doctor's homes or offices and threaten harm to them?
Don't think for a moment that this doesn't happen on our side. It does.
The difference is that we have more people with a voice who condemn such actions.
That is the goal of Iraq and Afghanistan.....give a voice to those Muslims that want a peaceful coexistence with the West and who can show their people the prosperity of freedom and the poverty of hate.
Your blanket assertions about Islam make that goal harder to achieve.....just like the liberals who say "we can't win".
My blanket assertions? Post number?
Oh, and those hypothethetical Muslims need to start seriously asserting themselves to their radicals.
Post #1: "Muslims are such nice people."
Oh, and those hypothethetical Muslims need to start seriously asserting themselves to their radicals.
The will, once they are in leadership positions in a free Iraq and Afghanistan and are able to overpower the rhetoric of the Jihadist Imams. Currently, if they speak out, they risk death. That is the real reason why we are in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If we cannot elevate the good to sway the masses, we will be forced to fight all 1.2 billion Muslims. That will be a war that will probably require a draft, massive casualties, massive deficits, and will take decades to win.
Perhaps you need to learn how to read the forum. I didn't make post #1.
Sorry! My screw-up!
I give up - how many death threats from Christians did they receive?
Does it matter to the point of this thread?
Just because some Muslims issue death threats to some does not make Islam or all Islamics evil. The "Stern" example was to demonstrate that some Christians issue death threats yet that does not make all Christianity evil.
I am trying to warn people that painting Islam with a broad brush is counter-productive to our strategy in the war on terror.
So you believe Islam should be treated the same as Christianity? Are you a Muslim?
First, no, I am not a Muslim.
Second, I believe we need to stick to our strategy of killing those who pervert Islam and elevating those who do not pervert Islam.
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