stupid cartoons, stupid protesters

[jchrisobrien]

The arrogance of the Muslim "world" continues to annoy me every time I hear about it.  People are  now starting to die in the protest rallies that are being held.  Islam may forbid depictions of the prophet Mohammed, but that shouldn't stop people of other faiths from depicting him.  Some of the pictures may be rude or offensive, and I'd be annoyed if I saw a picture of Jesus buggering a pig or the like, but I'm not going to demand the head of the cartoonist in return.  Refusing to read the paper is completely legitimate.  The whole thing is getting huge now: other European papers are reprinting the cartoons, more protests are occuring.

It's a case of a small group perverting a larger whole.  Fundamentalist leaders whipping the crowds of people into a frenzy.  Clerics hold a great deal of sway over their followers, and the climate of the world today continues to bolster the idea of a culture war between the Arabic world and the West.  My hatred (such as it is) is really reserved for those clerics who lead the movement, who have no room in their dialogue for compromise or discourse.  The mob is stupid for listening, but then again any touchy subject can start a fire that is easy to fan.  I've lost track of the stories I've read on the Internet that provoked an extreme reaction, without taking the time to verify the source, or see whether is was a real news article or just a sensationalist nutjob. 

That being said, if you say that your reglion gives you a mandate to attack the infidel, don't be surprised if someone draws a picture of your spiritual leader with a bomb in his turban. 

Comments

[pyrric.livejournal.com]

I'd be annoyed if I saw a picture of Jesus buggering a pig

I'd probably assume it was an ad for a new South Park movie.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

So seriously.

[water-childe.livejournal.com]

My hatred (such as it is) is really reserved for those clerics who lead the movement, who have no room in their dialogue for compromise or discourse. The mob is stupid for listening, but then again any touchy subject can start a fire that is easy to fan. I've lost track of the stories I've read on the Internet that provoked an extreme reaction, without taking the time to verify the source, or see whether is was a real news article or just a sensationalist nutjob.

Well said. I wish more people had the insight and intelligence to realize this.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

EVERYONE is on edge right now. All it takes is a little news footage of people burning flags to set people off. Until the more moderate voices in Islam start smacking down their asshole brethern, the world is going to see them as just assholes.

Same thing with Christianity: for every Mother Teresa, there are ten Pat Robinsons. The MT's are busy helping people and making the world a better place. The PR's are busy making money, acruing political power, and spreading hatred and fear over the airwaves.

[water-childe.livejournal.com]

This is part of the reason that I tend to avoid most organized religion.
Even the few pagan/magikal organizations I tried to take part in soon fell into the power/dogma/ego trip trap. God is all around us. In so many forms, guises, and emblems. So many blind themselves to seeing what is, IMHO in plain view. In most areas of life, I wish there was a greater ability by the majority to agree to disagree. Without the need for bloodshed, terror, and destruction. The moderates need to learn to be heard over the yells of the radicals.

[heatray.livejournal.com]

An article everyone should read on the cultural differences that lead to things like this. Calling this widespread reaction (which isn't limited to the fundies) arrogance may just be perpetuating the folly that caused all this uproar in the first place.

Or it may not

[silas7.livejournal.com]

Yes, there are cultural difference between Christian and Muslim countries. Protesting an offensive cartoon is acceptable. Iranian papers are calling for submission for Holocaust cartoons, and that's great. Kidnapping people? Death threats? The arrogance comes from them expecting people who don't worship their faith to follow it's laws.

I am not a Muslim, and if I feel like it, I'll draw as many pictures of Mohammed as I damn well feel like. Maybe I won't go waving them in my friend Ash's face (fellow Warhammer player and devout Muslim), but according to the ringleaders of these protests, I shouldn't even draw them, whether I am Muslim or not.

A lot of this hooplah is likel political too. Cultural relations are very volatile now. Iran and the US are making war faces at each other, the War on Terror rages on. The Dutch government made an insensitive move, and now radical clerics are fanning the flames higher. The Organization of Islamic Conference is appealing for calm, as in the UN and the EU.

What we did with Iraq was pretty stupid. I'm just pointing out that the West doesn't have a copyright on stupid behavior.

Re: Or it may not

[water-childe.livejournal.com]

The stupiest part of our involvment with Iraq is the assertion that we can go waltzing in there and fix everything, just like that. Uh, hello! The Middle East in general has been in an uproar almost consistantly since bibilical times. It's not a quick fix. You can't throw money and troops at it and have it get all better.