Friday, February 03, 2006
Trouble in Islam
All the anger and threats coming from the Muslim world these days are over a series of editorial cartoons that have run in European publications. Of course, Jews haven't rioted over depictions of their own in the Arab press. Yes, this is somewhat disingenuous, in that Mohammed can be blasphemed a little more easily than your average Jew. After all, images of Mohammed are not permitted, much less images of him wearing a bomb as a turban.
However, there are parts of the Muslim world (including areas of India) where pictures of the Prophet appear in children's books and other sources. And really, when you think about it, nobody actually knows what Mohammed looked like. How easy would it have been to point to these cartoons and say, "Gee, what a bunch of losers, not knowing what they're talking about and drawing this pathetic caricature of an Arab"?
Not easy enough, obviously. Much more sensible to threaten, to shoot guns into the air, and to break out the latest styles of bandanas and masks.
All the anger and threats coming from the Muslim world these days are over a series of editorial cartoons that have run in European publications. Of course, Jews haven't rioted over depictions of their own in the Arab press. Yes, this is somewhat disingenuous, in that Mohammed can be blasphemed a little more easily than your average Jew. After all, images of Mohammed are not permitted, much less images of him wearing a bomb as a turban.
However, there are parts of the Muslim world (including areas of India) where pictures of the Prophet appear in children's books and other sources. And really, when you think about it, nobody actually knows what Mohammed looked like. How easy would it have been to point to these cartoons and say, "Gee, what a bunch of losers, not knowing what they're talking about and drawing this pathetic caricature of an Arab"?
Not easy enough, obviously. Much more sensible to threaten, to shoot guns into the air, and to break out the latest styles of bandanas and masks.
// posted by Derryl Murphy @ 8:36 PM 
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