People Are Dying Over Cartoons

"At least 11 people have been killed this year in protests over the cartoons, one of which showed the Prophet Mohammed wearing a bomb-shaped turban. They were first published in Denmark and then in European and other countries."

Link to article

I was driving up Broad St. after a meeting this afternoon and in front of the Philadelphia Inquirer building there was this huge crowd of protesting black Muslims demanding an apology over the Inquirer's decision to print the now infamous Danish cartoons. I decided to park my truck and check out the scene. It was really weird. There were probably 300 or so protestors shouting chants in Arabic and demanding in English an apology from the newspaper. There were lots of sings reading things like "Islam=peace," "Hate for None," "Free Speech=Responsibility," and my personal favorite, "I love Islam."

I stood next to the organizer of this protest, a local Imam whose name I won't even try to spell, while he was being interviewed by an Inquirer reporter. He said a handful of things that turned me off. When asked about his reaction to the violent protesting, embassy burnings, and death threats around the world over these cartoons, this Imam said, "I can't tell people what to do in their own back yard. No one knows what kind of emotional stress they are under. As Muslims the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) calls us to stay united." I just thought that was ridiculous. People are burning embassies over some cartoons and you're telling me that you would need a little more information about thier "emotional stress?"

Then he said something that I really disliked. When asked what will happen if the paper does not apologize, the Imam said, "When you anger the Muslim community and insult the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) you never know what might happen." That was just a veiled threat of some kind of violence and that is just foolishness. It certainly didn't help back up their contention that Islam is a religion of peace.

Have a look at this cartoon and see if you are moved by the argument that the Muslim community is making. First of all, the cartoon makes sense. Of course anyone with half a brain knows that most Muslim people are not suicide bombers, but the reality is that there are a lot of people doing horrible stuff in the name of Islam. So the cartoon is a commentary on a real phenonmenon. That's what political cartoons do. I suggest that if they want people to disassociate suicide bombing from Mohammed, they would do better to protest the people who do suicide bombing in the name of Mohammed, rather than some cartoons that just comment on the issue.

Secondly, the whole issue with not making images of Mohammed is something that not even Muslims agree on. So why hold some Danish dude to a standard that you can't even agree on? And if Allah will judge us in the end, won't he take care of those people who have greatly offended him here?

I think the Muslim community would do themselves a favor to stop protesting these cartoons. Let's say for example that someone made a cartoon of Christ bombing an abortion clinic. I wouldn't hang it on my refrigerator, but I would at least understand where the artist was coming from, since some people who claim to be Christians have done some sick things in his name.

By asking for an apology in this way, I just feel like the Muslim community paints itself as the whiney loser in your third grade class. Not cool enough to take a joke, not enough self-esteem to look past a silly offense, and frustrated about not being popular or powerful enough for people to take him seriously. So the kid is always whining to the teacher and sometimes he might get what he wants, but no one likes that kid. That's how I felt today. I just felt like saying, "For your own sake, just move on and forget about it. Stick to worshipping your God and doing your thing. Quit worrying that someone out there is drawing an offensive cartoon. You're chasing the wind."

I would have never looked at these cartoons if these people didn't get so angry about them. If I did see them, I wouldn't have taken much notice. These are just cartoons. Remember Abu Grhaib? Now there is something worth taking to the streets over. It seems like this is getting more attention though. To me, it's just absurd.

Finally, if the Muslim community wants people to believe that they are a peaceful religion, I would highly recommend that they refrain from putting 300 large, bearded, angry men in the middle of the street shouting loud chants in another language with firey eyes. I might be kind of slow in the head, but somehow that didn't connect with my concept of peacful.

Link to story covering Philly protest