Found 'em!
What have I now found? Peace, Love, Understanding, coins in my couch? Nope, just those pesky cartoons that have everyone all stirred up. Here's the URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyllands-Posten_Muhammad_cartoons_controversy
Unfortunately, these are a little tricky for the average person in America to find and, to quote Sam Goldwyn, "go see for yourself why you shouldn't see it." I understand that newspapers in America don't want us to be in any more trouble with the Muslim world than we already are, but I'm starting to feel as though it can't get any worse and we might as well start acting like the country that gave the world freedom of speech. My personal opinion is that the cartoons are on the whole rather juvenile and take cheap shots. However, most of the western world defends the right of its people to act like idiots. Yes, the cartoons are offensive for any number of reasons, and if similar cartoons came out about Christianity Pat Robertson and the holyheads would be reacting much the same way, but still. I know that this is not a terribly clear-cut issue when you really look at it, especially when you're left of center. The Jyllands-Posten is right wing, and the cartoons were meant to provoke, but I can't get around the fact that we allow all kinds of people to say all kinds of things, regardless of their veracity or sensibility. So a newspaper in Tehran wants to run a contest satirizing the Holocaust. I'm pretty sure you can find some reactionary nutjobs in America to send in material. We allow it, even if we don't condone it.
I guess where I get off is the violence. Don't want to buy Danish products? Fine. I think you're barking up the wrong tree, but you've got the right. Want to blow something up that isn't yours? Sorry, not at all fine. You're violating someone's right to security in their person and posessions. Have your rights to freedom of religion been violated? By an otherwise unremarkable paper in a tiny country where you probably don't live? Is it somehow preventing you from praying? Going to the mosque? Eating halel? No? Then peacefully protest, write to the JP, run all the silly contests you want, but intimidation and violence are out.
While I'm ranting, I'll just point out one more thing. The protests in the Middle East, where most of the violent ones are occurring, take place in police states. If the governments didn't really want their citizens to protest, they could probably keep a pretty good handle on it. Pakistan, for some reason, has had few, small protests. Could it be because Musharraf is an ally of the U.S. and likes his power? I think the rulers of Syria, Iran, et al are taking a page from China's book and letting their people protest to let off steam about other issues that the government isn't so agreeable on. These governments agree in part with the protestors and see political hay to be made by letting the West act as a whipping boy. Okay, Ive had enough, comment away.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyllands-Posten_Muhammad_cartoons_controversy
Unfortunately, these are a little tricky for the average person in America to find and, to quote Sam Goldwyn, "go see for yourself why you shouldn't see it." I understand that newspapers in America don't want us to be in any more trouble with the Muslim world than we already are, but I'm starting to feel as though it can't get any worse and we might as well start acting like the country that gave the world freedom of speech. My personal opinion is that the cartoons are on the whole rather juvenile and take cheap shots. However, most of the western world defends the right of its people to act like idiots. Yes, the cartoons are offensive for any number of reasons, and if similar cartoons came out about Christianity Pat Robertson and the holyheads would be reacting much the same way, but still. I know that this is not a terribly clear-cut issue when you really look at it, especially when you're left of center. The Jyllands-Posten is right wing, and the cartoons were meant to provoke, but I can't get around the fact that we allow all kinds of people to say all kinds of things, regardless of their veracity or sensibility. So a newspaper in Tehran wants to run a contest satirizing the Holocaust. I'm pretty sure you can find some reactionary nutjobs in America to send in material. We allow it, even if we don't condone it.
I guess where I get off is the violence. Don't want to buy Danish products? Fine. I think you're barking up the wrong tree, but you've got the right. Want to blow something up that isn't yours? Sorry, not at all fine. You're violating someone's right to security in their person and posessions. Have your rights to freedom of religion been violated? By an otherwise unremarkable paper in a tiny country where you probably don't live? Is it somehow preventing you from praying? Going to the mosque? Eating halel? No? Then peacefully protest, write to the JP, run all the silly contests you want, but intimidation and violence are out.
While I'm ranting, I'll just point out one more thing. The protests in the Middle East, where most of the violent ones are occurring, take place in police states. If the governments didn't really want their citizens to protest, they could probably keep a pretty good handle on it. Pakistan, for some reason, has had few, small protests. Could it be because Musharraf is an ally of the U.S. and likes his power? I think the rulers of Syria, Iran, et al are taking a page from China's book and letting their people protest to let off steam about other issues that the government isn't so agreeable on. These governments agree in part with the protestors and see political hay to be made by letting the West act as a whipping boy. Okay, Ive had enough, comment away.
posted by S. M. Frances at 7:06 PM
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