Letter to the Editor
If Muslims think they are going to stop free speech through violence they will soon see that it's not going to work. As it turns out some of the cartoons are accurate. Islam is a violent religion that is focused on world domination and oppression. The can claim that they are a religion of peace and love but what you do speaks louder than what you claim to be. Muslims stone women to death for being raped. They behead people for speaking freely. They leave a trail of death and destruction that reflects what they really believe. This latest campaign of violence is not winning over the hearts and minds of of people who love peace and freedom and it doesn't make us want to have Muslims as part of our community.
Posted by marc at February 9, 2006 05:54 PMRecommended reading for anyone who thinks Islam is taking a bum rap: "The Bookseller of Kabul," "Nine Parts of Desire," "Reading Lolita in Tehran." I'm sure there's plenty more. Oh, yeah, and go rent the film "Osama," although that is admittedly about the worst of the worst, the Taliban. Then come back and tell me this is not a religion that terrorizes and whips up its people (and often with the approval, tacit or otherwise, of their governments) and that we ought to back off of dishing on that like we do on Christian excesses. Puh-leez. Cave to this today, what can we expect you to cave to tomorrow?
Posted by: Kate at February 10, 2006 04:07 AMIt doesn't bother you that the people cheering at you are proposing genocide? It's doesn't bother you that you're fueling these kinds of ideas?
Posted by: Ben at February 10, 2006 08:12 AMI have no idea what to make of any of that.
Islam does not call for violence on any innocent people. Period. Unfortunately, the media has chosen to focus on the few cases of violence going on, and not on the true issue of intolerance and racsim. There were a few accidental deaths of some protesters, and the groups have lost burned embassy buildings acted outside of their religion. In no way is arson and destruction of personal propery condoned by Islam. There were no murders. The Muslim leaders of the areas are the loudest ones protesting against the fires.
NOWHERE, in any part of the faith does it suggest women should be stoned for being raped, and I have no clue what you were reffering to when you made that statement. It is not true, and it would make no sense, that Islam calls for the deaths of innocent victims.
Of course the Muslims are going to be angered at the drawings. It is worse than a personal insult for every single person in the community, because the Prophet Muhammad (saas) is revered by Muslims, and is considerd by us to be a role-model for all of humanity. This has nothing to do with free speech. The only truly Islamic reactions to the filth printed by the Danish media have been peaceful protesting and bocycots.
I have posted messages like this before, and it is a great testament to Mr. Perkel's hypocracy that they were not allowed to appear on his site. This just tells me that Mr. Perkel does not really believe in free speech at all. Hypocrite.
Posted by: ali at February 10, 2006 05:29 PMI usually admire Marc's writings, but I'm afraid I don't agree this time. True, the extreme protesting is going to far, but how the hell do you expect them NOT to be insulted.
There's picture floating around on the internet, a pretty disturbing animated gif, of Jesus sitting in a throne and making a little boy's head go up and down in his lap. You and anyone who agrees with you would be singing a different tune if an Arabic newspaper drew caricatures of Christ.
Posted by: nerd-meister at February 11, 2006 08:56 PM