2.07.2006
Were, ironically a danish band with songs immortalised in the simpsons (which episode? Answers in comments).
On a related point, there is an interesting post over at opendemocracy decidedly against the silliness of deciding to antagonise the muslim community.
In the same way, rights – like the freedom of the press – inherently offer us the right to decide when to use them. The grounds for that decision include common sense and prudence. I may have the right to throw away a cigarette near a pile of leaky petrol drums, but I will probably choose not to do so, and will be held criminally responsible for a conflagration. Publishing insulting cartoons of Mohammed at a moment haunted by suicide-bombings, fanatical murder and American-led war or threats of war in Muslim countries was an act of that kind.
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Islam is presented as inherently intolerant, and therefore incompatible with Dutch or Danish values.
However, Craig Murray, ex-British Ambassador to Uzbekhistan and prior supporter of the rights of muslims in a variety of tyrannical states is pro-toon.
Religions need to be caricatured. God and faith may be perfect, but men are not, and throughout history religious structures have been used to exert social control, give power to a hierarchy, and to make money from the gullible. Religion has always been distorted to justify both war and repression of people's rights, and still is today, by Osama Bin Laden, George W Bush, and others. The dangers of protecting religion from ridicule are obvious.
So I don't agree with the protestors who have sparked such concern, and I think they are very foolish indeed to appear to be threatening violence.
Just to throw some gas on an already inflamed fire. While I'm not sure if it was inherently right or wrong to light this fire, Im certainly of the opinion it was both in bad taste and quite silly to do so. The clash of civilisations exists if it is created. It is not the necessary trajectory of history as some who commentate on the recent events may wish to paint it.
RR
Categories: Comment, Islam, Cartoons,
I absolutely agree - the decision to publish these cartoons was really really silly and the reaction, as I've said over in my own place, was entirely predictable (although the intensity of it, of course, was not)
I dont think anyone could have seen how immense the reaction was going to be. If they did something tells me they would have backed away.
To all intents and purposes deliberate antagonism isnt the most helpful thing to engage in anyway. At least right now.
RR
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