Cartoon Protests

[weaktwos]

Wow.

Just wow.

This is so tragic that people can get violent over a war of words. I wouldnt' think that some paper's publishing of cartoons would ever assail the dignity of a dead guy. I haven't read up on the full story, yet. But would people hurry up and get over their faiths? Stop using it as an excuse for hate, will you?

This is a much larger issue, as the article suggests, perhaps there has been a bias in treatment of muslim communities in Europe. But whose cause are you helping but the cause of death when you fight over cartoons. Cartoons. There are extremests in your faith that kill themselves and others with suicide bombs and you riot over cartoons?

I guess I keep forgetting what others say that life carries little value in the middle east. After all, when was the last time you heard of a major death toll during Hannukah or Christmas while trying to stone a symbolic devil?

I'm open to some opposing thoughts here; I'm also open to not knowing all the facts. But gee whiz. It seems awful fishy...

Comments

[namfle.livejournal.com]

I don't know. On one hand, the cartoons WERE over the top. On the other hand, though, it's not worth killing or dying for. It's just ONE MAN's idea of funny.

These people, those of the human race of which I sadly belong, confuse me more and more the older I get.

-elf-

[patricks.livejournal.com]

Without justifying or excusing the riots, arsons, and killings - I think the anger is not over a "cartoon" but at what devout Muslims see as a deliberate blasphemy, insult, & attack on their faith. The cartoon is the medium, not the message.

[weaktwos.livejournal.com]

So, graphical expression of opinion is considered blasphemy. I still think that's pretty darned picayune.

[patricks.livejournal.com]

If you truly believe something desecrates your faith, does the form of the blasphemy matter?

[weaktwos.livejournal.com]

If a faith cannot differentiate between acts of discourse and physical violence, then I cannot respect it.

If that Dutch newspaper published a nasty image of child pornography, I still wouldn't riot over it, but, I'd do the boycotting and information campaign and encourage others not to do business with them. I wouldn't get involved in violent riots.

[hangedwoman.livejournal.com]

I think the violence that's been allowed to escalate is horrible. But yes, I do believe there's quite a bit of context missing in discussions of how this started. Anti-immigration issues in Europe are a lot different than they are here. And in Europe "anti-immigration" equals anti-Muslim the same way it equals anti-Hispanic here. But it is a much more prevalent and polarizing issue in Europe, more equivalent to abortion or gay rights issues in the U.S. Even that's not a good comparison, really. *is frustrated*

This blog entry (http://www.bookish.dk/?p=894) by a Dane does a somewhat decent job of explaining the background in Denmark under which the cartoons were published in the first place.