Question Islamic radicals

Last week I attended the discussion session about the Mohammed cartoons and the Muslim world’s reaction to them, and while I was not at all surprised by the complete lack of well-deserved criticism by the Wesleyan population of the Muslim world, I was quite peeved nonetheless.

In essence, the discussion focused on defending the reactions to the Mohammed cartoons because the Western world, in this case embodied by those imperialist arrogant, bullying Danes, “makes fun of them [Muslims]” too much. The loud THUD made by my jaw hitting the floor as that preposterous idea was proposed could be heard far and wide. What was even worse was the fact that no one even bothered to question the violence of the Muslim world as a response to this “insult” to Islam. For some reason, we can ignore the fact that thousands upon thousands of Muslims bloodily rioted in the streets throughout the whole world because the quiet, blond-haired, mild-mannered Scandinavians insulted the mythology that they, Muslims, have been brought up believing their whole lives. It’s completely acceptable to act like barbaric savages, to kill, to destroy, to threaten others with their lives, as long as you feel “made fun of.” While offending one’s religion may be tactless, let us not be hypocritical. Where was the darling Left when Iran said that it would hold a HOLOCAUST cartoon contest? And where were the angry Jews rioting in the streets, calling for the artists’ heads, firebombing embassies, and destroying private property? They don’t exist, and they never have. By and large, the Jewish population—many of whom are as deeply pious as many Muslims—are not primitive savages. So why do so many Muslims conduct themselves so violently and hatefully, then? Certainly, we cannot suggest that it is ALL Muslims who are hateful and violent, that is absurd and not worth arguing about. But many, many, MANY are, and I’d like to know why. I’d also like to know why otherwise intelligent people defend these groups. While the publication of the Mohammed cartoons may have been insensitive, people have the right to be insensitive. And the so-called insensitivity of these newspapers and their editors (or even the artists of the cartoons) does not excuse such a despicable reaction from these animals. We respect the right of freedom of speech, and shame on the Muslim tyrants who called for punishment for the newspaper publishers and artists.

Do not dare say that this violent bloody reaction is an isolated incident in the Muslim world. Have we not seen outrageous and inhumane violence from this part of the world before? Are these not the people who sent nineteen of their fellow religious zealots and cultural counterparts into the two World Trade Center buildings and the Pentagon four years ago, killing three thousand innocents? Are these not the people who threatened Salman Rushdie with death when he wrote a book that some Muslim despot thought was heretical? Are these not the people who kidnap Westerners in the Middle East on a daily basis, videotape them, torture and behead them, all while hiding behind a dark shroud? Is this not the culture that calls for women to wear oppressive cloaks at all times, and stones them to death for committing adultery? These are people who raise their children to be human explosives, who step onto a public bus and blow themselves up— all in the name of their religion. They do not deserve defending, and anyone who does so must implicitly or explicitly accept the utter barbarism that is practiced by such a group.

As stated before, but which will almost assuredly be ignored by most readers, I am not attempting to claim that all Muslims behave this way. But it certainly does seem that nearly all people who behave this way are Muslims. It is therefore necessary—assuming one is dedicated to truth and morality—to question the hell out of Islam and the behaviors, attitudes and actions of its adherents. And perhaps we should anyway; after all, how tenuous is a system of religious belief if it constantly needs to be defended (in many cases, to the death) by its subscribers? Are these Muslims really so insecure in their faith that they need to attempt to murder anyone who dare criticize or make light of it? Why don’t people of other religions respond to insults the way these Muslims have? Those of us who are dedicated to seeking truth and defending morality must ask, then, what’s wrong with the Muslim World?