I can’t believe what I’m reading this morning….The controversial cartoon of the prophet Muhammad that sparked worldwide protests two years ago reprinted across Europe!! The act believed to be a reaction following the “terror-related assassination” of Kurt Westergaard, the cartoonist behind the drawing.
One of the newspapers involved in the republication said that the action was to “unambiguously back and support” the freedom of speech that newspaper always will defend. The action believed to be triggered by Danish authorities when they arrested three people allegedly plotting the “terror-related assassination”. Revelation of the assassination plan sparks a new fear among Europeans concerning “the radical Islam’s plan to suppress free-speech right”. The sad part comes from a Gallup poll for the World Economic Forum that says more and more Europeans feel that Islam is a threat to their way of life.
What I can’t understand most is that are they really understand about the term “free-of-speech” and the concept of “right” in its universally accepted term?? I mean, we *as the offended* also have the right to defend our value. Can it be justified to violate other’s right in the name of freedom?? Could the same claim be made around dialogue concerning the Jews and Nazi in German? How would the Europeans feel if ‘Mein Kampf’ reprinted in the name of Hitler’s right of free-speech??
I don’t think that people should glorify Nazis, ought to deny Holocaust or ought to publish cartoons that insulted revered figures of other religions. In fact, I think they should refrain from doing such things.
Within the context of free speech, there are at least four classes of expression. (1) those that outlawed and morally wrong, (2) those that legal and morally wrong, (3) those that legal and morally indifferent and (4) those that legal and morally called for. In response to the cartoon case, we should look number two carefully. Respect for truth or respect for people of other faiths should be taken as a moral consideration from act or expression that might offensive for certain people—even though it is legally written.
I remember reading an article about how a leading retailer in Singapore has withdrawn a cosmetics range with a Jesus theme after complaints from local Roman Catholics. The products included a “Virtuous vanilla” lip balm and a “Get tight with Christ” hand and body cream, featuring a picture of Christ flanked by two adoring women. *…daaa….?!?*
My point is that this is the same thing with what happen when Moslem community offended by the cartoons. Why would anyone use religious figures in a disrespectful way??
Do you have any suggestions to the muslims around the world who desecrate all religions on a daily basis? Maybe they’ll take your advice and go to sensitivity training. In todays news, palestinians attempt to burn the tomb of Joseph, one of judaism and christianity’s most holy sites. Are you outraged enough to express your displeasure to a muslim, and question how much they respect other religions. tolerance will get you killed!
This misconception is one of the most widely held misconceptions about Islam today. Islam is in fact a tolerant religion.
In recent years, a great deal of attention in the media has been given to the threat of “Islamic Fundamentalism” or “radical Islam”. Unfortunately, due to a twisted mixture of biased reporting in the media and the actions of some misguided Muslims, the word “Islam” has become almost synonymous with “terrorism”.
Do the teachings of Islam encourage terrorism? The answer: Certainly not! Islam totally forbids the terrorist acts that are carried out by some misguided people.
Islam encourages peace, mercy and forgiveness. Killing innocent people totally contradicts the teachings of Islam.
About your idea, ‘tolerance will get you killed’, it is true that something must be paradoxical about tolerance.
Some question like “should the tolerant tolerate intolerance?” will create such paradox. But the kind of tolerance required for a civil society is the kind that acknowledges the rights of every person to make up their own mind and that makes illegitimate any attempt to coerce anyone to change their mind.
I strongly against the act of extremism conduct by anyone with any belief; including those act that you mentioned above.
But the problem in judging right and wrong is sometimes you don’t know the truth very much, which makes you very hard to make one objective judgment about who’s right or wrong.
Don’t think you know something when you don’t, in this case, we should take an objective look at why those people attempt to burn the tomb? What make them so angry about Jews? Knowing the root cause will eventually help solving the problem, not just blaming one side of the story.
Yes, tolerant and respect each other should be the key words. If they reprinted it because they want to be respected as a journalist, who believes in freedom of speech, why they do not respect others’ belief at the same time who believe that these cartoons hurt their feeling in the name of freedom of speech to express their feeling as well.
I’m not an moslem, but I have a lot of moslem friends, and nobody of them would probably agree how these extremists faggots keep using violance and demonizing Islam itself.
But the west is not showing a good
tolerance either, instead of need to understand each other, they become xenophobic and eventually divide this world as simple as good and evil.
Also, this maybe also reflects that the sacred symbols, the religions are slowly being de-sanctified, just like how Vatican branded all beliefs outside church simply as “evil” and “heretic”.
btw! Mein Kempf has been published here hasn’t it? a lot of germans gasped when looking that book at bookstores’ shelves.
Yap..and the funny thing is that Mein Kampf have a very good publication here. They even put it in ‘best buy’ section..haha!! see how ‘freedom of speech’ works here, huh?!
Get tight with christ? waw, can I get one? hehe..
anyway, when we speak about motives. The real reason why our Rasul get depicted probably the heartache and suffering caused by those ungrateful fundamentalist bastard (pardon my french), those victim looks for someone or something to blame. Since they don’t have time or determination to study thoroughly about islam, mr. stereotypes take place of their common sense, judging that the cause of all the ruckus and explosion is none but islam.
(Damn, why can’t those extremist scream f u americans instead of allahuakbar, so no one judge my beloved islam)
Then again, there’s also motives behind the radicals moslem’s action. Palestina, Bosnia, etc could make any moslem lost their sanity. They think, “ooh, if those whiteman could kill women and children, why can’t we?”
so there goes our infinite devilish circle. That’s natural for human, I mean, even the pope could flip out. what is important, we should take notes. not to judge harshly without knowing the real fact and don’t let any stereotypes opinion take place in judgement. not all french eat escargot, not all padre dislike women, not all jews wear that stupid hat, not all muslim hates jews, and so on.
Even if you in a deep need of sweet revenge, doesn’t mean you should transform into something that you hate most.
@surfnsnow
tolerance will get you killed…
if you tolerate someone with ak47 try to storm your house at noon
hahaha…
maybe he don’t know nothing about tolerance because he don’t take PPKn class like we do… hahaha
I couldn’t agree more with you! Hey..I think we should take PPKn to US..so they can understand about “tenggang rasa” and “gotong royong”…haha!
Very interesting and useful post.
I add your interesting blog in my Google Reader!
Andika, Mossad Israel loves to make any intervention in the entire world at anytime. One of Herry Nurdi’s book “MOSSAD (BEHIND EVERY CONSPIRACY)” write that “PARA TOKOH ARAB PERNAH BERKATA, JIKA TERJADI SEBUAH PERISTIWA BESAR DIMANAPUN, TANGKAP SAJA ORANG YAHUDI DAN TANYA PADA MEREKA. PASTI, JAWABANNYA ADALAH, TANGAN-TANGAN ORANG YAHUDI SELALU ADA DI BELAKANG SEMUA PERISTIWA.”
Partner, U have to read “International Jew” by Henry Ford published by Hikmah the group of Mizan. It’s a must have and read book.
Ttd, Jimmy CIA (Central Islamic/Indonesia Agency)
hai andika. I am very appreciate with your opinion and I hope we can chat in other time. Andika I hope you want to call me 08170540709