[ExI] Terrorist? Who can tell?

[spike]

> On Behalf Of Harvey Newstrom
>...
> 
> > The cartoon doesn't generalize to all...
> 
> I also find this claim to be disingenuous.  Everybody agrees 
> that the character depicted is Mohammed.  So how can you then 
> claim not to know what race he is or what religion he 
> represents?  It seems clear that he represents Muslims and/or 
> Arabs and/or Arabic Muslims.  The symbol clearly implies that 
> the leader himself was a terrorist, and by extension all his 
> followers are too.  I don't see what other interpretation can 
> be made from this cartoon.  If that's not the message, then what is?
> --
> Harvey Newstrom


The scriptures contain verses that, if taken literally, suggest violence.  A
couple examples:

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [4:52:176]  "You will indeed fight against the Jews and
you will kill them to the point where the rock and the tree will say: 'O
Muslim! O 'Abdullaah (slave of Allaah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me.
Come and kill him.' " 

KORAN [4.89] "They desire that you should disbelieve as they have
disbelieved, so that you might be (all) alike; therefore take not from among
them friends until they fly (their homes) in Allah's way; but if they turn
back, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them..."

The overwhelming majority rejects these verses of course, so there is no
generalization to all believers, and exactly nothing to do with racism.  But
a tiny minority misunderstand the verses to say exactly what it looks to me
like they say.  So christianity has its creationists, and this religion has
this tiny but dangerous minority.  Only the dangerous ones are dangerous.

Regarding the Danish cartoons then, is the reaction such a surprise?  The
audacious suggestion that this particular religion may be somehow associated
with violence so enraged the population that they exploded in peaceful
introspection and global conferences to examine why this misconception
exists.  No, actually that isn't exactly how it turned out, unfortunately.
Riots broke out, and the cartoonist lives in hiding under constant guard in
fear for his life because of that tiny minority.  He faces criminal
prosecution for blasphemy should he travel to the middle east, all over a
cartoon.

We treat all races with respect, for one does not choose one's race (yet).
But religion is a choice, and so it is open to criticism, lampoon and
parody.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyllands-Posten_Muhammad_cartoons_controversy

spike