Can you believe all the protests over a stupid cartoon? Give
me a break. It depicts the prophet Mohammad wearing a
bomb-shaped turban. It first appeared in a Danish newspaper in
September of 2005 and has since been reprinted in Germany,
France, Italy and four other European nations. The first time
around it didn’t raise so much as a whisper. This time somebody
is stoking the fires of outrage with a thousand years of
white-hot hatred.
It’s Denmark that’s getting the brunt of the Muslim outrage.
No less than 20 Muslim nations have severed all economic ties to
the Danish state, at a cost of over 2 million dollars a day. You
see, the Koran condemns showing drawings or pictures of Mohammed
in an unflattering light. Islam has a lot of those bizarre rules
that justify the beheading of those nasty infidels who might be
making fun of the great prophet. Hundreds of thousands of
Muslims have taken to the streets of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt,
and Lebanon, just to mention a few. At least five people have
lost their lives in the rioting so far. The Danish mission in
Beirut was torched as well as some Christian neighborhoods… all
over a cartoon.
Now, I’m not big on making fun of any religion. I don’t like
it when I see artwork depicting Jesus in an unfavorable light.
But the gospel doesn’t give me the option of killing someone who
chooses to make fun of Jesus. In fact, I am supposed to love my
enemies. God will take care of any necessary revenge in the end
much better than I can. Does the phrase, “at the mention of His
name, (Jesus) every knee shall bow,” sound familiar?
It’s all the TV pictures of the rioting that is most
disturbing, in more ways than one. Pardon me for painting with a
broad brush, but it is clear the cultural divide between Muslims
and the rest of the “sane” world is light years apart. We are
looking at a Stone Age religion that demands its followers
disconnect their brains, thrives on violence, and places the
destruction of all other faiths at the core of its existence.
Let me repeat that: the destruction of all none believers, the
infidels, is at the core of radical Islam’s existence.
Free speech and personal expression in word and in religious
beliefs are foreign concepts to Islam. No wonder it is so
difficult trying to create a democracy among people who have
preferred to be told what to do by Emmons and clerics for
centuries. This is the reality of what we see and hear over and
over again. We see it in the war. We saw it on 9-11. We see it
in the streets of dozens of Muslim nations. No other religion in
the world subscribes to the violent spittle that comes pouring
from the mouths of radical Muslims at every opportunity.
Yes, the Council On American Islamic Relations has been
trying to show the American people that American Muslims are a
peaceful people. They tell me repeatedly the violent actions of
their Muslim brothers, are aberrations of the Koran. We have
seen no violent Muslim protests by American Muslims here in the
states. The council condemns all acts of violence and argues the
radicals are in the minority. I applaud them for their efforts
though, like most Americans, I wish they would stand up and
scream it a lot louder.
Unfortunately, the voice of peace and moderation in the
Muslim faith is barely a whisper in the dirge of saber rattling.
It’s that kind of hypocrisy that is driving more and more
Americans to completely distrust all Muslims and Muslim
countries. And yes, even to the point of hatred! It is like
trying to convince folks that grizzly bears are harmless as they
tear apart the body of that environmental nut job and his
girlfriend in Alaska. It’s like offering the hand of peace only
to have it stabbed through by a saber hidden behind a Muslim’s
back.
Fact is, if someone or something doesn’t start reigning in
the radical “sheep” that seem bent on hastening the apocalypse,
the divide between Islam and the rest of the world may be broken
beyond repair. And with Iran now tinkering with nuclear weapons,
that apocalypse may be closer than we all think. I don’t mind
dealing with a tiger on a leash but a tiger with nuclear stripes
scares the heck out of me.
