Thus Proving the Point
A Danish suntan shop was bombed in the midst of a week of riots by Muslim men venting "their anger and frustration towards Danish society by setting fire to cars and burning bonfires in the streets." All this over the publication of a cartoon depicting Muhammad sporting a stick of dynamite as a fashion accessory. Ironic. And there are continued threats against the cartoonist.
In America (or most of the West for that matter) when there is government sponsored art desecrating Christ there is an uproar, some petitions are written, and perhaps even a Senator or two. Never has there been violence over such a thing, even though the shock artist intends to provoke as much reaction as possible. Why? Because we live in a culture where speech is ingrained in our psyche and revered by all. It is a freedom purchased at great and sometimes odious cost. As much as I dislike such antics (and I DO dislike how my tax money supports shock art), I suck it up because the same freedom that allows me to write in this blog allows for disrespect of what I hold dear. Such are the allowances we must make in a liberal democracy and we have been raised in such way by our parents and teachers.
How are these Muslim youths raised? What is taught in their homes? When they attend mosque and their daily prayers, what are the things revered by their teachers? It is true a single action speaks louder than words, but that solitary event is not entirely silent--a bombing of a tanning salon speaks volumes.
In America (or most of the West for that matter) when there is government sponsored art desecrating Christ there is an uproar, some petitions are written, and perhaps even a Senator or two. Never has there been violence over such a thing, even though the shock artist intends to provoke as much reaction as possible. Why? Because we live in a culture where speech is ingrained in our psyche and revered by all. It is a freedom purchased at great and sometimes odious cost. As much as I dislike such antics (and I DO dislike how my tax money supports shock art), I suck it up because the same freedom that allows me to write in this blog allows for disrespect of what I hold dear. Such are the allowances we must make in a liberal democracy and we have been raised in such way by our parents and teachers.
How are these Muslim youths raised? What is taught in their homes? When they attend mosque and their daily prayers, what are the things revered by their teachers? It is true a single action speaks louder than words, but that solitary event is not entirely silent--a bombing of a tanning salon speaks volumes.
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