This weekend I’ve been watching and reading the coverage of how Muslims around the world are reacting to cartoons depicting their prophet in poor taste. While I can understand how they would find the cartoons offensive, I cannot accept their justification for violent reactions to the offense. Michelle Malkin is all over this story with a comprehensive collection of several events throughout the world.

Another outstanding post at Brutally Honest points out that the State Department is charting a course of tolerance denouncing the publishing of the offensive cartoons. OK, that’s nice but how about we denounce the torching of embassies because of a cartoon? Or, why don’t we condemn statements like these…

Ramadi, Iraq, February 5: Militant groups on Sunday called for attacks on Danish troops in Iraq and people from all countries where cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad have been published.

In an Internet statement, the Islamic Army of Iraq, which has claimed responsibility for killing foreign hostages, urged militants to kidnap Danes and “cut them into as many pieces as the number of newspapers that printed the cartoons”.

“The Islamic Army in Iraq also declares that all countries whose newspapers printed the insulting and disgraceful pictures are legitimate targets and our response will be … tremendous.”

I’ve been devoting much time these past months to studying Islam and those radical extremists groups that hold the koran in one hand and sword in the other while carrying out this thing they call jihad. I’m not convinced that the questionable cartoons have offended muslims to the level some would like us to believe. More likely, this is yet another opportunity for those who would like to see the re-establishment of an Islamic caliphate to fan the flames of their agenda.

Quite frankly, I find it offensive that terrorists are cutting the heads off of contract workers in Iraq and kidnapping journalists with threats to kill them. I find it offensive that some of these very same offended muslims would plant a backpack full of explosives on a subway in London, or on several trains in Spain. And don’t get me started on how offensive I find Al Jazeera to be. However, I’m not getting my friends together to pillage and plunder muslim neighborhoods or their representative embassies.

So yeah, I quesiton just how offended the rat bastards really are. Muslims offended my ass.Sgt Hook out.

UPDATE: The Laughing Wolf makes a pledge and Redneck’s Revenge reports Iran is also offended.

UPDATE II: A must read over at the Mudville Gazette.

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Posted by Hook @ 1846 zulu | | Permalink
This post is filed under: GWOT & Know thy Enemy & Soap Box

I believe many Americans are just beginning to understand that the religion of Islam is very different from those practiced by most Americans. Writing about Islam, Bernard Lewis (a Middle East historian) says, “The idea that God has enemies, and needs human help in order to identify and dispose of them, is a little difficult to assimilate.” Islam is a religion with both political and military dimensions. It has been so from its onset, and add to that fanatics, and indeed it takes on a very dangerous mantle.

Muslims do believe they are on the side of God—or perhaps it is better said; they believe God is on their side. So when an Islamic fanatic calls on Muslims to defend God or their faith; I fear it may even draw in “reasonable” Muslims.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Muslim faith does not separate its government from its religion. Islam is woven into all aspects of Muslim life, be it society or government. There is no separation of church and state; such a concept is alien to them. Because of this they do not tend to identify themselves with their nation; they are more inclined to identify themselves with Islam. In other words they more readily identify themselves as Muslims rather than as Saudis or Pakistanis. This is important to understand, because if they believe a Muslim nation or Muslims in other countries have been insulted or hurt by the West, they view this as having harmed all of them. This is very foreign to Western thought.

Remember that the Muslim nations regularly attend the OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference). To demonstrate how foreign this concept is to us try imagining all the nations of the West, temporarily forgetting their political ideological differences and holding regular meetings on the basis of adhering to the Orthodox Church.

This is so difficult for me to articulate—and I sincerely hope no one will misunderstand this as prejudice—however, the Muslim way of thinking tends to be very different from ours; and I believe sometimes when we try to interpret events through ‘Western Thought” we may not be seeing the picture clearly. Extremist Muslims believe that they are on the side of God, and therefore have the right to impose demands on the rest of the world. Naturally, the opposite does not hold true. Our idea of fairness is not a concept that they comprehend; it is alien to them—ridiculous. We do not have the same rights as they do because we are infidels. The bottom line is that this faith, especially when led by fanatics is very dangerous to all the ideals and freedoms we hold dear. I can only pray that Europe and America are finally beginning to wake up to this clear and present danger.

Comment by Dogkees — 5 February 2006 @ 2101

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Well said, Hook. The bigger problem here is that the muslim world is demanding that the west change to accommodate them, and the west is doing it! How stupid is that? And the fact that, unreported by any news organizations but Fox, the cartoons that most offended the hoards were placed in the package by the imams and were never published in any paper! This whole thing is a set up because the radicals are starting to loose their grip and needed to do something. Unfortunately, most politicos seem to be falling for it and helping the cause.

Comment by Rich Dahlen — 5 February 2006 @ 2226

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Dogkees, very informative comment.
On the one hand, they are revealing their true colors to the world, threatening violence to whole countries over cartoons??? On the other hand it proves how manipulative and treacherous some of the imams in power are, and how they keep craftily fanning the flames of their peoples’ rage with widely-placed rumors and flat-out lies. I realize this doesn’t mean all muslims everywhere believe this way, but where is the vigorous outcry against it from any islamic group? ‘Clear and Present Danger’sounds like an all too accurate prediction.

Comment by Beth* A. — 6 February 2006 @ 0813

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Dogkees - very informative comment.
On the one hand, they’re revealing their true colors, threatening whole countries with violence over… cartoons??? On the other hand, they are proving how manipulative and treacherous the imans in power really can be, craftily fanning the flames of their people’s rage with widely-placed rumors and flat-out lies. I realize that not all muslims believe in responding to insults this way, but where is the vigorous outcry from any islamic organization against it?
‘Clear and Present Danger’ seems an all too accurate prediction.

Comment by Beth* A. — 6 February 2006 @ 0834

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I have many of the same thoughts. And I’ve been grappeling with how they can justify their actions. Then it hit me - they don’t. They don’t have to and they don’t want to.

In my mind they are like a child. Looking for any and every reason to throw a fit. Make a scene. It doesn’t have to be logical, or even real at all. ANYTHING.

They are an enemy the likes we have never faced before. It’s time we start to realize that. Until we do it’s just gonna get uglier.

Comment by Tammi — 6 February 2006 @ 1338

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I have to agree with Tammi, we are dealing with violent children. They cannot be reasoned with. They need a sound spanking but no one is willing to do it.

Comment by Sgt Lori Fields — 6 February 2006 @ 1609

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Okay–and idea for the spanking. Since Denmark is a member of NATO, and their sacred soil has been attacked, and since we know the local governments will not do anything about it, its time for NATO to take up the cause. Get the troops in there and the next time a “spontaneous demonstration” is scheduled, there will be someone there to deal with it. Might teach the children some lesson!

Comment by Rich Dahlen — 6 February 2006 @ 1750

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Personally I think State needs to denounce the actions of those burning and pillaging, not the cartoons. This is dangerous ground, what the hell are we going to do when this crap happens here? Placating does not work, neither does holding hands.

I wouldn’t classify them as children…but someone needs an ass whooping.

Comment by Gypsy — 7 February 2006 @ 0245

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The whole of western civilization is at stake, here.
Our freedoms, our goals, our religious beliefs.

Millions of people, throughout recorded history, died to give us the freedoms we
enjoy today.

Islam and Muslims are working hard to take those freedoms away.

The cartoon crisis is just a test of the waters.

The West is failing.

I would rather see the entire planet barren than islamic.

Comment by joe citizen — 7 February 2006 @ 1211

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Have you seen this?

Boycott Egypt

Egyptian Sandmonkey Blog:

Link:
http://egyptiansandmonkey.blogspot.com/2006/02/boycott-egypt.html

Comment by Texas Gal — 9 February 2006 @ 0224

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