I think we knew that, too

Submitted by Jeff (United States), Nov 5, 2008 at 22:55

Marwan,

Your understanding is 100 percent incorrect; it's not taboo to criticize Christians and Jews. Christians and Jews, especially Catholics, are the butt of jokes by comedians night after night in clubs and on television across the western world. You haven't noticed? Atheists write books that ridicule Christianity. A new movie, "Religiosity," rants against, smears and ridicules Christianity. And "artists" create "art" such as a crucifix tossed into in a jar of urine. Funny how those artists, authors and moviemakers never touch the subject of Islam, isn't it? What's really taboo?

I love Sweden too, and I am happy for you and the life you have in that beautiful country. However, in all fairness, where I live also, people are equal regardless of their religious affiliation. It's our law. And our culture. Many western nations and Japan can say the same. You might not be quite as best and beautiful as you think.

When the USA tries to do business with middle eastern governments (all of which outside of Israel consist of criminals and dictators) then we're propping up dictators. If we get fed up and remove one of the criminal dictators, then we're crusader infidels. Either way we're the bad guys, right? The simple truth is, the USA did not install the Saudis, or the Hashemites, or Khaddafy, and the USA did not invent the Arab form of government (where the most ruthless murderer gets to run the place, enrich himself and his tribe and rub his wealth and power in the faces of those he rules over). We did not give the middle east gender apartheid, slavery, low literacy rates, fear of scientific inquiry, bribery and corruption as a way of life, homophobia, hatred of Jewish people, or gleeful public beheadings and stonings. Arab, Persian and north African Muslims gave all those things, and their consequences, to themselves.

"To build a better world , we must all pull together , we have to be on the weak and oppressed side and dare to speak the truth , to admit our mistakes is the best we can do"

OK, we agree now. But be careful when victims are really only victims of their own culture, and find others easy to blame for their self-inflicted problems. They will do themselves a favor when they dare to speak the truth, too.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".