Letter to Pres. Bush

Submitted by Bryn (United States), Feb 3, 2006 at 13:05

Dear Mr. President,

The history of mankind has been thuggish and brutal until the emergence of enlightened government and scientific advance of the 17th -21st centuries. Freedom to think freely and criticize government and, just as importantly, religion are the clear themes of this period and our present time.

From Martin Luther to Thomas Jefferson to Charles Darwin, you and I inherit a legacy of critical thought and a birthright to critique and challenge those in power and the established dogma of the day.

As you know, Denmark's Jyllands-Posten newspaper challenged various newspaper cartoonists to overcome self-censorship and to depict images of Mohammed. They did this to highlight the cultural divide between the hard-line fundamentalists of Islam and the west.

'Let the hands that drew (the cartoons) be severed,' are the chants of religious zealots through out the Islamic world.

Much of the Moslem world does not understand these values. While we in the West move forward, they stay behind in medieval systems of imams and charlatans.

At stake is the West's self-acknowledgement of our inherited right to think and publish freely. Disappointing are the statements of British Secretary Jack Straw praising UK newspapers for not publishing the cartoons. Equally disturbing are statements of President Karzai in Afghanistan attacking the cartoons.

Mr. President, please step forward immediately and defend our birthright. Please loudly extend your support to Denmark! Admonish Mr. Straw and Mr. Karzai for failing in their duty to the freedom brought to them by those who came before.

Best Wishes,
Bryn

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