Mass hysteria can't be allowed to win

Submitted by Aidan Maconachy (Canada), Feb 11, 2006 at 03:19

Included in the lead story above is a picture of a group of Muslim youths burning the Danish flag.

When we are talking about issues of offence, it seems that in response to the merest slight some in the Muslim community are prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to degrade and insult the flags of the host nations in which they have chosen to live. Exactly how a sketch on a piece of paper, no matter how distasteful, can ignite torrents of hatred and acts of violence is really beyond the comprehension of anyone with any sense of perspective.

Muhammad is not God - he was an emissary, nothing more. Moreover as the Satanic verses indicate, he was not perfect. To claim that Muhammad cannot be portrayed in image form is disingenuous. In actual fact there are many Islamic miniatures that depict the prophet.

This type of mass hysteria demonstrates a lack of oversight and maturity. Despite all of the cartoons and slams directed at the person of Jesus, it has in no way altered the faith and the religious convictions of true Christians. Either a religious truth is real, or it is not. If it is real then no cartoon can sully it.

These outbursts of temporary insanity are designed to intimidate and control. It is for precisely this reason that Western editors must not weaken and cave in when it comes to muting commentary dealing with Islamic subjects.

While the mysteries of Islam are accorded iconic status by its followers, others do not share this veneration. Many in the West are atheist and/or agnostic. Such non-believers have the right to criticize Islam is they choose to do so, and this fundamental artistic right must be protected.

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