Religious Imposition
The unending Muslim conniption over a Danish newspaper’s initial publication of a cartoon characteriture of the Muslim prophet Muhammed is outlandish. A father’s killing of a daughter because she refuses to marry her cousin receives Muhammed’s praise yet when someone not of Muslim faith–an infidel–dares to draw Muhammed violent, fiery protest and threats of death are warranted.
Much of the blog commentary has centered on the Muslim response of fire, destruction, and hate-filled rhetoric. What seems missing, however, is any discussion of the Muslim imposition of a specific religious tenet of their faith upon the nations of Europe. Adherents of the Muslim faith are forbidden to draw a picture of Muhammed because of clerics who fear such a picture would become worshipped idolatrously. Anyone who is not a Muslim would not be prohibited from drawing a representation of Muhammed (including a political cartoon) unless that person is a dhimmi–a person who is forcefully subjugated to Islam.
The underlying presumption or condition necessary for any justifiable Muslim outrage is that the Danish cartoonist is bound by the religious commandments of Islam. The issue is not the cartoonist’s depiction of Muhammed as a terrorist–the radical Islam espoused and preached by Osama bin Laden validates the portrayal of Muhammed as a bomber. Individuals, in a free society, are allowed to be as religiously bigoted as they want. The other members of the polity can decide for themselves whether to agree or disagree with the bigot’s opinion.
In Dhimmi societies, Muslim critics are not tolerated. It is heartening that the EU defended the newspaper’s right to publish the cartoon. However, the recent Muslim pillaging of all things European suggests that many Muslims, particularly the radical community, do not view Europe as a free society–at least a free society that is capable of criticizing the religious doctrine of Islam.