Comments on: A Few Words on the Mohammed Cartoons and Aftermath http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/ An overly eclectic, likely inconsequent[ial], and blatantly fo[w]l blog on life, family, literature, law, and religion. Fri, 03 May 2013 17:11:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: john f. http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1190 Fri, 10 Feb 2006 13:52:33 +0000 http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1190 Rusty, thanks. I have still been following this in the media all week. It seems to me that (1) many Muslims simply have no concept at all of freedom of the press based on their condemnation of the government of Denmark and of other countries for the private choices of private citizens of what to say in the free press, and (2), many Muslims are undoubtedly insulted and sad about the disrespect and intolerance, as well they should be, but it is the fundamentalist faction of that religion that is dishonestly exploiting this situation to gain support for their cause.

Anyway, I appreciate people’s input. I am in canada for work right now and so responses might be a little sparse.

]]> By: Ronan http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1189 Tue, 07 Feb 2006 19:14:47 +0000 http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1189 Absolutely no idea, mate. Must be the Null Komma Josef addling my brain.

]]> By: Rusty http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1188 Tue, 07 Feb 2006 12:41:13 +0000 http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1188 Ronan,
Who are you talking about?

]]> By: Ronan http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1187 Mon, 06 Feb 2006 17:00:32 +0000 http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1187 Rusty,
I say ban the lot of them from Box 2.

]]> By: Rusty http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1186 Mon, 06 Feb 2006 16:07:36 +0000 http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1186 John,
I’ve only recently been reading about this stuff and I’m finding myself react in the same manner as you. I want to be open-minded and try to conceive of a reason it would be acceptable for them to react the way that they are and I can’t find any. Their reaction sounds like something you’d find in a junior high school.

Nice post.

]]> By: Kim http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1185 Mon, 06 Feb 2006 09:04:46 +0000 http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1185 “I am also disgusted at the intolerance of the European media. They are free to publish this type of material, but that does not mean that they should publish it.”

I think you should be cautious not to paint with too broad a brush when referring to “European media.” For example here in Finland, newspapers have declined to publish the images because they feel it would be very insensitive and inconsiderate to do so.

]]> By: Jordan http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1184 Sun, 05 Feb 2006 20:18:51 +0000 http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1184 John:

better be careful or your mug will end up on one of those signs in Syria or somewhere! :)

]]> By: Bookslinger http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1183 Sun, 05 Feb 2006 18:18:58 +0000 http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1183 john f: The liberal european press, and the “enlightened liberal” citizens you met while on your mission illustrate that liberalism and liberals aren’t all that tolerant towards those with whom they disagree.

]]> By: john f. http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1182 Sun, 05 Feb 2006 09:04:45 +0000 http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1182 Val,

I agree with you that it is difficult to communicate with a group of people who have a completely different view of reality–not because reality is actually different that what it is, but because of the twisted and filtered information that they have been fed by a controlled press and petty politicians who distort facts to gain political advantage. For instance, it is unlikely that Muslims in the Middle East realize that Muslims in the United States are much more free in every sense than they are because of the same freedoms that allow the Mohammed cartoons to be published.

Indoctrination is perhaps one of the key problems in the relationship between the Middle East and the West. There is no solution to that problem. Personally, a new isolationism, at least with regard to the Middle East, looks very attractive. The West should just withdraw itself and its interests from the Middle East. Let them oppress and consume themselves in totalitarianism and sectarian infighting. Any interest we have in trying to improve the lives of women or people in general in the Middle East through democracy seems undesired. That is the message these people send when they burn down embassies because of a cartoon, regardless of the other aspects of the relationship of the given country with Denmark or the West.

]]> By: Valerie Guillemette http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1181 Sat, 04 Feb 2006 21:47:28 +0000 http://abev.wordpress.com/2006/02/04/a-few-words-on-the-mohammed-cartoons-and-aftermath/#comment-1181 There is a lot of contradictions that come up when I think about Islam. The more I read and the more I’m confused. For some reasons, when I see stuff like that on TV, it really reminds me of the crusades. Sept 11 was really the beginning of another “cold war”.

I agree with your post but then again, you can’t explain the very basic principles of democracy to people who have been indoctrinated to live under a dictatorship. For all I know, their governement probably told them they’d all go to hell if they didn’t protest.

Boy am I glad to be in my safe canadian haven.

]]>