The Quran-burning controversy in the United States has prompted the Islamic bloc at the United Nations to revive its call for the U.N. to set up an “international monitoring mechanism” to track incidents of “Islamophobia.”
More here:
Muslim nations must collectively resist growing Islamophobia in the US and Europe, the head of the world’s largest organization of Islamic countries told ministers from the 57 member nations gathered here this week.
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu urged members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to work with Western leaders to dispel misconceptions about their faith. They met on the edge of the UN General Assembly.
… “The Muslim world is going through an unprecedented difficult and trying time,” Ihsanoglu told the ministers during their annual meeting on Friday. “We are facing daunting challenges and severe hardships. Islam and Muslims are under serious attack, and Islamophobia is growing and becoming more rampant and dangerous by the day.”He said a “pandemic of Islam vilification” is sweeping through some parts of Europe and the United States, increasing misperceptions about Islam and eroding Muslims’ human rights.
Well, now that we are (again) with the Islamophobia, the Jyllands-Posten is again under threat and Mr. Ihsanoglu is (again) making stupid statements, it’s time to remember that, after telling Muslims that “violence weakens us” (that is, it’s not that using violence to try achieving a goal is wrong, but that rather people are looking at us as lunatics…), he said:
… the OIC was seeking an assurance from the EU that such incidents would not be repeated in the future and called upon the West to ensure that the dignity of Islam was respected.Mr Ihsanoglu expressed regret at the failure of some newspapers and governments to apologise to Muslims and rejected the justification that it was an issue of freedom of expression.“What we are looking for is that you take our sensitivities in your definition [of freedom of expression]. If you fail to do that… it will be a problem of credibility and a problem of universality of European values.”
Sensitivities are not to be considered when saying the truth and respect is earned by each individual’s actions. Precisely because rights are respected, people don’t like several Islamic mores and attitudes. Why should we just be quiet about those things we don’t like? Imagine how this would suit politicians: “don’t critisize us, it hurts our sensitivities“.
Is it because we, as non-Muslims, can’t criticize Islam? Probably that’s the reason. But Mr. Ihsanoglu doesn’t say that, because he knows he would be laughed at. He prefers to take another path, much more subtle, that consists in exploiting the already deep culpability complex of Western societies. Victimization always produces excellent results, and there is no reason not to believe that this is not going to be the case, as there are important parts of society, who don’t understand that, if sentiments begin to meddle in rational criticism, freedom of speech and control over those actions we legitimately consider wrong, will just dissappear.
For example, take this comment, someone left at the blog:
I came across ur blog as i was searching on these cartoons and I read u’r comments and I read all the Islam bashing that you do in them.
It’s interesting to note that I mainly don’t comment the news. I just copy the news that are published on different sources, an important part of which are underreported. So, if telling the truth is “bashing”, then the problem is not mine, it’s of the people that are really doing those things.
I don’t want 2 comment on that, as u have categorically said that u’r blog is about the cartoons on the prophet and as per what i understand u’r point is y dont ppl hv a sense of humour n y dont they see the “funny side” of these cartoons and the freedom of expression bit…
I don’t see either the “funny side” of pornographic photos of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ (those are not the only one example, although in that case they were public funded, something that differs greatly from the Mohammed cartoons’ case) or the insults against Pope Benedict XVIth but I don’t call for the beheading of their authors, for laws against the people who paint/photograph those kind of things, etc. I just don’t buy their products. If they don’t earn money, they are not going to be very anxious to continue doing them. Of course, there would be ever someone who would buy those but, if they continue producing that kind of “art”, it won’t be with my support.
well, my only question 2 u is how would u feel if the person or thing u adore the most in ur life was made fun of in front of the entire world or was ridiculed in public? Now, the prophet is like that for millions of Muslims (sane and insane) across the world. And what sort of freedom of expression are we talking about here, the freedom to insult a religion in public. What the terrorists/extremists do is wrong and condemned by one and all (actually killing innocent ppl is their freedom of expression, but I m sure u wont laugh at this barbaric joke as ur compassion overpowers ur sense of humour), and that is why they are being hunted and killed everywhere, in the same way, these cartoons also hurt millions but then u label it as freedon of expression and a lack of sense of humour in muslims. In a global economy, when every other nation knows what is happening in countries outside their own, events like these should be condemned and not propagated. I am sure the cartoonist can express himself in better ways and show his funny side and creativity. In the end, I wud just like to say that I am a Muslim and I peacefully, without any hard feelings, condemn the views supported by ur blog I hope the next time u think “violent and barbaric = Muslims”, u also think of the millions of peaceful, educated yet devout muslims like me.
The rest of the comment is based on the assumption that I will ask for other people’s freedom to be diminished so my religion is not “insulted“. I wonder what this guy would think of Anjem Choudary and friends?
In the end, this is only a question about lacking self-criticism. If you consider that you’re always right, you’re not going to accept that other people find your ideas, mores or behaviours as absolutely wrong or sufficient to laugh at or mock about. Every human being has the right to laugh about others’ point of views, even if the latter don’t accept criticism.
Lastly, I can’t even consider that drawing a cartoon is the same as killing someone. With the first thing, the people you supposedly hurt can continue their lives and don’t have much more pain that knowing that there is someone very far away, that laughs about their ideas. With the second example, a person is deprived of the one right without which no other right can be exercised: life. So, it’s not a question about “lacking sense of humour“, it’s a question of priorities. Priorities: I guess they are a little changed when Islam enters the scene…
PS: Yes, we all know that there are “peaceful Muslims“. The problem is that those Muslims are not speaking out loud, and, if they do, they just protest about “being insulted” (like this reader) and not about confronting those who, apparently, have “hijacked” Islam.
Anyway, it’s conforting to see a Muslim who is not calling for my beheading for publishing the Mohammed cartoons, that I can add, it’s the exception. Normally I receive comments (as every other anti-jihadist blogger) as the one I posted the other day.
PS2: I have changed the blog’s background to suit this piece of news. I think it’s important to fight for the freedom to critizise the world we are living in, whover gets angry or mad or falls ill after watching its criticism.
