Afraid to Speak Out About Islam
Read Steve Emerson's blog post on Jihad in 2006 and then you'll know exactly of what I am speaking about. There is a pervasive need to dance around on tip-toes with any Muslim issues in the Press. We just saw this happen in Berlin, the opera company there has pulled an opera piece by Mozart that had a scene where Muhammad's, Jesus' and Buddha's severed heads were carried around on stage.
I ask why Muslims are up in arms about this opera when Christians and Buddhists are not. The Opera in question did not just single out Muhammad, but was equally offensive to several religions and yet we did not see discussion in the Press on any topic other than the Opera had to be stopped because of treading on Muslim sensibilities. There were no threats of violence from the Christians or worries about the Opera treading on their beliefs! Steve Emerson's piece speaks of the threat to the freedom of speech for the Press and for the general public under the guise of "an extreme offense to Islam".
Even on this blog we have restrained ourselves and removed topics that although clearly in the realm of freedom of speech, were too hot of a topic for the Muslim community for fear of personal repercussions. Steve Emerson speaks of that too, the threat of violence to the Press when a reporter speaks out on topics that are perceived as destructive to the faith in the eyes of an Islamic community.
I, personally, have felt this same pressure to be careful and have experienced this same concern for my personal safety. It is real! Do you wonder why we use pseudonyms instead of our real names and do not talk about our geographic locations? This blog team worries about personal reprisals as some of the topics we discuss as a team are "hot". If in this small microcosm of the blogosphere we experience a repression of free speech on Islam then how much greater must the pressure be for those on the real Press front lines. Steve Emerson still lives like a gypsy moving from place to place to thwart potential assassination attempts. The repression of free speech is real and a growing problem.
I point out to you, that when the Press bashed the Pope and called him insensitive, I did not see masses of Catholics hit the streets and trash Mosques and demonstrate against Islam, but I did see Muslim demonstrations, Muslims destroying Catholic churches, and screams in the Press from Muslim clerics for the Pope to grovel in public. Even the Pakistani Parliament passed a resolution condemning the Pope. Why is that? What do you think? Click the comment link under this post and tell me what you think about the constraint of free speech when it comes to topics that Muslim's hold dear versus what other religion's hold dear. Why is there a perception of difference and why are the followers of Islam more ready to speak out on this issue than other religions? Are their causes more celebrated than others? Are their beliefs more sacred than others?
I ask why Muslims are up in arms about this opera when Christians and Buddhists are not. The Opera in question did not just single out Muhammad, but was equally offensive to several religions and yet we did not see discussion in the Press on any topic other than the Opera had to be stopped because of treading on Muslim sensibilities. There were no threats of violence from the Christians or worries about the Opera treading on their beliefs! Steve Emerson's piece speaks of the threat to the freedom of speech for the Press and for the general public under the guise of "an extreme offense to Islam".
Even on this blog we have restrained ourselves and removed topics that although clearly in the realm of freedom of speech, were too hot of a topic for the Muslim community for fear of personal repercussions. Steve Emerson speaks of that too, the threat of violence to the Press when a reporter speaks out on topics that are perceived as destructive to the faith in the eyes of an Islamic community.
I, personally, have felt this same pressure to be careful and have experienced this same concern for my personal safety. It is real! Do you wonder why we use pseudonyms instead of our real names and do not talk about our geographic locations? This blog team worries about personal reprisals as some of the topics we discuss as a team are "hot". If in this small microcosm of the blogosphere we experience a repression of free speech on Islam then how much greater must the pressure be for those on the real Press front lines. Steve Emerson still lives like a gypsy moving from place to place to thwart potential assassination attempts. The repression of free speech is real and a growing problem.
I point out to you, that when the Press bashed the Pope and called him insensitive, I did not see masses of Catholics hit the streets and trash Mosques and demonstrate against Islam, but I did see Muslim demonstrations, Muslims destroying Catholic churches, and screams in the Press from Muslim clerics for the Pope to grovel in public. Even the Pakistani Parliament passed a resolution condemning the Pope. Why is that? What do you think? Click the comment link under this post and tell me what you think about the constraint of free speech when it comes to topics that Muslim's hold dear versus what other religion's hold dear. Why is there a perception of difference and why are the followers of Islam more ready to speak out on this issue than other religions? Are their causes more celebrated than others? Are their beliefs more sacred than others?
To The Watcher,
A very brief answer:
You ask why are Muslims up in arms? I personally am not up in arms (yes I am a British Muslim). Firstly let me add that it may be wiser not to generalise, otherwise your statement is simply untrue. As in Mathematics it only takes one example to disprove a statement.
To answer your question in the last paragraph, you need to understand the cultural differences between the East and West and stop playing the ‘blame game.’ Like “Why not us” and other numerous statements that you and your compatriots make. There are countries in the East that want to extend their laws on our society as you have identified. Equally countries in the West exert even greater pressure on those in the East to influence their societies.
This verbal outpour is small even insignificant to the military operations of occupation, assassination, arming of regimes to influence these same societies that we describe are repressing our free speech. Ask yourself if the West had never intervened would the situation be as it is today?
Also take the word Muslim, forgot for a moment it’s meaning. Today it’s a buzzword associated with terror, hatred and repression etc, a popular topics for today’s electronic borderless societies. This result is sensationliastion of this particular buzzword.
Back to your question (corrected to make it answer worthy), “Why are [some] Muslims up in arms?” Well you partially answered the question, as have I partially in the paragraph above. More importantly the answer does not lie in it’s meaning “Muslim” but in its origin.
Posted by N.R | Thu Sep 28, 09:57:00 AM EDT
N.R., you are voice of tolerance and a fine illustration of the side of Islam that we rarely hear about in the Press.
What are your views on the topic of cultural jihad that Steve Emerson speaks of in his blog post on this past Tuesday.
You are a prime example of the type of Muslim that he is calling to action to thwart the spread of extremism.
What are your thoughts on that topic? I would like to know.
Posted by The Watcher | Thu Sep 28, 01:44:00 PM EDT