Political Semi-Thought

The Arab world is up in arms over a lame comic strip. Comedy - 1. World - 0.

Did you hear. The whole arab world got mad at denmark.


There was this political comic, and they drew a picture of mohammed, the muslim jesus, wearing a bomb for a turban. Now this is offensive to muslims for a few reasons. First, you aren't supposed to draw Mohammed. This is a rule. We have Jesus wrestling Santa on South Park, but this is not how the muslims roll. It's a craven image thing.

Also, and more importantly, it sure generalizes. It sure makes no distinction between muslims and muslim extremists who make jihad. Moderate muslims are insulted. They feel distrusted by a world that distrusts them.

And they are not lazy about their outrage. The internet says a danish dairy is already going out of business cause they can't sell thier cheese. Terror groups are warning the danish to leave all arab countries. For a sixth of the world, all things danish are out. Even toaster danish.
Now I am all for respecting people and all that. But I am even more for respecting the freedom of the press. Governments don't tell the press what to print, even if it's bad for say, international peace. In turn, government's views and policies are not necassarily reflected by the press.
So all these other European capitals printed the cartoon as a gesture to international freedom of the press. So naturally the arabs can't get mad at all of Europe, right? Wrong. Their anger cup runneth over and there's lots for everybody.

So what is going on here?

Here in North America, we like how we do things. We even like to tell other countries to do things more like us. But what is the line between cultural relativism and plain old right and wrong?

Like the Taleban. I know muslims feel differently about women's rights than many non-Cathlolic North Americans. But executing a woman for showing her ankles. I can't get behind that. I can't just say, oh that's just the custom. It's not like putting mayonaise on french fries. That shit is WRONG.

I feel the same way about threatening artists who speak their mind. If you want beauty, if you want there to be landscapes and sit coms and books about how the war affected Grandpa, you have the other stuff too. You have to have the art that makes you mad. And you're not allowed to burn the books, or kill the writers. I have read a lot of Salmon Rushdie since the hit was put out on him, and I thank Odin they didn't get him. He is awesome.

At the same time, the Arab world has many many valid beefs. I have long felt for the Palestinians, and being a lover of intellectual comedy, I like jews better than most.
I like intellectual comedy so much, that I must look askance at a comic with Mohommed wearing a bomb. It's kind of obvious, isn't it? Plainly offensive, judging from the reaction. So while I judge your joke as being poor, perhaps even worthy of a ring of shame, I do not beleive everyday Danes should face jihad over it. It's not their fault.

But on the side of the Arab world, most of their newspapers reflect no opinion besides the government's. Thus a cartoon in the paper is the equivilent to them of being included in an "axis of evil" speech. Maybe the key is more freedom of the press in the Arab world.

That way rich people could buy the papers and influence public opinion fair and square. Just like we do here.