The censoring of the TV show South Park (Comedy Central) really got my blood boiling. The episode, satirizing the Danish cartoon depiction of the Prophet Muhammad controversy of 2005 was criticized by a group here in the U.S. calling itself Revolution Muslim. I can go along with criticism (free speech) anytime BUT when the criticism turns into a death threat then that is a different story, even if it is a “thinly veiled” threat.
I can understand the network’s reaction, after all a Danish filmmaker was killed for doing a documentary on women in Islamic society. Remember the riots after the Danish cartoons were published and remember Salmon Rushdie who dared write a novel about the Prophet Muhammad; he had to remain in hiding for years and will always have to be on the alert.
All religions have been criticized at some point (Catholic sex scandal) but only in Islam, its followers feel obligated (by their religion?) to kill anyone criticizing their religion or depicting their Prophet Muhammad in some fashion (cartoons, etc.); what are we to make of this?
It is true that the Catholic Church burned people at the stake for any number of infractions against their religion but that was the Middle Ages; are Muslims still in a Middle Ages time warp?
Because this is an issue that is obviously affecting our society (censorship, etc.) and our basic right of free speech, it needs to be addressed and acted on and not just tolerated. I mean all of Western society needs to act on this issue as more and more Muslims choose to live among us.
I am already seeing a backlash in Europe against the Muslim invasion, if we want to call it that. In Switzerland, people voted to ban minarets from which Muslims are called to prayer five times a day. In France, President Sarkozy is trying to ban the wearing of burquas in public.
Here, I have just learned that Billy Graham’s son Franklin was uninvited from a “Day of Prayer” celebration due to his anti-Islam rhetoric.
In Michigan, we have the greatest concentration of Muslims in the U.S. They go out of their way to teach others about themselves and their religion. They do want to be part of the American society at large but still keep their traditions. This is not unlike the Poles, Germans, Italians, Irish, etc. that came to this country in the late 1800s and early 1900s, just like my grandparents did. Yes, they wanted to be assimilated but they kept their traditions and lived within their ethnic community. Their children, on the other hand, became totally americanized and moved out to seek their fortune. I believe this will be the way of Michigan Muslims in time but a few of them will become radicalized and threaten the very country they live in.
It is because of our tradition of free speech that these radicals are allowed to threaten us with their words forcing us to limit our free speech. Does that make sense to you? It is the same with Democracy. Radical Muslims use democratic principles to get elected to power and once in power, they cancel elections and become a theocracy (religious dictatorship).
I am afraid this whole issue is going to get ugly and innocent Muslims will suffer because of a few radicals but we cannot allow anyone from preventing us from using our right to free speech. Laws will be passed to make certain speech (threats) a crime and unfortunately the laws will single out Muslims since they are the only ones telling us what we can and cannot say about their religion or we will be killed.
I guess I am sort of conflicted on this issue of free speech but I do know that if any group like the Comedy Network or even an individual feels scared enough by a threat to stop or alter what they intended to do, a crime has been committed and the criminal needs to be stopped and punished. Freedom of speech is a “relative” freedom; you cannot yell FIRE in a crowded theater and I think this applies to those U.S. radical Muslims that feel free to threaten us with death for what we say or think.
I can understand the network’s reaction, after all a Danish filmmaker was killed for doing a documentary on women in Islamic society. Remember the riots after the Danish cartoons were published and remember Salmon Rushdie who dared write a novel about the Prophet Muhammad; he had to remain in hiding for years and will always have to be on the alert.
All religions have been criticized at some point (Catholic sex scandal) but only in Islam, its followers feel obligated (by their religion?) to kill anyone criticizing their religion or depicting their Prophet Muhammad in some fashion (cartoons, etc.); what are we to make of this?
It is true that the Catholic Church burned people at the stake for any number of infractions against their religion but that was the Middle Ages; are Muslims still in a Middle Ages time warp?
Because this is an issue that is obviously affecting our society (censorship, etc.) and our basic right of free speech, it needs to be addressed and acted on and not just tolerated. I mean all of Western society needs to act on this issue as more and more Muslims choose to live among us.
I am already seeing a backlash in Europe against the Muslim invasion, if we want to call it that. In Switzerland, people voted to ban minarets from which Muslims are called to prayer five times a day. In France, President Sarkozy is trying to ban the wearing of burquas in public.
Here, I have just learned that Billy Graham’s son Franklin was uninvited from a “Day of Prayer” celebration due to his anti-Islam rhetoric.
In Michigan, we have the greatest concentration of Muslims in the U.S. They go out of their way to teach others about themselves and their religion. They do want to be part of the American society at large but still keep their traditions. This is not unlike the Poles, Germans, Italians, Irish, etc. that came to this country in the late 1800s and early 1900s, just like my grandparents did. Yes, they wanted to be assimilated but they kept their traditions and lived within their ethnic community. Their children, on the other hand, became totally americanized and moved out to seek their fortune. I believe this will be the way of Michigan Muslims in time but a few of them will become radicalized and threaten the very country they live in.
It is because of our tradition of free speech that these radicals are allowed to threaten us with their words forcing us to limit our free speech. Does that make sense to you? It is the same with Democracy. Radical Muslims use democratic principles to get elected to power and once in power, they cancel elections and become a theocracy (religious dictatorship).
I am afraid this whole issue is going to get ugly and innocent Muslims will suffer because of a few radicals but we cannot allow anyone from preventing us from using our right to free speech. Laws will be passed to make certain speech (threats) a crime and unfortunately the laws will single out Muslims since they are the only ones telling us what we can and cannot say about their religion or we will be killed.
I guess I am sort of conflicted on this issue of free speech but I do know that if any group like the Comedy Network or even an individual feels scared enough by a threat to stop or alter what they intended to do, a crime has been committed and the criminal needs to be stopped and punished. Freedom of speech is a “relative” freedom; you cannot yell FIRE in a crowded theater and I think this applies to those U.S. radical Muslims that feel free to threaten us with death for what we say or think.
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