Infinite MonkeysHugh Hewitt leaps to the defense of islamic violence today in his post "A Decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind" and gets it all wrong.
The furor over the Danish cartoons is sparking an odd reaction among some commentators in the West who see no contradiction in condemning the idiocy of Joel Stein or the repulsiveness of Tom Toles while urging solidarity with the idiot newspapermen in Denmark who thought it a good idea to not just illustrate Mohammed, but to include some illustrations designed to offend. Like Toles and Stein, they sought a cheap reaction, and getting it, are alarmed that anyone could be judgmental of their efforts.
Yes, Hugh, there is a difference. First, the condemnation of Toles and Joel Stein does not include violence and death threats. And that's the point.
Of course the thugs who threaten violence against the idiots are evil, and the reaction across radical Islam is every bit as chilling and outrageous as the 1989 fatwa against Rushdie.
But . . ?
But I think the third course between the cartoonist provocateurs and the radicals waving guns at the EU employees in Gaza is to denounce without ambiguity or excuse the latter but at the same time to delineate a very bright line between what the West stands for and the churlishness of the caroonist provocateurs.
That's what is happening. In the West - for the most part - when we are offended, we protest. We scream and yell. We generally don't threaten violence, take hostages, or declare a clash of civilizations. Isn't this obvious?
Our country's founding document includes in its opening paragraph the explanation for why the Declaration is necessary: "a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that [we] should declare the causes which impel [us] to the Separation."
Sorry, Hugh, but the "decent respect" should be a two-way street. It stopped being that a long time ago.
The cartoons were in bad taste, an unnecessary affront to many of the 1.3 billion Muslims in the world, just as Joel Stein affronted the military, the families and friends of the military, and as Toles did the same to the wounded, and their families, friends and admirers. [Actually, I think the Toles cartoon and the reprehensible Stein comments were worse. But then I'm not looking for hostages in Gaza.] Of course each of them had the absolute right to publish their screed, and the Dutch (and now Norwegian) governments must reply to demands that these papers be punished with a steely refusal to be dictated to as to their culture of free expression and the protection of the vulgar and the stupid.
A "steely resolve"? Is it a "steely resolve" not to fully report the facts and what is prompting this irrational behavior like CNN and NBC are doing? Steely? please.
But don't cheer the vulgar and the stupid.
Come on, Hugh. Noblody is cheering the vulagar and the stupid. What we are doing is highlighting the vulgar and stupid (and irrational) reaction to a bunch of cartoons.
There are hundreds of thousands of American troops deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and across the globe among Muslim peoples who they are trying to befriend. The jihadists like nothing more than evidence that these troops represent a West intent on a new crusade and a new domination of Muslims. Idiot cartoonists make our troops' jobs more difficult, and the jihadists' mission easier.
We rightly condemn and must continue to condemn every anti-Semitic outburst from the president of Iran and every anti-Semitic cartoon published in the hate press of the Middle East. Those condemnations loose some of their force among some of the world if we rush to defend those cartoons that can objectively be seen as anti-Muslim.
You think they are objectively anti-Muslim. Not so sure I do. Not sure all Muslims do.
The jihadists are the enemy, not the Muslim world. [Yes, we've heard the president say this over, and over again.] Refusing to recognize how idiot cartoonists can indeed offend Muslims who are not only not Islamofascists but also our allies and even our fellow citizens is to refuse Muslims the right to at least the same level of disgust that Christians display when they denounce stupid NBC series like The Book of Daniel or shows like Will & Grace.
This is silly. Nobody questions the right of Muslims to have the same level of disgust at these cartoons that I might have over Piss Christ or other rot. If that were the issue, this debate would not be heppening. What of the violence, Hugh? Is that the "same level of disgust"?
Cartoonists seeking to offend need to be defended against violence, but they don't deserve praise and certainly not praise for their gift to the jihadists.
Again, a non sequitor.
Decency, and a respect for the opinions of mankind, oght still to be highly valued.
Finally, I think we agree on something. Can I put Piglet back in my office?
Posted by JamesPh. at February 3, 2006 07:45 AMAmen, brother. HH's reaction is baffling. No one gets to riot and grab weapons and hostages when your irrational beliefs are lampooned, unless, of course, you're PETA, a Communist, or, yes, Muslim.
Posted by: Exeye at February 3, 2006 12:13 PMNo mention anywhere of the anti-any other religion cartoons seen in Middle-Eastern newspapers. Newspapers which are often government controlled propaganda machines.
Double standard?
Posted by: davod at February 3, 2006 12:46 PM