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Deja vu — Judith Apter Klinghoffer

Judith Apter Klinghoffer

ISLAMISTS DEFEND THE VIOLENT RESPONSE/ update

I have been sitting on this article for sometime. It was forwarded to me by a Muslim columnist reader of my blog. He did so because he shares the sentiments expressed in it. Indeed, it seems to have been circulating on Yahoo listservs worldwide. As I do not know much about the writer, I have hesitated to help circulate his ideas.

This morning as I was reading through Andrew Sullivan's blog, I found the following insightful remark:

I have yet to find an opponent of Jyllands-Posten's decision to publish the cartoons who is prepared to defend the mob violence and intimidation that has ensued. What I find instead is a mealy-mouthed equation between "extremists on both sides." I find the equivalence troubling.

While the equivalence is certainly troubling, it is just as troubling to be exposed only to what Muslim organizations feel appropriate to non-Muslim ears. So, here are some excerpts from a vigorous defense, one entitled Freedom for Danish Bacon – Part 1:

A tiny nation like Denmark would not antagonise a population of over one billion, unless it knew that it can do it with impunity. Earlier, the Danish Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, refused to meet the ambassadors of eleven Muslim countries regarding the offensive cartoons published by Jyllands-Posten. Thus, the Danish government knowingly allowed the publishing of the offensive materials, with total disregard for their Muslims citizens at home and the Muslims abroad. The criminal act was initiated by Denmark without provocation; it constituted declaring war on Islam and Muslims. They deserve a response of war accordingly, burning of the embassies in Syria, Lebanon, Indonesia are signs that future responses will be through deeds as well as words. . . .
Now the question is apart from economic boycotts and political protests, how to respond to insults. Insults are below the belt, akin to a beast on its four legs biting at our ankle. Should we go down on our four limbs and respond in kind? Nope, instead we should find ways to restrain the beast with a chain around its neck, then attempt to tame it, so that it can live with others on this Planet. Alternatively, after chaining the beast, we too can proceed to exercise our freedom on it, so that the beast gets a taste of its own medicine and thus restrains itself. . . .

I suggest you read the rest. If we want to engage in an honest dialogue with the Islamists, it is crucial to understand their authentic thought patterns and not be satisfied with the camouflaged their apologists present.

Please note that the posting assumes that the bogus information about the cartoons is true. Hence, the reference to bacon.

Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 10:36 AM | Comments (11) | Return

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