Ideals and Images

Let me stress that these reports include the obvious — that the hate speech linked to these cartoons is coming from Muslims who are often opposed by other Muslims. We are, yet again, seeing signs of fissures within the Islamic communities in these lands.

But it is also hard to ignore that the Islamists are actually saying. Who is talking about this being “a war”?

....I think editors are having trouble pinning “hate speech” labels on their meddia counterparts in Europe. Yet that means that the Islamists must be wrong. What to do? Who to blame? You know that legions of editorial-page editors are praying that Pat Robertson will say something amazing and bail them out.

[via Get Religion]

and in the comments...

I am perplexed by why we always have to equate this to the offensive actions against Christians. I know there is a double standard — no argument there. (I think this is what the pro-Danish groundswell is actually saying when they reprint the cartoons across Blogdom.)

I think the better argument is to say, “How can Muslims plead outrage and take offense when they are constantly guilty of attacking and denigrating the Jewish faith and people?”

To use the first argument is to defend all sacrilegious freedom of speech. “Since you already offend Christians, you might as well offend Muslims.”

To use the second argument shows the inherent double standard within Islam, which is more important than the tiresome double standard within the mainstream media.

--gsk