http://www.DashboardMohammed.com

~Head in the Sand~

Sorry, but you seem to be hankerin to argue with one of the boogymen that you hear about on a daily basis by the RW blowhards. Look elsewhere.

Or better yet, stop taking the propaganda seriously.

You seem to state that Muslim violence to a perceived insult to their religion is a valid form of protest, yet I have seen in several of your posts that America is wrong when we use any force in response to a perceived threat to our country and our form of government. Tell me why you have this apparent hypocrisy between the two scenarios? Is a violence justified when someone verbally insults Islam but any response to this violence sis not justified? Why do you give Muslims free reign in violent acts yet condemn America for it's violence in things like war?

–noun 1. swift and intense force: the violence of a storm.
2. rough or injurious physical force, action, or treatment: to die by violence.
3. an unjust or unwarranted exertion of force or power, as against rights or laws: to take over a government by violence.
4. a violent act or proceeding.
5. rough or immoderate vehemence, as of feeling or language: the violence of his hatred.
6. damage through distortion or unwarranted alteration: to do editorial violence to a text.

I hope you realize that an inquiry as to why people behave a certain way is not an endorsement of how they behave. With that hopefully made clear, I would respond to your comment by pointing out that most of those who have such a strong reaction might beg to differ with you that their reaction is to mere insults.

They probably see those words as part of a larger picture, one which includes the presence of the American army in Iraq, a looming threat of military attack against Iran, continued Western support for unpopular authoritarian regimes, and (once again, from their perspective) the presence of Israel which is seen as an outpost of Western civilization invading their lands and dispossessing the native people. In this context, the words of a pope (remember who it was that inspired and led the crusades) can easily be seen as part and parcel of an ongoing offensive bent on domination and conquest.

If you live in that world, and view recent events in the manner I lay out above, then what are you to think of the motivation of the pope for implying (through the words of others) that Islam, as a whole (not just the violent conversion) is evil and inhuman? Are these not the classic memes that are brought forth to define an enemy as one that it is justified in killing?

Historical analogies (e.g. the crusades) can be extremely misleading, but using such analogies is a very popular way of making sense out of current events. We in the west use them all the time (e.g. Munich, ad nauseum).

That they may be wrong about this whole perspective is something that should be made clear, rather than giving every reason to confirm them in that belief.

I think a lot of media reporting is based on cowardice and greed. Cowardice because they slant the reporting so they can operate in normally "free speech hostile areas". Greed because the reporting from these areas helps the bottom line.

The bottom line for me is that all journalists who mislead so they can report safely do not report they propagandize.

Given that the divine is supposed to be timeless, it only makes sense that if what Christ taught is true, what Mohammed taught that differs from that, ain't divine.

And Islam itself argues that Christ's teachings are erroneous.

Which, I'll refer you again to my previous comment above.

I imagine that that is what is getting the Muslims so upset.

And yet so many inflammatory things are said about Christianity -- there and here -- and how often do we see Christians threatening riot, murder, and war over mere insults?

The fact Muslims are, is strongly indicative that "evil and inhuman" is probably not all that untrue a description.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached".

Which rather clearly states that violence is merely one example of a general characterization of the contribution that Muhammed made - that is was ALL "evil and inhuman".

I imagine that that is what is getting the Muslims so upset. Understandably.

Seems that quite a few folks are ragging on the Vatican and its promulgation of statements and clarifications, though most of those denigrating the Pope are Muslims who are not yet appeased. All this comes as a result of the Pope's theological discus....

More to come on this..A NUN being killed and CHURCHES BURNED!!!!
Michelle Malkin: Italian nun killed;Pope sorry for Muslim reaction
Via AP: Italian nun shot dead by Somali gunmen
Captain's Quarters: The Religion Of The Peace Of Surr ......