I take great offense to Issam Khoury's attack on the "free speech contingency" in his opinion piece on the Cartoon War in Monday's Eagle. We in said contingency understand very well the meaning of freedom. Indeed, the cartoons were published to illustrate an article on prevalent self-censorship in the media regarding Muslim issues. Jyllands-Posten, the offending Danish newspaper, took up the debate because a Danish author Kare Bluitgen could not find anyone willing to illustrate a children's book he wrote about the life of Mohammad. Bluitgen wrote the book to foster understanding between Danes and Muslim immigrants.
If anyone was wondering why the Muslim world only started complaining now, when the cartoons were published back in September, there are some interesting facts that the Blogosphere has unearthed (Michelle Malkin has detailed coverage). Radical Danish imam Abu Laban brought the twelve cartoons with him, plus three utterly offensive fakes, on a tour of the Middle East to raise awareness of Danish "intolerance." One of the fakes is a poor-quality reproduction of an AP photo from a French pig-squealing contest, which Abu Laban told Muslim leaders was supposed to depict Mohammad as a pig. Another of them is a praying Muslim being raped by a dog, and the last is a terrible line drawing of Mohammad under the title "paedofile." Abu Laban claimed that these were included among 120 drawings published in Jyllands-Posten, though the paper only published 12.
The real victim here is the Muslim population, but not at the hands of the Danes. Muslims have been deceived by their religious and political leaders, who are bent on destroying the freedoms we in the West hold so dear. The cartoons were published in Egyptian daily Al Fagr last October, yet no pandemonium ensued. Mohammad's depiction has been in the North Frieze of the Supreme Court building since it was built in 1935, yet there is no Muslim outcry against it. Should we, in "respect" for Islam, destroy this historic frieze to comply with Shari'ah?
Last Friday, The Boston Phoenix candidly explained its reason for not publishing the cartoons: "Out of fear of retaliation from the international brotherhood of radical and bloodthirsty Islamists who seek to impose their will on those who do not believe as they do. This is, frankly, our primary reason for not publishing any of the images in question. Simply stated, we are being terrorized, and as deeply as we believe in the principles of free speech and a free press, we could not in good conscience place the men and women who work at the Phoenix and its related companies in physical jeopardy."
We understand freedom, Mr. Khoury. It is the Islamofascists who do not. So far, two editors in Jordan and two in Algeria have been arrested for blasphemy after reprinting the cartoons. Malaysia and Yemen have shut down newspapers. The Syrian government allowed two embassies to be burned. Protesters in London and all over the Middle East called for the beheading of the cartoonists and the destruction of Denmark, Europe, and America.
Here in the West, we do not jail editors who print cartoons. No one is immune from satire. Our president deserves no special protection, and neither do intolerant religious nuts of any creed. Muslims who cannot respond to satire according to Western norms of dissent, such as letters to the editor and peaceful protest, should head over to Iran, where they can be protected from the evil infidels who wish to insult them. Anyone who would deprive me of my right to speak my mind, or would kill me for doing it, can take his jihad and shove it. Anyone else is welcome to join in the debate.
David Pomeroy is a sophomore in the School of International Service.
