They are hoping the fact the MSM is not showing the cartoons will be just more
protest chatter which americans ignore.
Mr. Bombhead is an accurate reprentation of Islam from the day it started to present.
Posted on 02/05/2006 11:46:47 AM PST by lancer
WASHINGTON: Tempered reaction among US Muslims to the row over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) can be partly attributed to their integration into American society, community leaders say.
Fear of reprisals and the fact that the offending cartoons have not been reprinted in any major US newspapers may also have contributed to the lack of street protests and violence, they add. “There is better integration here of communities into the general society than in Europe where integration has not been very effective,” Kareem Shora, of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), said.
“This (controversy) echoes the historical problems that Europeans had with anti-Semitism,” he added. “Now Islamophobia seems to be an acceptable form of public discourse in Europe.”
Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News in the state of Michigan, which has the largest concentration of Arabs outside the Middle East, said he believes the country’s 6-7mn Muslims had not taken to the streets to express outrage in part because of fear of retaliation by authorities.
“People are scared,” he said. “We have a government saying it is spying on us and it’s scaring the living daylights out of people.
“But they still feel the same about this issue and are very angry.” Siblani blasted the cartoons as proof of Western insensitivity to Islam and double standards in dealing with the Muslim world. “The other day the president of Iran made a statement about the Holocaust and the whole world condemned him,” he said. “Here you have a statement offending 1.3bn people around the world. Why don’t we see condemnation?”
“There is one set of rules for the West and another set for everyone else,” he added. “Where do we draw the line on your freedom of speech and hurting my feelings and principles and irritating the hell out of me?”
Several community leaders warned that the crisis could easily escalate if the West fails to fully grasp the reasons behind the uproar over the cartoons, which have been printed in several European newspapers and which Muslims regard as blasphemous.
Islamic tradition bans depictions of the Prophet (pbuh). “Instead of encouraging constructive integration, this (cartoon controversy) does nothing but add to the divide and perception that there is an us-versus-them mentality,” Shora said.
He said ADC planned to meet next week with members of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCRIF), a government body that promotes religious tolerance, to discuss the uproar.
Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said he hoped the controversy would not escalate any further and that reason would win over violence.
“We hope and pray that cool heads will prevail in the next few days and weeks as this controversy comes to our shores,” he said. “That extremism and bigotry will not be allowed to shape the debate between America and the Muslim world.”
The United States backed Muslims on Friday against European newspapers that printed the blasphemous cartoons in a move that could help America’s battered image in the Islamic world.
Inserting itself into a dispute that has become a lightning rod for anti-European sentiment across the Muslim world, the United States sided with Muslims outraged that the publications put press freedom over respect for religion.
“These cartoons are indeed offensive to the belief of Muslims,” State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper said in answer to a question.
“We all fully recognise and respect freedom of the press and expression, but it must be coupled with press responsibility. Inciting religious or ethnic hatreds in this manner is not acceptable.”
The United States stopped short of urging US media not to republish the cartoons.
American Muslims welcomed the position despite some misgivings that unpopular US policies such as the Iraq war and perceived pro-Israeli stances in the Palestinian conflict meant there was little America could do to repair its image.
What people are waiting for a Muslim 'mainstream' to define itself and tell the world 'terrorists don't speak for me'. The US, with its law and etiquette of free faith, would be a logical place for such Muslims to speak out. Why is this so difficult?
Yes, I agree...please spare us the media crap, on the "moderate" Muslims...blood is thicker than water....if called upon to rise up, all Muslims will obey, in Washington, Seattle, or London.....
"Their numbers are simply not big enough to dare it. Yet."
That's the overriding issue for these guys. If the numbers were more to their liking and they felt like they could kow us I'd bet my backside we'd be having problems here as well. The goal of true Muslims worldwide is the same, the only difference being tactical considerations.
No, this is not a "manners" issue.
Denmark has a free press. It was not the Danish government that printed the cartoon. Nor did the Danish government have the authority to stop the cartoon from being printed.
Yet, the Muslims are torching Danish government property, NOT that of the offending newspapers.
This is an issue of Muslims seeking an opportunity to assert their authority. A weak and apathetic Europe is the perfect victim to bully around. The Danes are trying to show some backbone with this pathetic (and perhaps somewhat rude) demonstration, but the Muslims are slapping them back into submission.
A strong and enraged America is not the country to bully around. Which is precisely why there have not been similar demonstrations in this country.
Let me help you out a little more. You worship a "prophet" who was a liar, thief, rapist, and murderer. I worship the sinless Son of God, who showed mercy for the entire world.
“This (controversy) echoes the historical problems that Europeans had with anti-Semitism,” he added. “Now Islamophobia seems to be an acceptable form of public discourse in Europe.”
In other words, better integration for this guy means better integration of western societies INTO the psychopath "'crusty the clown has hurt feelings' is Mohammed" invading cult of islam.
And not, antisemitism is not akin to islamophobia. Antisemitism was a direct result of removing phobias for secular murderous purposes. It is islamists and their reaction to cartoons that show their deep paranoia.
“People are scared,” he said. “We have a government saying it is spying on us and it’s scaring the living daylights out of people.
Well, don't let the screen door hit you in your Muslim derriere on the way out of the country, Osama.
pork 'em if they can't take a joke.
on second thought, pork 'em if they can.
Moslems can't sincerly condem because their "faith" does not allow peaceful existence. The rule is "die, submit, or convert." There are no other choices.
They have to weasel and deny, it is the only way for them to buy time for themselves.
Ask yourself would the drawer of this cartoon have Muslims for dinner and repeat in a verbal way the message of the cartoon?
Now *That would be bad manners. But the cartoonist didn't invite any Muslims to dinner, did he..
Outstanding!
Oh, Mr. Rogers, why did you retire? You need to go back to the neighborhood and teach about the maturity, both emotional and intellectual, that is so needed and so sorely lacking in their beliefs.
Nope, 'Poohbah' is the name of one of the characters in 'The Mikado' by Gilbert and Sullivan. He had a vast array of titles, such as Lord Chief Justice, Master of the Buckhounds and Groom of the Back Stairs, as well as the handy catch-all post of Lord High Everything Else.
The difference is, we're armed. The Euros aren't.
Piss be upon him
Northerlies at 5-15 here today. Perfect winds for Nylon flags...
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"Several community leaders warned that the crisis could easily escalate if the West fails to fully grasp the reasons behind the uproar over the cartoons, which have been printed in several European newspapers and which Muslims regard as blasphemous." |
| Since when is it legal to issue death threats in America, or in any western country or even to incite to do harm? Round this guy and his followers up now. Ship them back where they came from.
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