What Freedom Of Speech Means To Muslims

The Stiletto ^ | February 28, 2007 | The Stiletto

[theothercheek]

The Stiletto has written several articles examining what freedom of religion means to Muslims. In a nutshell: You have the freedom to convert to Islam, or to live under sharia law even though you are not Muslim and are living in a Western country.The Stiletto now turns her attention on how (really, whether) Muslims comprehend the concept of free speech:

† Exhibit A: The riots in Denmark over the newspaper Jyllands-Posten publishing a handful of cartoons that depicted Mohammed.

† Exhibit B: The death threats against Pope Benedict XVI in Turkey and throughout the Muslim world – and the cold-blooded murder of a nun, as well as firebombings of several churches – over a reference made in a lengthy lecture on a variety of topics.

† Exhibit C: The mere threat of violence against opera-goers, the cast and the crew prompted the Deutsche Oper in Berlin to cancel performances of Mozart's Idomeneo because of a scene in which the hero holds the decapitated heads of Poseidon, Jesus, Buddha and the prophet Mohammed in a sack and cries out, "The Gods are dead!"

† Exhibit D: Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, which makes it a crime to "denigrate Turkishness," chiefly by writing about the genocidal murder of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks as being settled history, whether in newspaper articles or in works of fiction. Amnesty International blames Armenian journalist Hrant Dink’s murder in Istanbul last month on his having been convicted under Article 301 - "a pattern of judicial harassment against him for peacefully expressing his dissenting opinion." Nationalists in Turkey hyped Dink’s conviction under Article 301, inciting murderous retaliation: In his confession, Dink’s assassin, Ogun Samast said, "I read on the Internet that he (Dink) said 'I am from Turkey but Turkish blood is dirty' and I decided to kill him ... I do not regret this."

† Exhibit E: Abdel Kareem Nabil, a 22-year old Egyptian blogger was convicted and sentenced to a three-year prison term for insulting Islam, the Prophet Muhammad and inciting sectarian strife – then tacked on another year for insulting Egypt's president, Hosni Mubarak. A secularist fighting for democratic reforms - the former student of Egypt's Al-Azhar University often referred to the Sunni religious institution as "the university of terrorism" and accusing it of encouraging extremism, reports The Associated Press – Nabil was among a group of bloggers arrested and detained for several weeks last year, but the others had all been freed.

Denmark and Germany are European countries, but fear of provoking the murderous outrage of minority Muslim populations in both countries has had a chilling effect on freedom of the press and freedom of artistic expression. In the supposedly "secular democracy" of Turkey – its population is 99.8 percent Sunni Muslim - the life of the spiritual leader of a major Christian denomination was threatened and a journalist was murdered for exercising their free speech rights. Egypt, a republic that is 90 percent Sunni Muslim, imprisons critics of Islam and of its "elected" president.

So whether Muslims are in the majority or minority, living in a Western nation or in the Middle East, governed under laws that are secular or Islamic, "moderate" or fundamentalist they are all too often hostile to free speech rights: "Shut up, or we will shut you up – permanently."

[neodad]

Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, which makes it a crime to "denigrate Turkishness,"

So I guess Airplane is not Sharia compliant?

[theothercheek]

It would not appear so ...

[yoe]

Another look at TROP.

(bookmark it)

[angkor]

Also several cases of blasphemy in Pakistan over the years. I believe at least one guy was stoned to death. ("Hey, don't mess with our tribal traditions!").

[theothercheek]

I think the file was moved. Got another link?

[hubbubhubbub]

You must read Mark Steyn's book, America Alone.

[theothercheek]

It's on my list ...

[walford]

On a related subject, I recall an imam being interviewed on a call-in show being asked about the great Islamic expansion during the middle ages in Europe and North Africa. He insisted that it was all defensive in nature.

Whether it is freedom of speech or defense of Islam, we all must bear in mind their mindset: They are worshiping the One True God by practicing the One True Religion -- and the Correct sect thereof. We're talking about eternity vs life.

Thus any speech that is deemed non-Islamic is a direct threat -- nay, an abomination. No limits are conceivable in 'defending' against such a threat. Killing women and children is sincerely seen as doing God's work to these people.

This mentality is not amenable to debate.

[theothercheek]

This is why it's futile to win hearts and minds in Iraq. We should use the surge for one purpose only: get the job done, by which I mean kill as many insurgents and Islamofascists as possible then get out. The suvivors might be of a less violent temprament and might actually form a government that works.