Anger Management 101

Ok....here's the thing: I've seen a few protest signs during these Muslim demonstrations, where the signs say something to the effect that "Muslims revere Moses and Jesus too", as great prophets.

Strange then, that they did not express all of this outrage when Andres Serrano published his photograph, Piss Christ. Where has the Muslim outrage been over the disrespect shown to these other two prophets? They've been caricaturized a gazillion times over in different mediums. Yet, passions have not been aroused over offenses to Moses and Jesus.

Remember the 1600 year old Buddhist statues that were destroyed by the Taliban? Did anyone see Buddhists take up protest signs calling for violence, and set about burning embassies? Condemning the whole of Afghanistan, and the Middle East?

People think the battle waged over Piss Christ was about freedom of speech; but it wasn't. It was about whether or not the art piece should be government funded. And no Christian issued a fatwa, calling for the assassination of Serrano.

A great question posed by Dennis Prager yesterday is this: If Muslims are banned from depicting what Mohammed looks like, for fear of idolatry, why should the rules of conduct apply to nonbelievers? Shouldn't it only matter and apply only to those who believe? If not, then every religion can impose its will on everyone outside of itself.

If you are secure in your faith, it shouldn't matter to you, what other people think. Some of the very tenets in Islam (and I know it isn't exclusive to Islam, if one really wants to find it) seem to breed intolerance. The evidence is in the violent actions of its followers.

Islam has an anger management problem. They are quick to offend and easy to inflame. Moderate Muslims who don't want me to generalize like that need to stand up, then, and take charge of their "religion of peace"...because I'm not alone in this! And, to be frank, I am one of the more moderate voices reacting to the reactionary Muslims rioting in the streets. I like Hugh Hewitt's caution, in not being coerced to engage in a clash of civilizations which some wish to bring about and others believe to be inevitable.

Some people are mad at MSM showing their PC-sensibilities...I have mixed feelings on that. And some feel let down by the Bush Administration for their sensitivity-stance, as well. I think it is diplomatically a smart move. We are making great strides in Iraq and Afghanistan; anything that sets that back, endangers our soldiers and our mission for achieving peace there. You do not want to alienate those we are still trying to win over from the insurgents, there.

Muslims need to reciprocate what they wish to have imparted onto them. It is difficult to give respect, as much as one wants to do so- to a religion that proves intolerant in its actions and destructive in how it interacts with the non-Muslims of the world. To criticize, is not to slander. And rather than being apologists for the problems within their religion, moderate Muslims need to acknowledge it, and take ownership of their faith. The cartoons haven't made Islam look bad. Their violent reaction to it makes Islam look bad.

This "faked but accurate" photo that Anna has up on her blog is funny, because it sums it all up in a bumpersticker slogan:
Islam is becoming a caricature of its own self. And it has no one to blame but its own hypersensitivity. Tolerance and respect are earned. Do they really think that setting embassies on fire and condemning an entire continent puts Islam in a good light?