Yes Folks, This is Crazy

Syria, Rice Face Off Over Prophet Cartoon


"(CNN) -- As President Bush urged governments to help quell the violence
Wednesday, his secretary of state began sparring with the Syrian government
over the deadly protests sparked by a series of cartoons depicting the
Prophet Mohammed.
As world leaders and the editor of the paper that first published the
cartoons speculated over how the violence escalated to a level that killed
at least 10 people in different countries, Condoleezza Rice pointed the
finger at Syria and Iran.
"Iran and Syria have gone out of their way to inflame sentiments and to use
this to their own purposes, and the world ought to call them on it," she
said at a joint news conference with Israel's foreign minister, Tzipi Livni.
Although Tehran did not immediately respond, Syria's ambassador to the
United States, Imad Moustapha, denied Rice's accusation and tried to turn
the blame for the violence on Israeli and U.S. policy decisions unrelated to
the cartoon row.
"We in Syria believe anti-Western sentiments are being fueled by two major
things: the situation in Iraq and the situation in the occupied territories,
the West Bank and Gaza," Moustapha said.
He added, "We believe that if somebody would tell Secretary Rice that Syria
is not the party that occupies Iraq and is not the party that occupies the
West Bank and Gaza, then probably she would know it is not Syria who is
actually fueling anti-Western sentiments."

I’m not normally a fan of Condi, but she’s right about one thing. This
cartoon issue has gone way too far. If Muslim protestors feel they are
battling more than a cartoon, (say, the war in Iraq and the Israeli occupation),
then what’s up with the attacks on Denmark?

I’m not a fan of my own country right now either, and if you’re going to
protest the war, protest the war (along with millions of other people in the
U.S.) But Denmark, Norway, et. al., are very different countries, and are
truly some of the most tolerant folks on earth. I’m in
complete agreement with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen that they are being unfairly attacked.

I’m all for making sure everyone from every religion and every background
feels included and welcome in every country around the world, and I’m
normally very sympathetic to the plight of Muslims everywhere. But if
you’re in Denmark, you have to do as the Danes do, and that includes free
speech.

Where would we be if we protested, bombed, and killed people every time
someone made fun of Jesus or Bhudda? I personally find it blasphemous that
we have half naked women in every other advertisement on TV and on billboards,
and that violent porn has completely infiltrated the Internet, the film
industry, and especially the minds and hearts of men, which in turn, forces
women to battle misogyny daily, causes rape and abuse, and generally
shatters women’s self-esteem in a very insidious, unholy manner. I believe
all violent porn should be censored because it hurts women on so many levels.

But, I have to live with it. After all, it's free speech.