Get A Sense Of Humor

The Washington Post and several other newspapers around the country pulled Sunday's edition of the cartoon "Opus" because it might offend Muslim readers. The same papers had no problem with the strip a few weeks ago when it made fun of Reverend Jerry Falwell. Why is it okay to poke fun at one group but not another?

Check out the strip here: http://www.comics.com/wash/opus/index.html

The problem is that radical Muslims have no sense of humor. If they could laugh at themselves, they wouldn't be radical. It isn't just radical Muslims that have this problem. I've seen the same thing in radical Christians, radical environmentalists, and many other groups. You'll note the common thread isn't Muslim, it's radical. Radical anything can be a problem.

But we don't kowtow to other radical groups, why should we defer to radical Muslims? An Islamic activist argued today that newspapers have the right to not print what they don't want to print, regardless of reason. It's their freedom of speech. Others are arguing that cartoonist Berkeley Breathed's freedom of speech was infringed on by not printing the cartoon. The issue isn't freedom of speech. Yes, Breathed has the right to make fun of whatever topic he chooses. Yes, the newspapers have the right not to print it. That's not the issue. The issue is this wouldn't have happened with any group other than Muslims.

We live in a world of humor. Sometimes a joke is told to you; sometimes a joke is told about you. It isn't prejudice if you pick on everybody equally.

Get a sense of humor.

The Good, The Bad, and The Idiocy

The Pew Research Center released a survey yesterday of Muslim-Americans that has been covered in the press. Most of the coverage runs under headlines such as "Muslim Assimilate Better In US" and Most US Muslims Reject Suicide Bombings." While I am relieved to know that "most" reject suicide bombings, I find the results as a whole disconcerting, moreso since the media seems to be ignoring that part of the story.

According the survey, "many doubt that Arabs were responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Just 40% of Muslim Americans say groups of Arabs carried out those attacks." Given that Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility, isn't this like saying 40% of Muslim Americans don't believe the sky is blue?

What I find more disturbing is that "younger Muslims in the U.S. are much more likely than older Muslim Americans to say that suicide bombing in the defense of Islam can be at least sometimes justified." NO!!! Suicide bombings are NEVER justified. If you feel oppressed, or believe that something is wrong, vote, protest, lobby, or do any one of dozens of options that don't involve taking innocent lives. Most people killed in suicide bombings have nothing to do with the conflict that the bomber is interested in. This is NEVER acceptable.

Additionally, according to the survey, "Fewer native-born African American Muslims than others completely condemn al Qaeda." These are people born in the United States, with more rights and freedoms than any other country on the planet. Yet something in these people believe that Al Qaeda might be right.

It is inconceivable that people can read these numbers and think that the news is good because it isn't "most" Muslim Americans.

Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried.
- Winston Churchill