Like many of our freedom-loving, devout Muslim brothers and sisters, I was appalled to hear about the Danish newspapers’ decision to continue to publish degrading cartoons that satirized the Prophet Mohammad and then hide under the protection of “free speech.”In the West, we have grown accustomed to making fun of people. It is embedded in our cultural mainstream. From political cartoons to late-night comedy shows, one only has to turn on the television to see political figures and famous movie stars being ridiculed left and right. We have become a society of thick-skinned people anesthetized to being mocked.
It is this cultural trait which the East does not fully understand. They are offended when someone or some group ridicules their culture. The Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad were not at all funny to them, as evidenced by their outrage.
So where am I going with all this? While our culture has accepted ridicule and satire as a norm, I personally don’t condone it. It’s demeaning, debasing and simply plain wrong. As a Christian, I don’t want Jesus Christ ridiculed, but it has happened. Muslim rioters around the world should understand that they have not been the only victims. How many times have Jews been ridiculed, or Sikhs, or Buddhists? The fact is we’ve all been derided at one time or another.
One of my graduate school professors devotes his life to the pursuit of “the search for reasonableness and human dignity under constitutional law.” The problem with free speech is that it has no mechanism for accountability. The issue here is not about curtailing free speech or even the protection of liberty, as critics like Michelle Malkin would argue. The Danish newspapers continue to publish because they want to attract worldwide readership through this sensationalism. It serves no other basis than to sensationalize and humiliate, brining forth a new type of journalistic jingoism. I mean, how many times have you read Danish newspapers before this issue was brought to light?
The solution lies in holding the media more accountable for their actions. Editors need a standard. The real issue is not about protecting liberty but the ethical use of liberty. I suggest, as my professor would also suggest, that the media consider reasonableness and human dignity as a criterion when deciding what and what not to publish.
At a time when we want to reach out to our Muslim brothers and sisters, to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, to build shared meaning within the Muslim world, these cartoons have only stirred the flames of hatred even more, making a mockery of free speech. We should rather be focusing on promoting the best of what democratic core values has to offer: that of respect and human dignity.
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1 comment:
To characterize a prophet as a terrorist? I do not agree. As to what happened to the reporter Daniel Pearl, it is a tragedy that there are extremists in this world who are not willing to let go of a black past in order to embrace the chance for peace. It is unfortunate that they would rather stain the eastern land with more blood than forget themselves for the benefit of their children. Peace will never be realized between the Muslims and the Christians until BOTH PARTIES embrace the future rather than the blood ridden past. There has been blood spilt on both sides. No party is innocent. Christians have terrorized too. There is no innocent side. The cartoons are an evil, not because they insult Muhammad, but because they are yet another road block in the pursuit of union between two peoples burdened by their own hatred. For centuries, both parties have justified current actions because of past events. The people must embrace the teachings of their own religions and forgive. The cartoons are an ugly attempt to strike at Muslims. Muslims in return are striking back. So who is the justified one? The cartoonist because Muhammad “terrorized” years ago, or the Muslims now because their prophet has been disgraced… The repercussions of the decisions made based on a journalist who, I guarantee, never foresaw the complete consequences of his “art”, so far have been disturbing. How long will it be before the parents look at their children and say, “I’m tired of the fight. I’m tired of the blood. I want more for my children. I want more for my ancestors.” How long will it be before the fight will end? The realist/pessimist in me is loosing faith in the people on both sides as they find solutions not in nonviolent movements and actions, but in the spilling of more blood and the mud slinging that America is so famous and ridiculed for.
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