Willie, I've been reading and much respect to your POV, I see what you're saying.
But question: let's say most people agreed with you and withheld publishing cartoons of mohammed or holding events like this.
Do you think it would end there or would there then be another subject of threats?
- Publishing books/movies examining the historicity or holiness of Mohammed or lack thereof?
- Publishing or selling the Satanic Verses and books/movies like it, all the way to Grade D stuff like "Innocence of the Muslims"?
- The way women dress?
I'm guessing you can think of a few other subjects, because the islamists believe in apartheid and suppression of speech on a long list of things. So, do you think they would just stop at the cartoon issue, or would it then be something else?
Most people do refuse to publish or draw Muhammad cartoons. Most people don't hold events like this. I don't recall (m)any movies about Muhammad. As far as how women dress, you're talking about religion controlling government. Of course i would be opposed to that.
Again, I am opposed to suppressing anything on the basis of religion. That does not mean I'm going to host and advertize a muhammad art exhibit at my gallery.
We don't see many muslim books or movies because we are largely not muslim in this country. But we obviously know of two examples where the author and one of a moviemaker were threatened with death. I can think of two books and a movie: Satanic Verses (worldwide prize winning literature), Infidel by Ayaan Ali (controversial but literary and personal), and Innocence of the Muslims by Sam Basil (bottom of the barrel youtube fodder).
I tend to agree with your earlier hypo from last night: no, I wouldn't publish the cartoons. But then I would publish one Mohammed cartoon in a newspaper if it had a political point and if the cartoonist was someone I respected. I think the Hebdo publications were appropriate. I think the Danish newspaper cartoon of Mohammed with a missile in his turbin was appropriate. It's political commentary.
And I think if we all shook hands and agreed that we would not pubish such cartoons anymore even for proper editorial reasons, then we would see the next demand. We probably can't imagine what it is.
Let's also remember that the far, far, far majority of muslims who came to this country came here to escape all that horror and oppression. They are looking to us and they want to be a part of
this society. Many muslims have no problem with the cartoons, many muslims want full freedom of speech, many muslims want to talk about Mohamed and islam freely and openly, and they are here in America's arms demanding to do that. We should support them.
