D. C. Watson: Muslim organization overreacts to criticism (From Columbus Dispatch)

Muslim organization overreacts to criticism

Monday, February 27, 2006

I respond to the Feb. 9 Forum column by Asma Mobin-Uddin, president of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Mobin-Uddin wrote that, "The controversy started by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten when it published insulting cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad has ignited debates throughout the world about freedom of speech and the place of respect for religious sensitivities."

Actually, isn't it true that this didn't become a controversy until Muslims began to riot in Denmark over these cartoons, claiming that Islam prohibits depicting Muhammad and all prophets?

Mobin-Uddin's organization appears to have an issue with any type of criticism of Islam by Americans and the West in general.

Her column appears to represent nothing more than a courteous attempt to tell everyone to speak freely, so long as they are not critical of Islam.

Christianity and Judaism have taken their lumps for a long time. Yet, we don't see Christians and Jews rioting over it, making death threats, committing arson and destroying everything in their paths, do we now?

These cartoons were published months ago. So why all of this rioting now?

Was additional time needed, so that what we see going on all over the world could be orchestrated?

Is this the reason for such a delayed, yet synchronized, reaction?

I offer Mobin-Uddin and her organization the opportunity to present the sura in the Quran that explicitly forbids images of Muhammad.

I also encourage readers everywhere to explore the true life of Islam's founder, Muhammad, on their own, without any outside influence or filtering.

There are Muslims living in this country because they enjoy living in freedom.
Then, there are those who are here for far less benign reasons.

D.C. WATSON