An Incitement to Murder?

Who is the victim here?


The press and even the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan calls it a "row," a "noisy acrimonious quarrel." Millions of Muslims are out the streets, marching, burning in effigy, burning foreign embassies, and calling for the violent deaths of those that "slander Islam and the Prophet Mohammed." Michelle Malkin wonders why this behavior is called a row.

Who is the victim here? Aren't the victims the millions of European citizens who are watching their foreign embassies go up in smoke and Muslim protesters within their own countries that are threatening their lives? Aren't the victims the millions of non-Muslim children and adults living in Muslim that are terrified for their safety merely for being in the proximity of these rampaging protesters?

Muslims claim that the victim their long-dead prophet, Mohammed is being slandered and their cherished cultural and religious practice of not depicting Mohammed is being violated. Muslims claim that their rights and cultural sensitivities trump those of all others. The claim the right to threaten, hurt, or kill anyone in the name of Allah. In the United States we call this assault, battery, and murder.

Where are American Muslims on this issue? CAIR, the Council of American-Islamic Relations, asks American Muslims to "Help Defend the Image of the Prophet Muhammad" in an action alert but in press release, they still call the images "provocative." Provoking? They provoke the underlying violent nature of Islam that has used and continues to use threats and intimidation to get they want. They are deflecting the blame from the rioters, vandals, and murderers onto the victims.

In the West, mocking and satire is a way of life that Muslims use against others. To ask non-Muslims to forego doing the same to them is downright hypocritical. Certainly we would like to see Western Muslims march in defense of freedom of speech and other Western values rather than to side with those that are attempting to undermine our way of life. Not to do so is deplorable and disrespectful to the West. And another thing: not condemning violence and murder is in essence agreeing that the perpetrators are correct in their behavior. The "protest" of CAIR is lipservice and windowdressing.