Iconoclastic controversy

Shakespeare's Sister asks for, and gets, an interesting discussion on "the whole Danish-cartoon-that-insults-Mohammed thing."

A quick review of the abstract principles involved.

Freedom of Speech: Good.

Bigotry/Deliberate Disrespect: Bad.

Wanton Rioting/Violence: Bad.

The first doesn't excuse the second, and the second doesn't excuse the third.

But we're not talking about an abstract, hypothetical situation here, we're talking about a particular series of events, the particulars of which are much more complicated.

Julia provides some much-needed context and insight:

The talking point of the moment is that the cartoons were mild, not intended to be interpreted as anti-islamic statements and merely a comment on freedom of speech. That is, of course, utter bullshit, as prominent liberal organizations the Vatican and the ADL agree. The ADL, by no means an apologist organization for radical Islam, compares the cartoons in matter and intent to anti-Semitic caricatures in the Muslim press, which is a fairly strong statement coming from the ADL. Both agree that the speech should have been suppressed.

That last, of course, isn't right either.

On the other side of the debate, we have the people represented by the Danish Prime Minister, who believes that the matter is purely a free speech issue and (despite the urgings of 22 former Danish ambassadors) has refused to meet with diplomats from Muslim countries accedited to Copenhagen to discuss the issue in late December.

This again is bullshit. It is in no way a restriction of anyone's freedom of the press for the head of government to say that the country, while supporting the right to free speech, condemns the racism and religious bigotry expressed.

I should point out that Julia's post is chock full o' links and that you should, of course, read the whole thing, wherein she traces how this whole mess began with not just one, but a series of deliberate provocations by anti-Muslim right wingers.

Josh Marshall, meanwhile, notes a piece of "historical trivia" that reminds us that a civilized respect for others' beliefs is something America has occasionally been good at.

(P.S. My fellow Christians should keep in mind our own history when deciding how to respond to this cartoon controversy. The image above, for instance, survived the sacking of a monastery by other Christians. Please feel free to venerate it, but not to worship it.)