As they crested the barren hilltop, the old man stopped for a rest. The boy with him looked around at the wasteland that was the world.
"Why did the world go to war, Grandpa?" the boy asked.
"It all began with a cartoon," he replied.
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With the increasing tragedy, bitterness, destruction and even deaths, am I the only one who finds it weird to read headlines that say, Iran paper plans Holocaust cartoon contest, Four die in cartoon riots and Cartoon protesters storm US base?
I keep picturing cartoon characters running amok in the streets.
Lord, help us.
13 comments:
Islam scares me. Yeah…I know the history of Christianity is not without the stain of blood on her alters, but nonetheless, it's a matter of emphasis and theological origin. No amount of scripture twisting can make the teachings of Jesus other than peaceful and based on love via the Sermon on the Mount. Whereas with Islam, even though I'm sure there are those Muslims who believe in peace and point to some exhortation or other in the Quran, the core practice is ultimately one of Jihad supported by the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. A spade is a spade is a spade.
I'm no expert, so I can't really say. My friends who ARE more familiar with the Quran and jihad say that the Religious Right's take on it is twisted. Sometimes, a spade is what someone has erroneously called a spade.
In this case, I don't know. I certainly see a lot of misbehaving Muslims out there. I also see other muslims condemning their behavior as a poor reflection of Islam.
Whose "religious right," the Muslim's or the Chirstian's?
As I said, I haven't read it and don't know, but from what I hear, both the Christian Right and Muslim Right take jihad to mean literal holy war, killing, death, destruction, etc.
But that my Christian friends who've looked in to it and more moderate Islamic teachers do not embrace that interpretation of jihad. They believe jihad is taught as the war or struggle against worldly ways.
Jihad, according to my extremely religious, Arab-Muslim friends, has two meanings. The first is the struggle within oneself against sin. The second is the one that is most often twisted & that is a "justified" war. Justified meaning when a group invades an Islamic country. In this case Muslims are commanded to defend the country ... without killing women & children or non-combatants & treating all prisoners with dignity. In addition, if someone is attacking a woman, child, or someone who is handicapped, a Muslim is required to render aid. Terrorist acts are condemned across the board by respected Islamic clergy.
I see no difference between this view & that of fundamentalist evangelical "Christians" in the West. I do not agree with either, but that is the view my "religious" friends in the West & the Middle East hold. Are there those who twist these teachings? Sure. Are there those who incite people to riot, kill, rape, etc. Sure. But then again ... the Crusades have already been mentioned & we won't begin on Evangelicals that blow up abortion clinics.
Maybe we should look at statistically how many Muslims are participating in acts of terror to determine whether or not it is an acceptable practice, or maybe we should just read decisions handed down from Islamic clerics ... in either case Evangelicals in the West would probably be quite surprised. Anyway, that's how I see it from the other side of the world. -- Frankie
I cannot thank you enough, Frankie, for visiting and adding an authoritative and more first-handed report. Come back anytime.
Data always helps.
Data seems to have a way of taking on different flavors, depending on where you go to seek it.
Did you catch the Daily Show's take on the cartoon problem? I think you might like it.
Thanks Sylvia, I tried watching it but it never opened (maybe I didn't wait long enough). Any chance you could give a summation or is it more the kind of thing you have to actually see?
Ya, it was getting hung up when I had a look online, but I just kept pushing play and it would restart. Anyway, it was a summary of the protests รก la Family Circus. Picture the little blond kid carrying a Kalashnikov and making a trail all over the middle east (with brief stops to play on a swing and jump in a puddle). It's good to laugh.
I keep thinking of the Roger Rabbit movie.
"Toon Town erupts in violence."
Although I hate to say this, it still rings true in light of so many events, both recent and historical.
What do you expect? They're Muslims?
Daniel, if you hate to say it, it's probably for a good reason.
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