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February 4, 2006

Danish and Norwegian Embassies Set Ablaze Over Cartoons (Updated)

Topics: Understanding Islam

More Muslim violence and rioting over cartoons, this time resulting in the Danish and Norwegion embassies being burned in Damascus, Syria. The raging mob also made a try for the French embassy, but riot police managed to turn them back.

Protests over editorial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad turned violent in the Syrian capital on Saturday as demonstrators set fire to the Danish and Norwegian embassies.

Some of the thousands of people who had rallied outside the buildings stormed inside, angry over the satirical depictions of the Prophet that appeared in a Danish newspaper.

Later, protesters also tried to storm the French Embassy in Damascus, but riot police held them back by spraying them with water.

Islamic law, based on clerics' interpretation of the Qur'an, forbids any depictions of Islam's holiest figure to prevent idolatry. That's a Muslim issue, and should absolutely NOTHING to do with non-Muslims.

I personally am interested in this issue ONLY as a matter of free speech and the fact that Islam DOES NOT deserve special consideration at the expense of the rights of non-Muslims. It is Muslim's obligation to assimilate into Western society, not vice versa. Muslims have a right to practice their faith, but they DO NOT have the right to require non-Muslims to practice the Muslim faith. It may be THEIR culture war, but Western civilization is not obligated to forfeit traditional freedoms for it's newest citizens, it is the obligation of Muslims to learn to live in and with our freedoms. Christians and Jews have long tolerated the blasphemous (to them) acts of secular society, and do not go into violent rages and make death threats over them. Governments would not tolerate Christians and Jews comitting such acts, and neither should they tolerate or give excuses for Muslims doing so!

Update: Dan Riehl reminds that it wasn't all that long ago that Paris was burning and it had nothing to do with any cartoons: "There is a significant radical element within Islam now and they seem to have no problem stirring up the masses of many other would be moderate Muslims to, not simply protest, but attack, loot, murder and burn."

Highly suggested reading: Interpreting the Embassy Fires

Hat tip - Antoinette

Posted by Richard at February 4, 2006 5:38 PM

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