There was a tragedy yesterday.
Paragraph 1: A while ago, somebody made a short film called "The Innocence of Muslims". By all accounts, it doesn't portray the prophet Mohammed in a flattering light. The producer is supposed to be an Israeli Jew living in California, but that identity appears to be a hoax. I don't know who made the film. According to some news reports, it had one showing, to a mostly empty house, and then went on YouTube.
Paragraph 2: A couple of days ago, somebody (else?) translated the film into Egyptian Arabic. And that opened it up for people around the Middle East to see. And lots of them got angry.
Paragraph 3: And yesterday in Cairo, there was a riot. In the midst of the riot, some of the Embassy officials tried to calm people down. They released a statement: "The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims - as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others."
Paragraph 4: In Bengazi, there were more riots, and the Libyans had rocket-propelled grenades. And now four Americans, including an ambassador, are dead.
Paragraph 5: When Republican candidate Mitt Romney's team got wind of the Cairo announcement, while the Bengazi attacks were still going on, they huddled and then the candidate issued a press briefing condemning the Obama administration for being apologetic to the Muslim world. "I'm outraged by the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and by the death of an American consulate worker in Benghazi. It's disgraceful that the Obama administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks."
So, there was a news kerfluffle today, and the big story, the lead story, was Paragraph 5. You know, I don't think that should have been the big important story. Nor the President's response. I think the big story should have been Paragraph 4.
Also, this:
There are commentators and pundits who are spending some time on Paragraphs 1 and 2, as if that excuses Paragraph 3. In my mind, it doesn't. In this world, there are real problems and real hardships. Somebody on another continent, making amovie you don't like, isn't a big deal. It's not. Even if it's about your religion. A while back, some idjits put together a cartoon that mocked some aspects of Mormon faith that the producers found ridiculous. (Bear in mind that these were probably conservative Christians who didn't find things like the Virgin Birth or Christ's resurrection ridiculous at all.) You can find it on YouTube. "The Secret World of Mormonism".
Are you surprised to find out that Mormons didn't take to the streets and launch rockets at Federal buildings in protest? No. Because Mormons, in this context, are grown-ups.
Maybe we could expect the same level of tolerance from the good people of Egypt and Libya.
Paragraph 2: A couple of days ago, somebody (else?) translated the film into Egyptian Arabic. And that opened it up for people around the Middle East to see. And lots of them got angry.
Paragraph 3: And yesterday in Cairo, there was a riot. In the midst of the riot, some of the Embassy officials tried to calm people down. They released a statement: "The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims - as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others."
Paragraph 4: In Bengazi, there were more riots, and the Libyans had rocket-propelled grenades. And now four Americans, including an ambassador, are dead.
Paragraph 5: When Republican candidate Mitt Romney's team got wind of the Cairo announcement, while the Bengazi attacks were still going on, they huddled and then the candidate issued a press briefing condemning the Obama administration for being apologetic to the Muslim world. "I'm outraged by the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and by the death of an American consulate worker in Benghazi. It's disgraceful that the Obama administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks."
So, there was a news kerfluffle today, and the big story, the lead story, was Paragraph 5. You know, I don't think that should have been the big important story. Nor the President's response. I think the big story should have been Paragraph 4.
Also, this:
There are commentators and pundits who are spending some time on Paragraphs 1 and 2, as if that excuses Paragraph 3. In my mind, it doesn't. In this world, there are real problems and real hardships. Somebody on another continent, making amovie you don't like, isn't a big deal. It's not. Even if it's about your religion. A while back, some idjits put together a cartoon that mocked some aspects of Mormon faith that the producers found ridiculous. (Bear in mind that these were probably conservative Christians who didn't find things like the Virgin Birth or Christ's resurrection ridiculous at all.) You can find it on YouTube. "The Secret World of Mormonism".
Are you surprised to find out that Mormons didn't take to the streets and launch rockets at Federal buildings in protest? No. Because Mormons, in this context, are grown-ups.
Maybe we could expect the same level of tolerance from the good people of Egypt and Libya.