as I have nothing else to say, I write what I hate.
As I'm sure most of you know now, then little Denmark have become headline news. Like most others here, I don't want to write about it. I wanted to forget it, and wish it would go away.
But earlier today, I sat with myself, and decided I wanted to get case out, and tell the story as is it, from someone who witnessed it from front row, from day 1.
( Read more... )
"I was part of the Muslim protest march in Auckland today. it was a strange experience. I hadn't expected it to be so, well not aggressive, but loud. The emotion was like a physical thing, palpitating in the air. I felt, on the one hand, an exhiliration from being part of a group of people prepared to speak (or shout) out about what we believed in, it was a powerful statement of self-identity and pride in who we are - something that we feel so little of in these times.
"Yet at the same time, it was scary to be part of something so powerful. At no time was there any danger of it turning ugly - no-one had violence on their minds. but I could somehow understand how the mob in Cronulla [referring to race riots in Australia late last year] could turn to violence, and start beating anyone they came across. It's as if you lose your own mind, and the mob develops a collective mind of its own.
"I'm still not sure whether we did the right thing by marching. I'm one of those who think there are many other issues Muslims should be marching about. But I'm glad I was there, just for the experience, and I am upset that the papers here have dropped us in this mess.
"I live in Hamilton, and since Friday have already had 3 incidences of people yelling abuse or making offensive gestures at me. I wish I could somehow stop each one of them and tell them this is not my doing, please don't take it out on me."
Those cartoons are dreadful. The best thing about them is that they show the ignorance of the cartoonist and expose him as a fool, and the paper as opportunistic.
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The last two lines are my opinion. While I don't like the consequences of the newspaper publishing the cartoons, nor its motives, I do like that the issue of cultural difference is up for debate. I think perhaps the greatest thing about freedom of speech is that it exposes issues that might otherwise be hidden to public scrutiny.
As regards Muslim anger, I'm not sure if they have any right to dictate terms to non-believers, which is to say that I think the Muslim ban on images should apply only to Muslims.
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And also, you do know, that it is not wrong to display Muhammed or pictures of him. It says in the Koran, that you can't display drawings of Allah, but none about Muhammed. And since then, many have made drawings of muhammed. But recently cultural waves and new laws hav changed it, so that in some countries it is disrespected and in other muslim countries it isn't. It's a later interpretation, but not stated in the Koran. Weird.
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