Ignorance and denial is bliss, for it is one of the many superficial pleasures that money, power, control and fear - can buy - and/or impose upon another.

BL*M

Love*Rulz - @ (Available on DVD ;)
Timeless-ink-Press.com

I've been doing some further reading that has totally disillusioned me about the Danish national character. One was a quote from their Queen that made Hitler's anti-Semitism and the early American extermination of the indigenous people of this continent look commonplace. And it's not just the Danes. The propaganda is that Semitic people - both Jews and Muslims - are an inferior subspecies of subhuman, and that Islam is out to conquer the world. I understand now on a much deeper level why Muslim extremists are threatening to show Europe what a REAL holocaust is, and I have a much greater insight into the nature of racism. I had forgotten that the Arabs and the Jews are both Semitic. How odd it seems that Europe would turn against the race of the Messiah of the majority of its people. And how strange it is that Iran and Saudi Arabia are perceived as a greater threat than Israel. Mindful of the fact that some Arabs are Christians, it occurs to me that our cultural identity comes from at least five sources - our race, our religious persuasion, our nationality, our language, and our geography - and the boundaries are not necessarily consistent.

Editor, propeace.net

A few weeks after the cartoons were originally published, another artist submitted a series of cartoons that were demeaning of Jesus Christ. The Danish paper declined to publish them, stating as their reason that some of their readers might find the cartoons offensive.

Then, several weeks after that, they published the anti-Muslim cartoons a second time.

Steve

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Our lives begin to end the moment that we become silent about things that matter. (Martin Luther King Jr.)

I don't think it was the intent of the Danish press to smear the spirituality of another culture. I think we tread dangerous ground when we state what the "only" aim of another is, or describe the provocation as "pure," or even label a political party other than our own, or at the very least, one in our own country. Yes, Islam is provokED. Yes, the cartoons were provocatIVE. But I'm guessing that the primary aim of the cartoonist might have been humor, and the provocation was the result of Danish ignorance, not malice. We have to try to understand Danish humor and try to see the cartoons through Danish eyes as much as we are trying to understand Muslim spiritual practice and are trying to view the cartoons through Muslim eyes. After all, the Danes did apologize, and they are not printing any more cartoons!

I agree with Jason that this is - already has been, in fact - an opportunity to learn from one another. Islamophobia is real, I admit. But like any other fear, the root cause is the unknown. Now, we know a little more than we did before. Al salam alikum.

"What can we do, what can we do??!"

It's of vital importance, IMHO, that we not take too much responsibility for what happens in this world. It is enough that each one of us, working in our own little sphere, may find our life's opportunities and use them. I know it's true for myself, and suspect that it's the same for most of us, that it's a challenge just to create peace in my own sphere, in myself, my family, my associates, my community . . .

There is no "too late". We may be on the brink of a worldwide conflagration, but that cannot stop us from doing what we can to bring peace into the world. I fear that we are about to have a terrible worldwide conflict, I fear it like I never have before, and I fear that our lifestyles will be deeply affected by it. It IS out of our hands.

But peacemaking is not all about stopping war. In fact, it's not very much about that at all.

Steve

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Our lives begin to end the moment that we become silent about things that matter. (Martin Luther King Jr.)

Freedom of press is a means by which we can further understand each other. Communication is the key to understanding. If we are restricted in communication then we will not learn much. So freedom of expression should be absolute.

However, freedom of expression must be self-moderated. I don't burden the world with my darkest and most subversive thoughts. They help no one. They will not create a better world. They represent the places where I myself need healing.

The specific lesson here is that images of Muhammad are hurtful to muslims. The general lesson is that hurtful communication is not productive and does not lead us toward a harmonious world. Adding more hurtful communication in the name of freedom of expression for the sake of freedom of expression is moving us backwards. This will continue until the lesson is learned.

When it comes to Islam and Arabs, Europe suffers under double standard.

There is nothing that justifies the publishing of these cartoons. The only aim in my opinion is a pure provocation from a far right and conservative political party in Denmark.

Justifying such an offence with the freedom of press is for many people in the Arabic world not comprehensive. Where does the the freedom beginn and where does it end? Does the Freedom of press have a higher value than the dignity of humans and religions?

I have followed the discussion very closely and I have the feeling that "Islamphobie" is become as a valve to express racial sentiment and a replacement for an ashaming Anti-Semitism.

Submitted by: http://www.propeace.eu

Here are some Arab bloggers' reactions to the situation: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/globalvoices/2006/02/05/burning-butter/

This is a must read if you are interested in understanding the Arab reaction and culture better.

This is definitely in our hands because we understand that peace is the answer. We should not succumb to despair and hopelessness so easily if and when events move beyond hubris. Or maybe you already consider events to be beyond hubris. Whatever the case, humanity is counting on the propeace community to light the way through the doorway of transformation that crisis inevitably opens. We lose if we focus only on the chaos and not the doorway out and up to greater understanding. Take heart in that.

I believe that we can light the way to the exit even as the crisis unfolds around us. Sooner or later those involved in the chaos will tire of it and its effects on their lives, and will follow our light to the exit.

So, how will you light the way out?

PEACE

I believed that World War III began the day George Bush jr. got elected the first time. His team of neocons were poised to start a war with Iraq and found their excuse in the horrible events of 9/11. There was not turning back when we killed Iraqis with "shock and awe" and haughtily declared "Mission Accomplished". The imperialists finally showed the world that we cannot be trusted to mean that we are peace makers and that war is our solution for everything.
There is a flow of hatred that has been ignited by this war with Iraq that has only confirmed for the Mideast what Bin Laden had been preaching and we fell right into his trap. We started World War III and gave everyone the excuse to riot and kill and maim. Chaos prevails and nobody understand that peace is the answer.

I was understating when I said, "a little flag burning and yelling." I copied this to Dahr Jamail, since I was editing his work, and our other two Iraqi correspondents by way of telling them that at least some of us understand the liberties that are being taken with their very souls by the USUK. I'm not sure I would implicate the French in particular - it just happens to be the language I read second best to English. The Brits are lighting nobody's way; the USUK (read: you-suck) acronym and my extensive inclusion of Dahr Jamail's report was supposed to imply that our two governments continue to conspire to make the atrocity of humanity's inhumanity look as one-sided as possible. I don't know who is responsible for blocking access to the website, but it certainly sounds like the same kind of heavy-handed tactics. We MUST keep the internet free, even if it isn't always as compassionate as we'd like it to be.

I am not exaggerating when I say that this could be the beginning of WWIII. I've seen the photographs from the Middle East - I don't know what country. There is rioting in the streets. The slogan on the posters, in English, is clear: "We'll show you a REAL holocaust!" The people - rule-bound, passionate, demonstrative - are screaming and shaking fists or writhing and sobbing in anguish as though they have been wounded in battle. They cover the women's eyes with their hands. The Danish apology is not enough. They want sanctions (read: retribution). My Netherlands correspondent has seen the light and voluntarily taken the cartoons off his website. He said it just didn't feel right. Disseminating the cartoons is no way to build a culture of peace.

I've seen the cartoons, too. In fact, I have them in a slide show, but I can't figure out how to Attach them, so when I send them to someone, I have to go back to the French site and "mail to a friend" one at a time. There are 12 of them, and if you understand Danish humor, they're not that bad - not as bad as the one I heard about that's a take-off on "The Last Supper" with nude females in erotic poses instead of disciples. You have to understand Danish humor - gentle, open, self-deprecating.

My favorite shows a police line-up with a witness on our side of the glass who is struggling to make an identification. And I do mean struggling; the idea bubble says something like, "Hmmm.... I can't tell them apart...." (My Danish is not that sophisticated, but I suspect the intent is more like our "they all look alike.") Except that there is no way you could confuse any two of them! Male, female, short, tall, stocky, slender.... And the guy toward the right in the red shirt and turban with the black beard and swarthy skin is supposed to be Mohammed, but if you look toward the left, there' a tall guy in a light robe with fair skin and a beard, and there's a halo floating in the air over his head.... Now, who could THAT be?

The whole thing is quite absurd in the over-reaction of Islam and the EU backlash, yet disturbing in its implications for our capacity for peace in light of our enormous diversity. I feel annoyed, angry, sad, scared, embarrassed, and probably about eight other things if I wanted to take a look at my list of words that describe feelings. If you "get it" then you are already evolved. The real question is what can we do to defuse the situation? And I'm afraid the answer is absolutely nothing; it's out of our hands.

Editor, propeace.net

I'm glad the Danes apologized. I'm glad the Brits did not print this stuff. The publications that printed the cartoons again even after they knew how the images offended the Muslims should step back and consider their behavior. Printing them once could perhaps be excused by ignorance and rectified with an apology. Printing them again is simply hostility cloaked in "freedom of expression".

Freedom of expression is essential. We have had to learn in the West that it has a price, which is that people will feel compelled to express from all aspects of their being: healthy, benevolent, constructive but also offensive, unpopular, destructive. This is something we can all learn from. The lesson is not that we should censor what some consider offensive and destructive. It is that we should use these inevitable offenses and transgressions as opportunities to open dialog, to learn about each other and to heal. I did not know that the depiction of the human form of Muhammad is forbidden in the Muslim faith. Now that I know it, and know the offense and outrage this causes, I am more inclined to reach out to Muslims and say "hey, sorry, I didn't realize..." than I am to say, as the French and German papers have said by their actions, "oh yes, now I know how to stick it to them!"

Thanks to the Danes and Brits for lighting the way. To others who are free to express themselves, how will you use this opportunity to evolve? To the offended Muslims, we ask your patience while our friends learn the true meaning and purpose of freedom of expression.