Benjamin Disraeli was partially right - there are lies (e.g. alleged murder of six million Jews by the Nazis), damn lies (e.g. Iraq’s WMDs) and statistics (unknown deaths of Arabs/Muslims versus the known deaths of Westerners/Israelis). He forgot the worst lies of all - the obscene lies of hypocrites. So the phrase should read like this: there are four types of lies: - lies, damn lies, obscene lies, and statistics. Those offended by my reference to holocaust (or holohoax) should see it as an example of free speech and understand that; - nobody likes to be at the receiving end of someone else’s free speech! If you cannot tolerate being at the receiving end than do not expect others to tolerate being put in that position. Certainly, do not expect to dictate terms of reprisal to them after putting them in that position.
The West and Israel is screaming about the cartoons that have started to emerge from the Muslims on the holocaust issue. Yes, we have seen this before, scream about the ‘suicide’ bombers, while dropping much larger bombs on their cities. So everyone is asking: why we can’t scrutinise the holocaust? Why is it so sacred? Why can’t this be subjected to the free speech test? What makes the Jews so sacred but not the Prophet of Islam (SAW) or the Prophet of Christians? Is this all because the Jews are a chosen people and the rest of us are gentiles (Goyeem), therefore expendable? Jyllands-Posten (JP) refused to publish drawings lampooning Prophet Jesus (AS) on the basis that it would offend Christians (and rightly so!). This is clear proof of their awareness of religious sensitivities and damming evidence that they mocked Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to cause offence to the Muslims. Also, the editor of Jyllands-Posten, Fleming Rose, who originally published the "offensive" Muslim cartoons, is a disciple of the American Julius Streicher (a leading Nazi ideologue) - Daniel Pipes. No surprise there! The jigsaw pieces fit perfectly.
This explains why they will not entertain any similar cartoons on the holocaust issue. The Danish newspaper’s claim that publishing the satirical cartoons was a test of free-speech is based on double standards, and proven to be an obscene lie. The motive was to offend a particular community i.e. Muslims. Clearly one can smell the stench emanating from the rotten Danish bacon as they issue a token apology and spin new excuses to suppress the smell. Like the person not bathing for weeks or the one lacking toilet-hygiene skills, then uses an expensive perfume, but it cannot contain the real stench. Indeed, only someone possessing the traits and the ‘morality’ of a pig would mock a man who is dead and unable to answer the charges, a man who has over one billion followers!
Therefore, the Danish cartoonist and their ilk are not only cowards by their nature but they also resemble their Danish Bacon (pig) in other ways. I am not referring to their sexual freedom that is making them closer to the species on four legs as they gradually remove the traditional taboos inherited from Christianity. They resemble the pigs as many of them do not know the identity of their fathers, even if they knew them, they were never loved by them. As a result they do not understand why it is wrong to hurt the feeling of someone else by insulting their father; especially if the father was innocent, caring and has passed way. So, unlike those pigs, we know the identity of the father, grandfather, great-grandfather of Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (SAW) and this goes for the vast majority of the Muslim community (Ummah)!
Only Arab Cartoons but no Israeli Cartoons!
Some are attempting to justify the Danish cartoons by equating the political cartoons that appear in the Arab media. Political cartoons appear in all societies as form of expression of their political views related to a certain reality. They are quick to cite Arab cartoons without making any references to the Israeli cartoons or the constant anti-Islamic, anti-Arab, anti-Muslim cartoons and the massive propaganda in the western media on a far larger scale. The political cartoons exhibited by both sides, they have no relationship with the deliberate mocking of Prophet of Islam or any other Prophets. After the initial criticism of Europe by the US (which was largely a pay back for the criticism it received on the Iraq war) over this issue, they took the opportunity to have a swipe at the voiceless Muslims. Accordingly, the White House spokesperson, Scott McClellan, said:
“We would ... urge people who are criticizing these cartoons to speak out forcefully against all forms of hate speech, including cartoons and articles throughout parts of the Arab world which frequently espouse anti-Semitic and anti-Christian views”
The so-called anti-Semitic cartoons in the Arab press are not the cartoons of Julius Streicher. The Arab cartoons have to be examined in the context of the Israeli cartoons and the routine anti-Arab, anti-Islamic and anti-Muslim cartoon that appears in the gigantic western media daily. This is the sort of one-sided, superficial view emanating from the heart of the White House shows that the US has a real problem. The ignorance and naiveté is not just amongst the ordinary Americans but it is deep within the White House. It is easy to criticise the voiceless Muslims, and if the US had their way, they would like to make us mute and plant the flag of free speech and democracy, over our dead bodies. This is why they contemplated bombing Al-Jazeera, setting new standards on free press, free speech!Furthermore, Jews have a disproportionate influence within the mass media of the West, thus enabling them to propagate their constant tirades against Islam and Muslims and at the same time through subtle means, they even spread anti-Christian propaganda. To cite the Arab cartoons, against the vast propaganda machine of the West just sums up the stupidity, the chutzpah of the American regime. It is not a battle between David and Goliath but David and Goliaths.
This is like the obese Americans with their oil guzzling cars, telling the rest of the world not to consume too much oil, so that it does not affect the American way of life. As for the anti-Christian view in the Arab world, is even more absurd. How many Muslims have publicly defamed Prophet Jesus (AS) or any of the other Biblical Prophets which the Muslims also believe in and have deep respect for? Real anti-Christian views have come from within the West, secular fanatics and Jews using the secular garb have been the ones to ridicule and mock Prophet Jesus (AS). If the anti-Christian view is made synonymous with the anti-Western feelings, that is due to the US foreign policies, wars and carnage that it is responsible for in the Islamic world.
On the subject of hate speech, one only needs to refer to Fox-TV, the main stream media, people like Jerry Fallwell, Pat Robertson, Daniel Pipes, and Thomas Friedman. A recent survey shows that the US masses have a very casual attitude towards ‘nuking’ the Middle East. Killing hundreds or thousands does not bother their conscience, I suppose if they killed a few like those ‘terrorists’ that would be outrageous! Well, there may be some extremists amongst Muslims, but for sure, moderates are scarce in the West! Remember, it is easy to lecture the victims about hate and anger while you are actually killing them, destroying their community.
Final Thoughts
The cartoon-gate affair in Denmark highlights more about European fears of Islam and Muslims than it does about attitudes of Muslims. The fear is shaped by the liberal fanaticism, capitalist greed, imperialism, racism, arrogance, all fused with the prejudices inherited from the dark ages. This relationship with the dark ages has certainly been demonstrated by these crass cartoons, that has no scholarly or intellectual foundation (by definition).
However, we are not dealing with the medieval West, but one that is supposed to be enlightened, scientifically and technologically advanced, militarily and economically powerful, yet the West is reluctant to confront Islam intellectually. The likelihood is that they are unable to, thus they have resorted to the constant abuse of Islam and Muslims in one form or another. The cartoon incident is just one recent incident amongst many. For sure, more insults will follow in the future.
After Abu-Ghraib, Fallujah and the rapes and murder, after the desecration of Mosques and Al - Quran and now after this cartoon-gate affair, who can still remember the slogan of Bush and Blair, as they launched their assaults on Afghanistan and Iraq? Do you remember how they lined up the secularists (with ‘moslem’ names) behind them, claiming that it was not a “war on Islam” but a war on some extremists?! How many munafiqs (moderates) still believe in that? In part three, we will examine the Muslim response, from the moderates to the radicals.
Yamin Zakaria (www.iiop.org)London, UKCopyright © 2006 by Yamin Zakaria
p/s:1. This is the 2nd part, you may access the sites by clicking the Subject above.
2. The writer has granted me the permission for me to publish his writings here in my blog.
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