Samuel Huntington was right all along. His thesis that the main political actors of the 21st century will be civilizations rather than nation-states is slowly becoming a reality. I bet, however, he did not imagine that the spark for this clash of civilizations would be a collection of cartoons.
On Sept. 30, 2005, a Danish newspaper, the Jyllands-Posten, released 12 editorial cartoons depicting the image of the Islamic Prophet Mohammed. The controversy did not begin, however, until the cartoons were reprinted in several European newspapers in January 2006, leading to protests around the world in Islamic countries and communities where the cartoons are seen as insensitive and blasphemous.
The accusation of blasphemy centers on the Muslim doctrine of aniconism, a belief that artists should not depict deities or, for some, even human beings in drawings – this counts as idolatry, and is therefore is a sin. The newspaper defended the cartoons on the grounds of freedom of expression, a value held dear in the West.
I understand the anger and resentment toward the depictions of Islam’s holiest prophet in such a profane manner. But I am confused, angry and disgusted by the violent rhetoric and actions of many Muslims around the world in reaction to the cartoons. The level of violence reached a new height in Syria and Lebanon when protesters attacked and burned the Danish embassies in Damascus and Beirut.
Unfortunately for Christians in Beirut, the embassy was located in Ashrafiyyah, a Christian neighborhood. This caused the protesters to turn their attention to the surrounding Christian community despite the Vatican being among the first to denounce the cartoons for their divisive nature.
In an atmosphere such as that in Lebanon, this sort of behavior could have incited another sectarian war if the Christians chose to respond with violence. Instead, they reluctantly allowed the destruction to continue, taking it with a grain of salt.
Another example of the hateful rhetoric spewing from many in the Islamic world comes from the secretary-general of the Lebanese Shiite terrorist group, Hezbollah, Hasan Nasrallah, who stated, “If there had been a Muslim to carry out Imam Khomeini’s fatwa against the renegade Salman Rushdie, this rabble who insult our Prophet Mohammed in Denmark, Norway and France would not have dared to do so.”
Keep in mind, this is coming from the political leader of the “Party of God,” and he is advocating the murder of another human being. Let’s not forget the protesters in London who held signs that read, “Behead those who insult Islam,”Be prepared for the real Holocaust” and “Butcher those who mock Islam.”
Can you feel the love? Take what happened to Theo van Gogh, the Dutch film director. He was murdered on Nov. 2, 2004, by a Muslim extremist because of his open criticism of Islam.
Not only is there an obvious level of hatred emanating from the mouths of these protesters across the globe, but there also seems to be a level of immaturity within the Islamic world today. The protesters are acting as if their religion is the sole target of Western criticism and commentary, whereas sensitive topics have often been mocked in the Western press.
The Arab and Muslim media continually cite the Holocaust as a topic that cannot be acceptably portrayed despite the idea of freedom of expression. In fact, just last week, an Iranian newspaper stated that it will hold a competition for cartoons of the Holocaust in order to test the West’s principle of freedom. Cartoons such as these are already widespread among Arab newspapers, but there is no outrage over these blatantly hateful and intolerant drawings.
In addition, pictures of Mohammed are sold by street vendors in Iran today, since Shia Islam has a long history of depicting its prophets, imams and martyrs with a human face. Where is the outrage among Muslims about this? This is where the double standard currently exists within the Islamic world.
This recent incident bolsters Huntington’s claim of a clash between Islam and the West. The dilemma is specifically felt by European and American Muslims, who are caught in the middle of the clash. If one chooses to live in a Western country, which is inherently more liberal than an Islamic country, then one must expect open dialogue and criticism of cherished beliefs.
As Jihad Momeni, a Jordanian newspaper editor, asked, “Who offends Islam more? A foreigner who endeavors to draw the prophet … or a Muslim with an explosive belt who commits suicide in a wedding party in Amman?”
Adam Khoury is a senior in the College.
