It's been said that religion is the opiate of the masses. Last time I checked, opium was supposed to calm you down.
Unless you've been living in a cave in Central Asia with no form of external communication, you'll know that the world is now being rocked by Muslim protest. We've all seen the burning of American flags and the funny signs of "Death to America/The West/Ronald McDonald," etc.
It's easy to assume these people have some real grievances. After years of colonization and exploitation, the Muslim nations of the world are accused of being terrorists and extremists and capable of violence over every slight done to them. Such a false accusation would make anyone a bit peeved. This is precisely why the tolerant and open-minded dialogue of the Muslim people over a controversial Danish cartoon is such a breath of fresh air.
Oh... wait.
The original cartoons were published in the Jyllands-Posten newspaper in Denmark. The more controversial ones feature the Muslim Prophet Muhammad with a turban shaped like a bomb and a sword in his hand. To those readers who feel some measure of protest is necessary to respond to such a fresh and recent offense, consider that the original publication came out on Sept. 30th of last year! Since then, violence has sprung up and extended not just throughout the Middle East, but also to Afghanistan, Somalia and even Thailand. And the protests haven't been limited to just Denmark, but also Norway, Sweden, the European Union and everyone's favorite target, the United States. The coordination of this protest party is worthy of a Facebook announcement in its potency. There have even been rumors circulating that attacks in Iraq have been linked to cartoon-related fatwas. To borrow a line from Steven Colbert, tonight's word is "Overreaction."
I don't want to make generalizations, but I think it's safe to say that there are elements of Islam that just aren't conducive to peace, love and understanding. This is not to say that other religions are any better in their tolerance, but at least Jerry Fallwell had the sense to seek a lawsuit, as silly a suit as it was. Islam is a religion that claims to be peace-loving, yet the second its followers are accused of being violent extremists, they behave like violent extremists. It's like the punch line to a bad racist joke.
They claim to be offended that their sacred religious founder is being assaulted and their way of life corrupted. What's their solution? "Hey everyone, let's maim and kill until someone pays attention to us! And while we're at it, let's boycott Havarti cheese!" This is in no way helpful to their cause. On the contrary, these continued protests are a dark stain on Islam. All the real issues that face the modern Middle East are being thrown on the back burner in favor of the region's equivalent of "gays, guns and God." We hear nothing of the progress of democracy nor the persistent calls of true Islamic reformers who, even at the risk of being attacked by their brethren, continue to push for freedom of expression. Sadly, it's this very freedom which is being assaulted to the tune of burning flags and angry chanting.
To make matters worse, these protests have had physical consequences. Dozens of people have already died and many have been injured. Now certainly many have given their lives for principles and great causes, but to die because a Danish cartoonist skipped a class in cultural sensitivity? That's just ridiculous. Even more ridiculous is the extent of political and economic damages.
For example, I can comprehend the burning of Danish embassies, but then there's the burning of the Norwegian embassy in Syria, riots outside of the European Union offices in Gaza. The list goes on. For that matter, what does the Danish government have to do with this at all? Unlike the situation in most Middle Eastern countries, in Denmark, the media isn't run by the government. However, all this pales in comparison with the bizarre boycotts of the Danish firms Arla Foods and LEGO. Somehow, I'm having trouble imagining a little Iranian boy playing with his Islam LEGO set, featuring a small Muhammad figurine and parts to build an "Infidel-Destroyer Robot." Judging by what I've seen in the news, these kids are more likely to carry rifles.
As is only fair, I'd like to give the Muslim protesters the benefit of the doubt. Their counterparts in the US and most European nations are behaving calmly, for which I thank them tremendously. It's possible that news outlets are playing up reports of violence to pander to their Western audience. And we know of leaders of terror groups and theocratic regimes who are inflaming passions for their political benefit.
Still, the fact remains that violence continues. It's likely that the passions were already there to inflame; perhaps these leaders have even lost control of the rabble that they themselves armed. Or maybe this is simply the culmination of years of anger, triggered by the catalyst of a cartoonist's pen.
Regardless, these protests have moved beyond the origin and are becoming more about the modern anti-imperialist movement. The irony is that the spread of Islam originally occurred through warfare and conquest. The sword-wielding Muhammad of today is the military as well as the spiritual leader of seventh century Islam. With this in mind, I argue that these protests aren't about frivolous insults but about a proud people who lost their empire to the savage, infidel Europeans.
Well, too bad. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but cartoons can't really hurt you. It's time to throw off the scapegoat of Danish cartoonists and American imperialists. It's time to banish the corrupt governments that have really oppressed you for years.
It's time to grow up and get over it.
Somehow, I'm having trouble imagining a little Iranian boy playing with his Islam LEGO set, featuring a small Muhammad figurine and parts to build an "Infidel-Destroyer Robot."
Dmitriy Doroshenko is a sophomore majoring in international relations and economics.
