Hold up, wait a second, got a comment here. Just noticed an article on BBC where some Danish students are apparently drawing a new set of cartoons depicting Muhammad in offensive ways. Two observations, with two comments: First, Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood have stated that the new cartoons 'insult Islam.' Second, the Danish Prime Minister is insisting that 'in no way represents the way the Danish people... view Muslims or Islam.'
Can we just discuss the ridiculousness of both these statements for a moment? Because I think this goes a long way towards explaining some of the world's problems. First, how is it possible to insult a religion? Its not a person, it doesn't have feelings, and if God's name is really Allah and He is taking offense at these cartoons, I'm sure He can deal with it Himself. What, Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood don't feel God is capable of wrath anymore?
Second, how could anyone believe that the Danes or any other country's citizens as a whole could be represented by one viewpoint? Does the Danish Prime Minister truly believe that all Danes believe a certain thing about Islam? How could he possibly say, "That's not what we think?" Hell, when you're dealing with the population the size of a country, how could you ever say, "This is what we think," or "That's not what we think?"
More importantly, are we (in the west) really that scared? This is what an open society is about! People will get offended! Why? BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT!!! I think the Neo-Nazis are fucking retards, offensive and deplorable, but you know what? They still have the right to hold a 'rally' (I believe it was a dozen people, quite entertaining actually) on the steps of the Washington State Capitol building. And if I ever get caught being a hypocrite, trying to shut someone down for expressing an unpopular opinion, I hope someone finds this and throws it in my face. If democracy and plurality are about freedom, then we must remember that freedom isn't necessarily about happiness; in fact, I think you have to give up a certain amount of happiness (and security!) to achieve lasting freedom (a lesson lost on the current administration I think). If it were about everyone being happy, or everyone being secure...well, there's the problem though. And maybe this is what we just refuse to admit: WE WILL NEVER ALL BE HAPPY OR SECURE. So get over it. Life is dangerous. And sometimes unpleasant.
But if it wasn't, then what meaning would it have? Its like the guy said in Six Feet Under (a show I've never watched, I just caught this in a commercial): "Why do people have to die?" "To make life important."
So Mr. Danish Prime Minister: Get over the fact that some of your citizens are insensitive. And Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood: fucking get over yourselves already. If it were really that big a deal, I think God or maybe even Muhammad himself would have come down by now and had a word with the world.