Sanity and Security

 

"We reject and condemn the French cartoons that dishonour the Prophet and we condemn any action that defames the sacred according to people's beliefs." 
Essam Erian, acting head, Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party

This is the word from a spokesman for the new Egyptian democracy, on behalf of its new President, Mohammed Morsi.  On the other hand, a young Coptic Christian computer science graduate who had re-posted the Innocence of Muslims online is in a Cairo prison.  His mother had called in the police when their home had been surrounded by a raving mob. 

The police arrived, arrested her son, placed him in prison and beat him senseless.  The mother is fearful of returning to her home.

Human rights groups are calling for his immediate release. 

And in France, Catholic bishop Michel Dubost and president of the French Muslim Council, Mohammed Moussaoui, have issued a joint statement, defending the inalienable right of free speech while decrying the assault against "everyone's equal right to dignity".  It does not quite jive, they believe with "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity".

On the other hand, symbols are important to people, they become very emotional about these things, since they represent the most sacred of images to their faith beliefs. 

For Americans, as an example, their flag is extremely important as a symbol of all that their country represents to them, a haven of freedom and security with an honoured history and a fine commitment to a Constitution that defends the First Amendment right of free speech.  Americans become offended when their flag is torched.

They, however, abstain from mass hysteria, launching themselves into a frenzied assault on the internationally-recognized private property on foreign soil of a sovereign nation. 

Ridiculing the Prophet Mohammed represents stunningly bad manners but no more so than mocking the precepts of any other religion or public official or celebrity, all of which the French weekly satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo normally engages in.

"We have the impression that it's officially allowed for Charlie Hebdo to attack the Catholic far right but we cannot poke fun at fundamental Islamists.  It shows the climate.  Everyone is driven by fear."
Stephane Charbonnier, editor, Charlie Hebdo

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius obviously agrees with Mr. Charbonnier for he has called the publication of the cartoons a provocation.  In response to which the French government has taken the precaution of shutting its embassies and schools in 20 countries for Friday's anticipated response on the part of Muslims leaving their mosques after prayers and incitement by their local mullahs.

Tunisia, where the American Embassy was attacked, its flag burned, and an black Islamist flag hoisted in celebration of humbling America, condemned the act of "aggression against Mohammed" while urging the population not to fall into a trap whose intent obviously was to "derail the Arab Spring and turn it into a conflict with the West." 

And in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, life goes on as it normally does, with frenetic mobs lavishing their rage on the United States and upon Israel.