People in glass houses ...

Little rambling today I'm afraid but I need to get my thoughts out on this.

I absolutely uphold people's right to peaceful protest. Use your voice, placards and peaceful action to let people know you're not happy with something. But a number of protesters in the UK chose some quite offensive slogans - Cartoon protest slogans condemned.

Now, I want to make it perfectly clear that I understand many Muslims in Britain have condemned some of the slogans used by those protesting about the cartoons published by european newspapers.

I must say that, as a non-religious person, I can't understand why people are so offended by these cartoons but I can accept that their feelings are genuine.

Perhaps it is because I am used to seeing humour and satire being directed towards organised religion and politicians, etc. Perhaps it is because of my personal beliefs about organised religion.

I will make no comment on the cartoons as I have not seen them - perhaps they went too far, I don't know. I have since learnt through this that there is an Islamic tradition forbidding the depiction of Allah or Mohammed, which makes the general reaction a bit more understandable.

But I think this is very important, "The newspaper's culture editor, Flemming Rose, ... has insisted that there is a long Danish tradition of biting satire with no taboos, and that Muhammad and Islam are being treated no differently to other religions."
If Islam was being singled out to recieve this sort of treatment then I could understand the reaction a lot more but as it is, they are being treated like any other religion or group.

However I cannot understand or accept such slogans as "europe you will pay" and "7/7 is on it's way" (slogans being carried on the streets of London); the fact that Danish workers in arab countries have received death threats or that Danish businesses are being boycotted.

I agree with the shadow home secretary, David Davis, who said 'some of the messages on the placards amounted to "incitement to murder".'

One cannot on the one hand ask for respect and tolerance whilst the other hand carries a slogan of hate and death.


-- Edited 13:30, 6th January 2006 --
Sadly, the situation has escalated and four people have been killed.

Offense has been caused. Debate is clearly needed. But restraint needs to be called for.