The Ongoing Cartoon Riots

Religions are political systems. That they claim divine
authority for their positions regarding distribution and application
of power moves me not one bit. I don't believe in divine
authorization.

Those organized into political groups by religious ideas are
spectacularly dangerous to my way of life. As such they are all
equally subject to criticism by cartoon or otherwise. Why should they
receive special treatment? If they take part in the political fray,
then they take part in it and become subject to the rules of it.

The cartoons were not an attack on Islam. They were a comment on
Islamic Jihad. These are different systems.

It isn't as though any fundamentalist group leads some innocuous
existence. They are committed to bringing about legal and social
changes that I sure as hell don't want to occur. What they want isn't
so much about what they are allowed to do as it is about what the rest
of us are not allowed to do.

They desire to put limits on other people's personal behavior.
They organize to this end. They aren't sitting back praying for it.
They are organized and active.

While I don't consider Islamic Jihad mainstream Islam, I see the
subservience and second class citizenship all Islam, and all
Christianity of which I'm aware, demands of women. To me these
religions are tools of colonization and need to be dealt with as such.

Certain people, like gay people, would have no right, not even to continue living, under some of these religious systems. I can't not notice that. I am not
about to refuse to respond to it out of a sense of political
correctness, any more than I refuse to respond to it when it is hurled
at me by a fundamentalist Christians.

I want the secular west to recognize all religion for what is is,
political, and respond accordingly.

I can't help but think how progressive America shrugged and allowed
the right wing Juggernaut to take hold of the country for the last 25
to 50 years, while claiming it is okay, okay because everyone gets
their say, so if Nazi bastards want to march in the Jewish suburb
of skokie the police are sent to arrest the counter demonstrators, not the hate spewing fascists.

Well, yes. Everyone does get their say. Everyone. Including me and
other people who oppose the inherent intolerance of political groups
hiding behind the authority of god, and any other groups who
practice and promote intolerance and exclusivity from Zionist Jews to
neoconservatives to KKK.

Planned, organized political aggression needs to be responded to
politically, not by humbly ignoring the fact that these people want
you dead.

I practice tolerance. I treat everyone equally. I hold everyone to one
standard. That is as tolerant as it gets.

Again, I make almost no distinction between Islam and Christianity.
The fundamentalist groups of both are extremely violent, intolerant
and aggressive. The mainstream sects construct a world view I see
as dangerous to my rights and existence. From my vantage point it all
appears to be the same bunch of hooey.

I absolutely disagree with George Bush. I absolutely disagree with
oppression of any kind, including my own. If I could get the united
states out of Muslim countries I would. If I could stop the support
of Israel, I would. I do everything I can think of to achieve those
goals, but I am one little person.

I don't support discrimination against Muslims or Christians, and I
don't engage in it, but cartoons, whether they are of Jesus butt
fucking a nun or Mohammad with a bomb on his head, are the right of
secular society. They are no different than Boondocks cartoons. They
are a form of political discourse. While the images may be offensive
to believers, they are not offensive to all, and certainly not
offensive to me, and I think it is never stupid to assert your right of
free speech and criticism of fascist groups who are vying for power in
your society. Never. It is never politically smart.

Self censorship under such circumstances is a tactical error.

Of course, I don't think the rioting is over the cartoons, but over
the overarching policy of western governments toward Muslim
countries, especially oil rich ones.

The cartoons were not aimed at mainstream Islam anyway. The average
Muslim is utterly appalled at the violence perpetrated in the name of
Allah. They may be offended by the cartoons, true, but they are just
as offended by the corrupt takeover of their religion.