The Restored Israel
03-05-2006, 22:40
You know -- I try to be sensitive to the beliefs and customs of other peoples' religions. I know your religion as important to you as Christianity is to me.
But I get really cheesed off when people start using religion as a pretext to riot, to burn down buildings, and to threaten other people because newspapers run political cartoons in their own countries which people in other countries don't like.
To the leaders of many Muslim countries: I dislike many of your leaders and the policies they follow. I dislike and distrust President Ahmadinejad, General Musharrif, Bashar al-Assad, and Abdallah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud. I abhor the idea of Sharia law dictating that women who have been raped being stoned to death for having sex they didn't want; and I am repelled at the idea of women being forced to stay inside their houses or denied the right to have a job a career. I hold in disdain laws restricting peoples' right to dissent; and I really resent the idea of "morals police" enforcing codes regarding how people are to dress, what music they may or may not listen to, what art they may view, what foods they may eat, or what Internet sites they may go to.
At the same time, I realize these are YOUR countries and as such you have the right to rule as you see fit, even if we don't agree with what you do. Even if you are not ruling with the consent of your people, they are at least allowing you to stay in power.
WE in the West would like the same right to rule our countries as WE see fit; to preserving our right to dissent even if you don't like what we say; to treat women, Christians, Jews, atheists and even homosexuals as equals under the law -- even if you don't approve of that idea; and to allow people to dress as they see fit, listen to music they like, watch television programs they like, drink what they like, love whom they like and in general pursue their right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness even if you don't agree with what we do or how we do it.
You have the right to live under Sharia law. Over here, most of us are not Muslims, so we claim the right NOT to live under Sharia law even if that disturbs you. You want tolerance and respect from us, along with the right for you to live your lives as you see fit. Well -- we in the West are demanding the same from you, too.
But I get really cheesed off when people start using religion as a pretext to riot, to burn down buildings, and to threaten other people because newspapers run political cartoons in their own countries which people in other countries don't like.
To the leaders of many Muslim countries: I dislike many of your leaders and the policies they follow. I dislike and distrust President Ahmadinejad, General Musharrif, Bashar al-Assad, and Abdallah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud. I abhor the idea of Sharia law dictating that women who have been raped being stoned to death for having sex they didn't want; and I am repelled at the idea of women being forced to stay inside their houses or denied the right to have a job a career. I hold in disdain laws restricting peoples' right to dissent; and I really resent the idea of "morals police" enforcing codes regarding how people are to dress, what music they may or may not listen to, what art they may view, what foods they may eat, or what Internet sites they may go to.
At the same time, I realize these are YOUR countries and as such you have the right to rule as you see fit, even if we don't agree with what you do. Even if you are not ruling with the consent of your people, they are at least allowing you to stay in power.
WE in the West would like the same right to rule our countries as WE see fit; to preserving our right to dissent even if you don't like what we say; to treat women, Christians, Jews, atheists and even homosexuals as equals under the law -- even if you don't approve of that idea; and to allow people to dress as they see fit, listen to music they like, watch television programs they like, drink what they like, love whom they like and in general pursue their right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness even if you don't agree with what we do or how we do it.
You have the right to live under Sharia law. Over here, most of us are not Muslims, so we claim the right NOT to live under Sharia law even if that disturbs you. You want tolerance and respect from us, along with the right for you to live your lives as you see fit. Well -- we in the West are demanding the same from you, too.