Calum Grant

Fear and hypocrasy

There is currently a storm in a teacup about some newspaper cartoons that portray Mohammed, which Muslims regard as extremely offensive. Unfortunately, the response from the Muslims is "we'll blow you up". This is very regretful, since it should be possible to criticise any religion without fear.

Hysteria and aggression does far more harm to the image of Islam than some cartoons.

I would happily censor the European press, if Muslims destroyed every copy of the Koran for containing these passages, for example:

Kill disbelievers wherever you find them. If they attack you, then kill them. Such is the reward of disbelievers. (But if they desist in their unbelief, then don't kill them.) 2:191-2

Allah will bestow a vast reward on those who fight in religious wars. 4:74

Christians are wrong about the Trinity. For that they will have a painful doom. 5:73

Allah allows some to disbelieve in the afterlife, and to take pleasure in their disbelief, so that he can torment them forever after they die. 6:113

Those that the Muslims killed were not really killed by them. It was Allah who did the killing. 8:17

Give tidings (O Muhammad) of a painful doom to the rich and greedy Christian monks and Jewish rabbis. 9:34

Allah has prepared a Fire for the disbelievers. When they want a shower, Allah will give them a shower of molten lead to burn their faces. 18:29

Disbelievers will wear garments of fire, boiling fluid will be poured on their heads, their bellies and skin will be melted, they will be tormented with iron hooks, and when they try to escape they will be driven back with the taunt: Taste the doom of burning. 22:19-22

I think Muslims are hypocrites for crying foul about some harmless cartoons, while at the same time writing things 1000 times more offensive in their holy book. This is what the Koran says about hypocrites:

The hypocrites will be in the lowest part of hell and no one will help them there. 4:145

You can't allow freedom of expression but only when it suits you. They can preach violence, cruelty and injustice to women in their Koran, but only if we can challenge that via cartoons or other media. That seems more than generous.

posted by Calum Grant @ 10:57 AM