The recent tumultuous rancor over the Ground Zero Mosque and the plans to burn numerous copies of the Koran on September 11th by the Florida Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center have brought to the forefront the debate of what exactly is meant when Islamic leaders demand respect be given to Islam and its Muslim practitioners. The underlying threat made against the burning of the Korans and actions that would deny the building of a Mosque in the immediate neighborhood of Ground Zero has been the riling of riotous masses of enraged Muslims worldwide due to the perceived offence against Islam. So, what exactly is considered an offence, a slight, or a degrading of Islam? That is a slightly more difficult question that it at first might appear.
For an example, let us use the Mohammed Cartoon fiasco, as most people are familiar with the general events. The first item was that since most of the cartoons of Mohammed were so inoffensive that a group of Muslim Imams actually designed a few more of their own specifically to further rile and enrage their followers. Also not covered by much of the news during the rioting was that the cartoons had been published months earlier with little fanfare or recognition. At a later date, when it was posed to make the most affect and the extra cartoon content had been created, then and only then did the Imams and other Islamic spokespeople release articles containing the cartoons, both real and Imam produced, demanding the death of those responsible for this grievous insult of the Prophet Mohammed. The rioting and violence continued for weeks with inflammatory sermons issued regularly each week at Friday Prayers kept the flames of impassioned hatred burning strong. Then, as suddenly as it began, the rioting ended coinciding with the termination of the rabble-rousing sermons.
We have seen the same response to sermons directing violence against Israel when both Imams and political leaders of the Palestinians and their supporters in the Muslim world called for a “Day of Rage” against the occupation or whatever action the violence is aimed to condemn. Often these spontaneous outbursts of anger and violence that appear to occur immediately after Friday Prayer Services, are actually in response to the Imams’ calls to violence. This instant mob behavior, just add inflammatory sermon, is so often easily predictable should one have access to hear the Imam, or other times in direct response to a political leader’s impassioned speech that calls for action. The mobs that perpetrate the violence act identical to a well-trained army in the way they can be marshaled at a moments notice and their actions respond by starting and ending directly upon cue. In many ways, this phenomenon resembles the actions of labor unions back at the start of the labor movement except with a much higher level of violence from the Muslim protesters.
The main item we must remember is that much of the reactions to what the Islamic leaders call “insults against Islam” are simple demonstrations acting upon command. The purpose of the violent demonstrations is just another form of terrorism meant to intimidate and cower a society before them to their demands. The end aim of these antics is to stealthily enact Sharia Law by steps and stages. Much of the abhorrence to perceived insult is, in truth, simply another form of al taqiyya, overt deception. If we intend to keep our society, our Constitution, our freedom, and our rights to free speech and religion, then we must bear in mind the mind game and physical intimidation and the ends they have planned and not surrender one single tick on a ruler and hold steady and strong. The only defense we have is our refusal to neither bow to violence nor bend knee in supplication to Mecca or Mohammed. We must be at least as resolute and preferably stronger in our faith and beliefs that have been the bedrock of our freedom and our society. To quote Rabbi Hillel, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”
Beyond the Cusp
Beyond the Cusp 