Islam and Violence

The phenomenon is fuelled by the growth of the Islamic influence in Western societies, the sense of Islamic anger not just at the cartoons but at world events and the precarious nature of relations between the West and the Muslim world.


This post is a little outdated, it has already been reported on ad nauseum and plenty have weighed in on the matter. Nobody seriously disputes (or they shouldn't) the tastelessness and bigotry found in the Mohammed cartoons that were published not long ago. The fact that several European countries proceeded to collectively flip off the Muslim world and reprint these images surely underlines the contempt for Islam found in the west.

But regardless, it is a hard stretch to justify the lunacy that poured out in the streets of Syria, Afghanistan, West Africa and Pakistan (to name a few). At the height of the cartoon row disaster, dozens of people died and the Danish embassy in Beirut, Lebanon was torched. These violent, explosive reactions fog the issues at hand and conversation quickly shifts, conveniently taking the debate elsewhere—to freedom of press in this case.

Such antics has done precious little for Islam or Muslims. In Palestine, they have derailed discussion from the very real encroaching of Israel on another country’s sovereignty, not to mention viability. Instead debate has centered around suicide bombers and other acts of terrorism. Violence has done nothing but impede action from the international community, and justified Western acts of violence.

Of course not all (not even most) Muslims are going out and torching embassies. Plenty are just plain outraged by the cartoons, and disappointed by these extremist reactions. However their voices are mostly muted, and not nearly enough Muslim countries have distanced themselves from these protests. We don't need any more reasons to hate each other.