I hope that Western non-Muslims don’t decide that that is the solution for Muslims facing fearful discrimination.

me neither, but it’s better than having them offend us on every street corner, you know what i mean.

I agree, although a “social contract” is not the right word.

you’re right of course. what i was trying to say is that we as a people within a society have generally agreed on the limitations of freedoms to a large extent. we generally agree that taking someone’s life transgresses the lines of freedom of expression, as does slander and hate speech for freedom of speech.

so when someone attacks another’s religion it should be considered flat out hate speech, unprotected by the protections of freedom of speech. if the same rule of law is applied to ethnicity, origin and skin color, then religion should be the same.

I hope that Western non-Muslims don’t decide that that is the solution for Muslims facing fearful discrimination.

and while blasphemy is too heavy a word, i think there are certain limitations on freedoms. we accept such limitations every day as part of the social contract.

I agree, although a “social contract” is not the right word. I’m under not “agreement” to speak nicely about anyone else’s beliefs. Governments that are not tyrannies have social contracts with the governed. Individuals live under social “expediencies”.

But contract or not, part of that arrangement is that even if you don’t like what I say, create, or believe, you will not kill me or threaten me into saying, creating, or believing like you. I’m free to act. You are free to be offended or not, and choose to stay at my hotel or not, or even insult me if you want. That’s a truly *equal* arrangement.

Nas, I don’t think the death threats came from the man who spearheaded this campaign. The social contract idea is an interesting one, but I don’t think East and West are going to budge on either side to agree on what is says.

so hey, maybe there are christians out there that are homocidal maniacs like us muslims.

as for your points.

i agree with the first. as for the second, i would rather be refused housing, or a job or the boarding of a plane than have a naked statue of mohammed pbuh on every corner.

moving countries or taking another plane is the solution to the former problems.

and while blasphemy is too heavy a word, i think there are certain limitations on freedoms. we accept such limitations every day as part of the social contract.

Fear of violence doesn’t “keep the peace”:

1) Those enforcing their will through the threat of violence are never satisfied. They always want more and more.

2) Just because someone doesn’t make a chocolate Mohammad out of fear, does not stop people in countries where most people are not Muslim (out of fear) from not renting a house to a Muslim, not giving a job to a Muslim, not kicking Muslims off planes. It would be better to have a naked Mohammad statue on every corner than to have that happen.

This was the argument for the Danish newspaper to print those Mohammad cartoons. And that was why the newpaper was right and those who claimed “free speech does not include blasphemy” were wrong.

Perhaps you didn’t realize that this sculpture is a deliberate mocking of Jesus and the Easter holiday. In the US, on Easter rabbit comes in the night with chocolate for children. This is from the non-Christian history of the holiday (the name Easter itself is the pre-Christian name for the holiday).

This sculpture is a joke based on this tradition: “Ha ha! Stupid Christians celebrating Easter by eating chocolate! What does chocolate have to do with Jesus? Here’s an Easter chocolate for you! Ha ha ha!”

The commenter made an important comment about the treatment of Islam as opposed to Christianity in the West. Secular Liberals in the West hold Islam in contempt no less than they do Christianity. But they don’t dare offend Islam publicly because they consider Muslims to be homicidal maniacs and Christians merely irrational yet civilized.

The fact that no artist would defame Islam in the same way (and no hotel would be stupid enough to display it) is actually an emphatic slur on Muslims.

The difference between M’s is David and this guys Christ is all position. David, as all the prophets of era, was a godly man with major faults. It is also recorded that he danced naked. Conversely, Jesus Christ is the pinnacle of our faith, our sinless Saviour. His role as prophet was not exclusive, he is also our high priest and king. To depict my Lord in this way, at our holiest time of the year, seems nothing more than media inspired provocation.

Note than MSM had no problem posting images of this humiliating work, but out of ‘respect’ to Islam, would not publish the Danish cartoons. I wish it was truly out of respect, I think it was more out of fear.

HANNA, was the ‘Catholic’ reaction to disallow Muslim’s right to protest or the manner in which some were protesting? (ie: violently and unworthy of the majority of their followers?)

Now I know it’s a huge and wrong generalization to group U.S. Catholics and secular Europeans under the umbrella of “Western Culture”, but sadly enough that’s the only way I can view this issue with

religions should be discussed, they should be examined, they should be studied and they should be honored.

for every negative comment firas has read about christianity, i’m betting there’s at least twice that amount in anti-islam remarks on the web. there has to be an acknowledgment that in this world there exist uneducated dumbasses, zealots, radicals and much more.

the key remains in the approach.

It got a teenager mentality (You know, when s/he suddenly go to college and live alone, they just go nuts, and do the exact opposite of what their parents didn’t allow them to do)

Grudges!

I know that my parents taught me to respect others, no matter how their customs,ideas,language looked strange to me.

What’s even worse are those commenting on Alaribya’s site regarding this : Oh look, they even have no respect for their own prophets. they think that the West are all Christians, man someone should update their school textbooks and ban all these stupid TV channels like AL Nas, Iqra (http://www.alnas.tv/ Al Nas TV is a real name).
Christians are a minority in the West(mostly Europe).

I’m glad they are finally speaking up in the US! About time.

So where does the line stand? It’s a no brainier!

Christians always seem to entwine Christianity with food. I don’t about this, it’s like saying Muslims always entwine Allah’s name with Animals (God’s name on a goat,sheep,fish, etc) not a smart observation.