Oppression At Our Doorstep

With all the controversy surrounding the Muhammed cartoons, we 'Westerners' saw that the 'Muslim world' could not live, could not accept our freedom. The freedom of speech (and of religion) is an inherent part of our culture: perhaps one could even say that Western culture is defined by it.

The forefathers of Americans died for this right: they fought, they risked all they had, in order to be free, in order to be able to speak their minds. In Europe our forefathers died to win, or preserve, this right as well. Even some 60 years ago, they fought for this right (as did, again, Americans, this time for us).

Today, the 'Tories' from the American revolution are back. Today, the 'white moderates' as described by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his "letter from Birmingham Jail" are back.
Those people have existed at all places, at all times. As a logical result of this rule, they also live in our time.

The editorial of the New York Times from yesterday is the best example of how these people think and how they act. They believe that a Pope, or anyone else for that matter, should not link Islam to violence, should not say that Jihad is 'unreasonable', that God is 'reasonable' and that therefore, Jihad is in contradiction with God's nature, because some people might feel insulted.
They believe that the Pope should apologize for linking Islam to violence, they feel he should apologize because the 'Muslim world' is 'angered', because the 'Muslim world' is threatening the Pope, because Muslims are already using violence against Churches in the Mideast.

Oppression has arrived at our doorstep, at the doorstep of the West: it has not come in gigantic armies. It has come through hatred, intolerance and (support for) terrorism.

To speak out against this, to speak out against violence, against the teaching of Jihad is something every Westerner who believes in the freedom of speech and of religion, who believes that "all men are created equal", who believes that women are equal to men, who believes that killing someone for his or her beliefs is wrong, should do. Not out of hatred, nor out of fear, but out of respect and belief in the very foundation of Western civilization.

People like described at the intro. of this post will always exist. Let us make sure that they do not create our policies.

Cross posted at Liberty and Justice