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February 18, 2006
On Provokation
Shaykh Faiz Siddiqi, the national convener of MAC told Reuters. "We also want to invite the global community to a civilized dialogue. We want to say we don't need insults anymore. We don't need provocation any more."
This guy is a Muslim leader of some manner, I've given up trying to figure out the heiarchy of who's who. The quote, while well meaning, is disturbing to me. Wouldn't a few weeks ago have been the time to invite the global community to a civilized dialogue? Which party in this little scrap is being uncivilized? I don't see any Danes protesting and burning down Muslim property. No likenesses of Muslim leaders have been burned. If he's speaking to anyone, he needs to be speaking to his own people, encouraging them to stop the violence, and the protests, and get to a civilized dialogue. I think the world community would embrace that.
Additionally he says that "we" which I take to mean Muslims, don't need insults or provocation any more. Granted, nobody needs to be insulted, but some tolerance over various slights should be indicated. And what of provocation? These are adults we're talking about here, not children or animals who are easily provoked. If Muslims think they're being provoked at every turn, then perhaps they are letting themselves be provoked, allowing themselves to embrace violence and destruction. Instead of asking the world not to provoke them, perhaps he should ask his followers not to be provoked.
I've said it before and it warrants saying again, I fear that eventually the world will tire of the constantly outraged Extremist Muslim and his tendancy towards violence and will do something about it. My fear is that whatever that something is will be explosive. When you're fighting a people who embrace the opportunity to die for their religion and think that the "glory times" will come only once the world is "enveloped in flames" you have to be careful. I don't have a good answer on what to do about this situation but I think that eventually it will spin out of control and bad things will happen.
Posted by at February 18, 2006 11:31 AM