Kerfuffles :: February

Calls Upon the West and Islam to Treat Each Other as Equals.

Abdullah Badawi, Maylasia’s Prime Minister, has been promoting a moderate form of Islam in largely Muslim Malaysia, embracing education, science, technology and development for Muslims worldwide while rejecting extremism. He complained at a conference in Kuala Lumpur, that many Westerners view Muslims as congenital terrorists. Meanwhile, outside the building where he was speaking thousands protested over cartoons published in European newspapers. The protesters shouted: "Long live Islam. Destroy Denmark. Destroy Israel. Destroy George Bush. Destroy America," as they marched to the Danish embassy from a nearby mosque.

On Thursday, the moderate Muslim leader, Mr. Abdullah shut down indefinitely the "Sarawak Tribune" newspaper, because of its "insensitive and irresponsible" act of reprinting the offensive cartoons. The newspaper had already apologised for its editorial oversight. The moderate Muslim prime minister also declared possession of the cartoons to be illegal, all according to the BBC. The Prime Minister said "The demonisation of Islam and the vilification of Muslims, there is no denying, is widespread within mainstream Western society." He said that Muslims should avoid "sweeping denunciation of Christians, Jews and the West", but added: "The West should treat Islam the way it wants Islam to treat the West and vice versa. They should accept one another as equals."

Meanwhile since the cartoon protests began, four months after their publication in a Danish newspaper; Muslim gunmen have raided the Gaza office of the European Union demanding apology, a Catholic priest was slain in Turkey, the Syrians attacked the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus, the Danish embassy in Beirut, Lebanon was set ablaze, at least eight people were killed at violent protests in Afghanistan. "The West should treat Islam the way it wants Islam to treat the West?" Give us a break! How many riotous protests and Middle Eastern embassies have been torched by Western Christians and Jews in response to the many outrageous cartoons about their faiths published in Muslim lands? How many Western newspapers have been shut down for offending their governments or any religion? Mr. Prime Minister, you call for Islam and the West to treat each other as equals? No Thanks!

Linked at "Outside the Beltway" Traffic Jam.