In my years as a journalist and commentator on Islam, terrorism, the Middle East, and human rights, I have read tons of news and opinion. Go through the material that is churned out as news and opinion daily for a few years and you'll see how many lunatics are out there using freedom of speech to spew garbage all over the place. I've seen dozens of articles that not only defy logic and insult your intelligence but that are also factually incorrect in an in-your-face kind of way. But nothing compares to what is written these days in defense of Islam and the cruelty of Muslims.
One such opinion piece caught my attention exactly an hour after the May 20 "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" protest ended. (For those who are unaware of this, this was a protest during which people drew cartoons of Muhammad and posted them on their blogs or social networking websites of choice in protest of extremist Muslims who threaten to abolish freedom of speech. Thousands of people participated.)
Nihad Awad, the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, has penned this piece criticizing Everybody Draw Mohammed Day. To give you some context, the EDMD protest was in response to Comedy Central censoring an episode of South Park last month that depicted Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. The South Park controversy, however, has deeper roots that I will explain in a minute. To say that Mr. Awad's piece insults your intelligence is rather mild. Mr. Awad uses faulty logic and then outright lies to defend his positions.
To begin with, Mr. Awad throws around rhetoric without understanding the issue:
I will be the first to defend anyone's right to express their opinion, no matter how offensive it may be to me. Our nation has prospered because Americans value and respect diversity. But freedom of expression does not create an obligation to offend or to show disrespect to the religious beliefs or revered figures of others.
Mr. Awad forgets that the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which also allows for freedom of religion, does not specify 'obligation' at all when it grants US citizens the right to freedom of speech. It simply protects speech. Mr. Awad insinuates that freedom of speech is OK as long as no one uses it against Islam. Should we all revere Islam's sacred icons because Muslims want us to?
Why is it OK for Muslims to preach against Christianity or any other religion? Is it not insulting to tell a Christian that his or her God is a mere man, or to tell a Hindu that Shiva is just a puppet made out of stone? Some Muslims are perfectly fine with coming to the West and preaching their religion -- using the First Amendment -- yet when someone mocks one of their icons -- using the First Amendment -- they've crossed a line?
Then, Mr. Awad completely ignores the cause of this conflict, the Danish cartoonists who are afraid of being killed by Muslim extremists, and instead brings up the issue of Muhammad appearing on South Park: "In reaction to the recent controversy over a depiction of Islam's Prophet Muhammad in an episode of Comedy Central's 'South Park,' a Seattle cartoonist apparently declared May 20th to be 'Everybody Draw Muhammad Day.'"
South Park's attempts to portray Muhammad began only after Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published cartoons of Muhammad in 2005. Since then, Muslim extremists have mounted a manhunt against the Danish cartoonists who five years ago dared to draw Islam's prophet Muhammad in a not-so-kind light.
Mr. Awad then explains that the Seattle cartoonist has since disavowed her protest, and also that the creator of a Facebook group promoting the protest was dismayed at some of the responses. He adds: "So how should Muslims and other Americans react to this latest attempt by hate-mongers to exploit the precious right of free speech and turn May 20 into a celebration of degradation and xenophobia?"
Hate-mongers? Islamophobes? And yes, xenophobia. Mr. Awad needs to follow the news and understand why this entire controversy began. If he says it is the work of Islamophobes or xenophobes, he should also explain how Muslims are out trying to kill Danish cartoonists, the courageous artists who defied fear and did what was right to prove that Islam is not exempt -- yes, not exempt -- from ridicule. And if he has not understood this clearly, then he should learn that even the most sacred object in America, the American flag that stands for freedom and individual rights, can be burned in protest.
If this was all, I would have forgiven Mr. Awad and left it at this, but he goes a step further and unabashedly lies about Muhammad's character and the teachings of Islam in order to belittle the EDMD protesters:
Next, one must examine how the Prophet Muhammad himself reacted to personal insults.Islamic traditions include a number of instances in which the Prophet had the opportunity to retaliate against those who abused him, but refrained from doing so. He said, "You do not do evil to those who do evil to you, but you deal with them with forgiveness and kindness."
Even when the prophet was in a position of power, he chose the path of kindness and mercy. When he returned to Mecca after years of exile and personal attacks, he did not take revenge on the people who had reviled him and abused and tortured his followers, but instead offered a general amnesty.
In the Quran, Islam's revealed text, God states: "Invite (all) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for your Lord knows best who have strayed from His Path and who receive guidance." (16:125)
Another verse tells the prophet to "show forgiveness, speak for justice and avoid the ignorant." (7:199)
This is the guidance Muslims should follow as they express concern about an insulting depiction of the Prophet Muhammad, or of any other prophet of God.
Have you ever felt embarrassed upon seeing something embarrassing on TV? I felt like that when I read the lines above. Muhammad is completely different from the man whom Mr. Awad glorifies. He is not alone. Every Muslim preacher will tell you that Muhammad was a peaceful man and that he believed in freedom of speech. History, however, tells us differently.
Take the examples of Al-Nadr bin al-Harith and Uqba bin Abu Muayt, captured in the first battle between Muslims and the people of Mecca at al-Badr. They were both beheaded by the order of the prophet. Uqba begged for his life and pleaded by reminding Muhammad that he had very young children, saying, "O Mohammad, who will look after my children?" The peace-loving prophet replied, "Hell!"
Muhammad's defenders might argue that these men were fair game because they had come to war with Muslims. Then what about Asma bint Marwan, a poetess from Medina who wrote verses denouncing Muhammad? He sent a man to kill her. Asma had several children, the youngest of whom was sleeping on her chest when Muhammad's hit-man entered the house. He quietly removed the child from the mother's chest, then murdered her in cold blood. Her story is recounted by Muslim historians time and time again.
There are several other poets who were killed by Muslims during Muhammad's reign after he ordered their execution, specifically for writing insulting poems or verses. These include Abu Afak, Ka'ab ibn Ashraf and Ibn Sunayna. These men and women died because they had insulted Muhammad and Islam. I'm not sure why the hippie prophet didn't take into account freedom of speech when he ordered their executions.
Finally, Mr. Awad decries Muslim extremists: "The mainstream American Muslim community, including my own organization, has also strongly repudiated the few members of an extremist fringe group who appeared to threaten the creators of 'South Park.'"
Reading the history of how Muhammad dealt with offenders and insulters, it becomes clear that these so-called extremists are not really folks from the fringe. They are more mainstream than Mr. Awad thinks, because they are doing exactly what their prophet did, which is to kill anyone who dares insult Islam or its prophet. Following in the footsteps of the greatest Muslim is what most Muslims should do, right?
But as deplorable as the threats of these 'extremists' are, I find it more appalling that Mr. Awad quietly attempts to sneak in false information to venerate Muhammad. His actions and the actions of men like him are far more dangerous than the ones he calls extremists who attempt to kill people that have insulted Islam or Muhammad.
Mr. Awad and his comrades continue to hide the truth from Muslim youth who trust the judgment of these men. Instead of giving them insight into what the real Muhammad did, they distort facts to demonize everyone who stands up against them and unmasks the truth. Muhammad was a leader of people. He brought a religion that today unites billions of people.
However, he was a man, and all men are deeply flawed. He made mistakes, committed atrocities, and did injustices. History has recorded all of these. Mr. Awad and his comrades can either write about the real Muhammad and desensitize these youth so they won't fall into the trap of Muahmmed's cult of personality, or they can continue to lie about facts and stoke the fire of hatred. The choice is theirs.
But while they're figuring this out, they need to keep their hands off the First Amendment. Freedom of speech is enshrined in the US Constitution for a reason. This is America, not Pakistan or Saudi Arabia. If Mr. Awad can't deal with freedom, if he can't respect the US Constitution, then maybe he should find a more suitable country to immigrate to.
Follow Josh Shahryar on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JShahryar
You have written a really good, no-nonsense assessment of this issue. I really appreciate that. I am an artist who specializes in landscapes/seascapes. Most of what I do is so non-offensive that my work is sometimes accused of being "boring". But on May 20, I drew several pieces incorporating Mohammed. Why? Because I have the right to do so without fear of murder, and because other artists have been killed for doing so. It is my belief and conviction that if I had not done so, the rest of my art would be meaningless and I might as well burn all my canvases, give up art for good, and go be a gas station attendant. My art means nothing, if I do not have the freedom to paint other things and that includes "sacred cows".
Best wishes,
pyrata
I am glad you reached that decision. And trust me, a true artist's art is never boring.