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Remember the Danish cartoons that were less than flattering to Muhammad? The cartoons that supposedly sparked violent riots across the Middle East. It was quite a few years ago. Almost ten years? That was actually just a more news-generating event, as there have been a number of instances in which Western art has provoked murderous anger from Mideast Muslims, with perhaps the most celebrated case being the fatwa to have Salman Rushdie killed.
There has been another round of this crazy mayhem. This time it was a movie, reputedly produced in America, that has incited another round of Mideast riots, this time killing an American envoy, along with a few other Americans. The only thing that can be said on behalf of the rioters is that, this time, the object of ‘art’ genuinely seems to be no more than an incitement, having no other real purpose, being so poor and flat, and could perhaps even be called hate speech. Though, I haven’t seen it myself, but so run all the reports that I have seen. Of course, even bad art is no excuse to kill anyone, leaving all jokes aside.
With respect to the killing of the envoy and the other Americans at the consulate in Libya, the Obama administration has expressed reservations over whether the killing was indeed part of a spontaneous riot, arguing that the attack looked much more prepared, so that it may be that it was already a planned operation that only took advantage of the uproar created by this anti-Islam film.
If the anti-American attack was opportunistic, the same can be said for the response from the Romney campaign. Before the riots even began, someone from the U.S. embassy in Cairo tweeted for greater religious understanding, and now Romney and the Republicans are seizing on this tweet to paint Obama as an anti-American apologist. I suppose they are even hoping that this might be the event that begins to turn the campaign around, because Romney/Ryan has been smelling like a loser lately. Of course, this only makes them stink more to the people who know some of the facts, but the problem is that most Americans will never bother to learn any of the facts, and too many of them are happy to jump on the idea that Obama is not a real American but is more like the dark enemy within.
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New York Times
Andrew Sullivan's Dish
Andrew Sullivan's Dish
There has been another round of this crazy mayhem. This time it was a movie, reputedly produced in America, that has incited another round of Mideast riots, this time killing an American envoy, along with a few other Americans. The only thing that can be said on behalf of the rioters is that, this time, the object of ‘art’ genuinely seems to be no more than an incitement, having no other real purpose, being so poor and flat, and could perhaps even be called hate speech. Though, I haven’t seen it myself, but so run all the reports that I have seen. Of course, even bad art is no excuse to kill anyone, leaving all jokes aside.
With respect to the killing of the envoy and the other Americans at the consulate in Libya, the Obama administration has expressed reservations over whether the killing was indeed part of a spontaneous riot, arguing that the attack looked much more prepared, so that it may be that it was already a planned operation that only took advantage of the uproar created by this anti-Islam film.
If the anti-American attack was opportunistic, the same can be said for the response from the Romney campaign. Before the riots even began, someone from the U.S. embassy in Cairo tweeted for greater religious understanding, and now Romney and the Republicans are seizing on this tweet to paint Obama as an anti-American apologist. I suppose they are even hoping that this might be the event that begins to turn the campaign around, because Romney/Ryan has been smelling like a loser lately. Of course, this only makes them stink more to the people who know some of the facts, but the problem is that most Americans will never bother to learn any of the facts, and too many of them are happy to jump on the idea that Obama is not a real American but is more like the dark enemy within.
=================
New York Times
Andrew Sullivan's Dish
Andrew Sullivan's Dish
