Angry in the Great White North

The Vatican weighs in:

A Vatican cardinal sharply criticized the publication of newspaper cartoons satirizing the prophet Mohammed, saying the caricatures have offended the religious sentiments of millions of Muslims.

Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, a leader for many years in the Vatican's diplomatic service, said the cartoons demonstrated a growing trend to make fun of religious symbols in general.

"Freedom of satire that offends the sentiments of others becomes an abuse -- and in this case it has affected the sentiments of entire populations in their highest symbols," the cardinal told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera Feb. 3.

The cardinal said Christianity has similar sensitivities.

"One can understand satire about a priest but not about God. With reference to Islam, we could understand satire on the uses and customs and behavior, but not about the Quran, Allah and the Prophet," he said.

The Muhammad cartoons are nasty, but worse is the reaction. With all due respect to Cardinal Silvestrini, Muslims have responded with calls to kill the cartoonists, the editors of the newspaper, Danes, and non-Muslims in general.

At the same time, [Msgr. Aldo Giordano, general secretary of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences,] said it was important not to overreact and "not make it an occasion for a clash of civilizations."

"We should be able to transform offenses in an occasion of greater solidarity," he said.

Yes, we should be able act with solidarity. Muslims should have gotten in touch with people of faith at the Vatican and in Jerusalem and made common cause with them against those who would belittle them.

But then if Muslims were the sort of people to reach out to others to consider deeper issues of faith in modern society and craft a common response based on shared values and deep faith, we wouldn't be in this mess.

If Muslims were that sort of people, the cartoons would never have been drawn and published in the first place.

Let's not forget the root cause for this. The cartoons did not start this. They were a response to violent Islamic intolerance, and they brought violent Islamic intolerance into focus.

I would invite Msgr. Giordano and Cardinal Silvestrini to consider the number of times Muslim authorities took a stand to defend the Catholic Church against her critics, or to say that the Christian faith was worthy of respect and protection against those who would see the institution dissolved.

Some quotes from the Koran:

"And fight them [unbelievers/idolaters] on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah altogether and everywhere; but if they cease, verily Allah doth see all that they do." (Surah 8:39)

"O ye who believe! Take not into your intimacy those outside your ranks: They will not fail to corrupt you. They only desire your ruin: Rank hatred has already appeared from their mouths: What their hearts conceal is far worse. We have made plain to you the Signs, if ye have wisdom." (Surah 3:118)

"O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: They are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust." (Surah 5:51)

“The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!" (Sura 9:30)

As for the Church:

Thirty-five years ago the Catholic Church took a dramatic stand to promote constructive, peaceful and religious relations with Muslims. First, the Catholic Church instructed Catholics how they should appreciate Muslims by promulgating these words from the Second Vatican Council in 1965:

"The church has also a high regard for the Muslims. They worship God, who is one, living and subsistent, merciful and almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has also spoken to people. They strive to submit themselves without reserve to the hidden decrees of God, just as Abraham submitted himself to God's plan, to whose faith Muslims eagerly link their own. Although not acknowledging him as God, they venerate Jesus as a prophet, his virgin mother they also honor and even at times devoutly invoke."

What? No demands from the Catholic Church that Muslims be beheaded for not acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God? No demands for wholesale slaughter because Muslims have not shown sufficient respect?

And they call themselves a religion.