Truth, justice, and the EU way
A European Union commissioner suggests a way to help soothe feelings over the Muhammad cartoons, but in doing so, he is not being even-handed even though he wants to treat all religious sensibilities with equal respect.
It's a subtle point, but he is fulfilling Islamic expectations only.
From newKerala (via Michelle Malkin):
The European Union may try to draw up a media code of conduct to avoid a repeat of the furore caused by the publication across Europe of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, an EU commissioner said today.
In an interview with Britain's Daily Telegraph, EU Justice and Security Commissioner Franco Frattini said the charter would encourage the media to show ''prudence'' when covering religion.
The code would have no actual legal teeth, nor would it make special mention of Islam but just of respecting religious sensibilities only.
So you might think this is an even-handed attempt to deal with the issue. You would be wrong.
No mention of Islam might be made anywhere in a dozen pages translated in a dozen languages, but it would still be about Islam.
Here's why.
Look who is suggesting this charter. The Commissioner of Justice.
So why does this matter? Why does this make this about Islam, and not about respecting all religions?
Because of the three Abrahamic religions, Islam is the one about justice. Christianity is about truth.
Christianity has always made a distinction between Church and State. There is no definition of the ideal earthly state as such. There are general descriptions about the responsibility between ruler and ruled, but even then the advice is non-specific and mostly common sense.
Christianity praises the poor, the meek. Why? Why doesn't it demand that the poor and the meek be raised up, if they are so favoured? Because that there are people who are less fortunate is one of those less fortunate truths. You can try to alleviate the suffering of others, and for that you might earn forgiveness for some of your sins, but rich and poor, we will all stand in judgment.
Does Christianity demand abject subjugation? No. Christians can leave the Church, sin, and yet, if they are truly repentant, they can return, as the Prodigal Son did. Like the Prodigal Son, the truly repentant will enjoy the same reward as the unfailingly faithful. Is that fair? Is that just? No. But it is a truth that the love of God knows no bounds.
It is a truth that people will fail to live a good life. And that they can feel remorse.
Islam has a different focus. Islam focuses on justice. Its members must submit to Allah's will, because it is the way it should be. Can a Muslim leave the faith? No, and a violent justice will be visited, because of the affront such an act visits upon Allah. Such an insult must exact a payment to balance the scales of justice. Insult Allah or his Prophet, and his followers will extract a price.
Islam provides an entire blueprint for a just society -- meaning justice for believers, of course. Whether it means favouring the evidence provided by a Muslim over that of a non-Muslim in an Islamic court, or asymmetric taxation, or severely curtailed ability to exercise non-Muslim religions -- the Muslim works to order the world according to Allah's wishes.
Of course, Christians do the same, trying to change the world (though the Christian plan is different). But whereas Christians do not expect to succeed but to keep trying, because the truth is that life is not fair, the Muslim accepts nothing less than absolute success, because justice demands that that which is wrong be set right at any cost.
So I am not at all surprised to see the Commissioner of Justice suggesting a code to limit the ability to mock Islam. Why? Because while the truth is that there are people for whom nothing is sacred and who will mock anything, justice demands that those people be silenced. A law that forbids the mocking of religion fulfills the desires of Muslims only.
Does that mean the idea is a bad one? Not necessarily. But to be honest, people should understand that this law satisfies Islamic sensibilities only.
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Comments
Just waiting for the reaction from the UK tabloids. Reminding this Italian that Britain and its allies fought his country and Naziism to uphold free speech, and then tell him where to shove his code of conduct if it means censorship.
He should remember Brits are not sold on the EU and this will fan those flames.
Posted by: pissedoff at February 10, 2006 12:36 AM
Via Michelle Malkins blog, here's a quickie movie about the cartoons. Says it all:
http://media.putfile.com/Taqiyya78
Posted by: foreign devil at February 10, 2006 01:08 AM
There have been a short interval during which the Christian church did not maintain such a clear distinction between Church and State.
The point is still valid that Islam's efforts to stifle other religions must not be permitted to succeed.
Posted by: Paul O at February 10, 2006 03:55 AM
Islam doesn't have to stifle other religions--the Liberals in Canada have done it for them--only Jews and Muslims are free from stifling in our country. Islam is only doing what has already been done to us by our elected officials--ie Liberals.
Nature abhors a vacuum--and the vacuum is a Liberal creation. Every Christmas we see the results of this vacuum--every day in schools when our children are denied the saying of the Lord's prayer for fear of offending someone.
Posted by: George at February 10, 2006 09:38 AM
"Because of the three Abrahamic religions, Islam is the one about justice. Christianity is about truth.
Christianity has always made a distinction between Church and State."
Have you ever heard of the Papal States? The Guelf-Ghibillean crises? The Ceasaro-papism of the Byzantium Empire? The Henrican and early Anglican Church? The Thirty Years War? St. Bartholemew's Day Massacre? The Spanish Inquisition (or the expulsion of Jews and Muslims from Spain)? The Disestablishmentarian Movement (and the Antidisestablishmentarian forces involved there with)? The Genevan Republic?
Christianity is about truth as much as Islam or Judaism is. None of these religions are free from the taint of the combination of Church and State. None.
Simplifications and whitewashed opinions of your faith and others do not make anything you say true. You can repeat half truths and white lies, yes you are free to do so, but remember that does not make them true.
We can stereotype Christianity by the harshest sections of the New Testament, Judaism by the genocide in the book of Judges, and Islam by the least favourable segements of the Koran. We can stereotype entire religions by their most radical and fundemental memebers. That does not make the stereotypes true to the whole. Only the part.
Just a friendly reminder.
Posted by: Pete at February 10, 2006 11:43 AM
The Church has not always been perfect -- it is a human institution of course. The Papal States. Sure. The Spanish Inquisition? More about Spain than about the Church. But I'm looking at the fundamental philosophical differences, not cherry picking through history for counter examples.
Remember, when the Church takes over the State and imposes its will, it runs counter to its mandate to repect Caesar. Islam is fulfilling it.
Posted by: Steve Janke at February 10, 2006 12:11 PM
"The Church has not always been perfect -- it is a human institution of course"
That's a much longer theological discussion. The Church (capital "C") is more than a mere "human institution", although the church (small "c") is administered by human beings.
But let's not get too sidetracked from the point that there is a very long history of Islamic states exerting their religion over other people at the point of the sword.
The "Spanish Inquisition" has been brought up. Yet the Inquisition was brought about in part to address heresies among members of the church, to strengthen defenses against the Muslim Turk who were threatening to invade.
Posted by: Paul O at February 10, 2006 05:42 PM
 
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