Again: why do they hate us? [Archives:2006/922/Opinion]
By: Martin Bendeler
[email protected]
Why do they hate us? This seems to be the question occupying both sides in this clash of civilizations between Islam and the West. George Bush says Islamic terrorists hate America because they hate America's freedom and prosperity. He says the correct response is to invade Iraq and curb civil liberties. Many in the Middle East struggle to understand why Danish illustrators hate Islam and draw insulting pictures of the Prophet Mohammed. And why other European newspapers would reprint them. They say the correct response is to harm Danish companies, pressure the Danish Prime Minister to apologize and prosecute, even burn down embassies and issue Fatwas of death. But if you want to know why somebody hates you, just ask them.
Osama Bin Laden has said publicly, frequently and clearly why he hates America- because it based around 500,000 troops in the land of Mecca and because of its unstinting support of regimes that repress Muslims, particularly Israel and Saudi Arabia. A logical response would seem to be policies that are tough on terrorist groups but tougher on the causes of terrorism. Not invade Iraq. However, in America now, powerful politicians have made it unpatriotic to question the causes of terrorism. And even treasonous to question whether invading Iraq was the right thing to do. George Bush prefers his people to be angry, scared and ignorant. It stops them asking other questions about what he does. It gets him reelected.
So do Danish newspapers hate Islam? According to the BBC, a Danish newspaper asked 12 artists to draw the Prophet “as they saw him” to highlight self-censorship after a prominent children's author could not find an illustrator for a book on the life of the Prophet for fear of attacks such as those on a University of Copenhagen lecturer who read the Qu'ran to non-Muslims and the murder in the street of Dutch film director Theo Van Gogh. The article was published under the headline, “Profound fear of criticism of Islam”. It was written as an assertion of the right to criticize religion in Denmark without fear, not as a declaration of hatred towards Muslims.
European governments have not always been secular. Not so many hundreds of years ago, many millions of Europeans died in wars between Protestants and Catholics. Europe stopped this bleeding by agreeing that people can say what they want about religion and governments can't. They will never compromise this principle easily. Many European newspapers republished the pictures not because they hate Muslims, but to say, “If you want to take action against one paper for caricaturing a religious figure, then you will have to take action against us, too.”
Intelligent Muslims, if they are offended by the actions of an individual, should respond by approaching the person who offends them to resolve their differences within the laws of their land. Why make the Danish Prime Minister apologize for the questionable but legal actions of another Dane? Or why stop with him? Why not demand that Kofi Annan apologize and take action? Or the illustrator's parents? Why make unrelated Danish companies suffer? It is immoral to make an innocent person responsible for the actions of another. And it is illegal to prosecute someone for something that is legal. Why are some Muslim leaders inciting their people to settle for nothing less than responses that are illegal, immoral and impossible?
Europeans and Muslims are swinging punches at each other in this clash of civilizations not because they want to destroy each other, but because they want their values and concerns to be understood and respected – for Muslims, that any representation of the Prophet is hurtful, for Europeans, their right to freely criticize religion. Asking “Why do they hate us?” is a good first step towards this mutual understanding, provided we take the time to find our own answers and not blindly accept the reasons and responses given to us by self-interested politicians.
Islam is strong enough to withstand provocation from Danish illustrators. It makes itself little by responding angrily to little people.
Martin Bendeler is an Australian conservation and development consultant.
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[archive-e:922-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-02-20-p:opinion]
