Hey, What About US?

I mean US as in the United States.  Jyllands-Posten editor, Flemming Rose has spoken out with Why I Published Those Cartoons in the WaPo. That's ironic in that the WaPo, along with the NY Times and many others cowered when it came time to step up and publish the cartoons. Those omissions are reminiscent of the early days of WWII when America drew into itself and allowed much of Europe to burn.

USS Neverdock has weighed in, as has Hyscience. Both are pleased with the piece and so am I, however, it only serves to point out the challenge we face here in America. A challenge that went unmet by our MSM.

Rose speaks to the creeping self-censorship in the face of complaint and intimidation from radical Islam which has been going on throughout Europe for some time. He points out several instances of which most Americans are probably unaware.

At the end of September, a Danish stand up comedian said in an interview with Jyllands-Posten that he had no problem urinating on the Bible in front of a camera, but he dared not do the same thing with the Koran.

This was the culmination of a series of disturbing instances of self-censorship. Last September, a Danish children's writer had trouble finding an illustrator for a book about the life of Muhammad. Three people turned down the job for fear of consequences. The person who finally accepted insisted on anonymity, which in my book is a form of self-censorship. European translators of a critical book about Islam also did not want their names to appear on the book cover beside the name of the author, a Somalia-born Dutch politician who has herself been in hiding.

Rose goes on to list several more incidences, as well as to argue that printing the cartoons was a way to draw Muslims into Europe and the concept of secular government by treating them like any other religion. That view makes a great deal of sense.

Unfortunately, the MSM of America failed to meet the challenge, even if some moderate Muslim groups in Europe are now beginning to step up. In that sense, and it comes as no shock to me, the major media has failed us terribly at an opportune time to stand up and push back against a quasi-theocratic oppression of a sort other than the Judeo-Christian kind.

That should be of concern for every American. In this one instance, the MSM is not taking a neutral or equivalent position, it almost seems to have unwittingly picked a side, as they seem to have no qualms when offending other world religions including Christianity.

As regards Afghanistan, Iraq, radical Islam, and even now, Iran, media elites like to lecture on standing up to tyranny with words instead of arms. Yet, when given the chance to do that very thing with words and images, they abdicated their responsibility and are looking to move on. And one way or another they and America will.

But if our media does not have the courage to stand up for our freedoms with words and images now, not only will the time come when we have to do it with arms, we will have even more reason to wonder if the media will be with us, or continue to undercut our efforts as we confront radical Islam and even more specifically, Iran.

Be sure and read the entire piece by Flemming Rose. It's refreshing coming from a mainstream editor, as well as important for the challenge to America and the notion of secular government presented by radical Islam.

Comments

[Lone Pony]

Thanks for this article Dan. I held off putting the cartoons on my site because I wanted to understand the Muslim side of the story. I could kick myself now. I need to be tougher and more decisive. Another lesson learned.

[xvxcvxcv]

Just FYI and many others: America is NOT a country. It is a continent. USA, your country is just A PART of America. Stop calling your country America and yourself American.

[don surber]

Dan:
The argument that to show their support of a free press newspapers MUST publish this or that is rubbish.
We can defend Larry Flynt's rights without republishing Hustler.
Self-censorship is also known as editing. Our media has more courage than you can imagine.

[Dan]

The argument that to show their support of a free press newspapers MUST publish this or that

I didnt say they MUST publish this or that. You can't compare Flynt's porn to non-porn cartoons sparking world riots and embassy burnings.

[Phoenix]

xvxcvxyz:

By your logic, Europeans should refer to themselves as Europersianpakiindirussnepaltibechineeans. Cool.

Hmmm. I'm trying to figure out how to do our continent. Are you counting the Panama Canal as a cut-off point of any significance as it is man-made?

[Morten]

"At the end of September, a Danish stand up comedian said in an interview with Jyllands-Posten that he had no problem urinating on the Bible in front of a camera, but he dared not do the same thing with the Koran."

False. That's a screw-up by the New York Times.He said he didn't have a problem *joking* about the Bible on camera, but wouldn't dare to do the same with the Koran.

See e.g. http://www.haloscan.com/comments/jimmarquis/114037317966039878/