Demonstrations Cap Weekend Of Violence in Afghanistan

I didn’t listen to the whole show, but I did hear in the comments of one of your guests regarding the reaction to the film mocking the prophet Mohammed an echo of the spineless and misguided placation of Muslim fundamentalists when Western journalists, writers, and politicians failed to close ranks around Salman Rushdie when the Ayatollah Khomeini issued his thuggish hit order against this British citizen for having the temerity to speak his mind.  I haven’t seen the film.  It may be awful as a work of art, it may be in poor taste, and it may be deliberately provocative, but it is free expression against which there should be no charge.  The charge is and can only be against those who would suppress free speech.  Radical Islam is a threat against enlightenment values and the open, secular societies they have made possible.  And, I would add, to the extent that all Muslims remain silent in the face of these repeated outrages, all of Islam, and not just the radicals, are indicted.  As Salman Rushdie commented regarding this theater of the absurd, no one has a right to be offended.  Something will offend someone every day.  That does not give us license to go and murder the offender.  If you are offended, deal with it.  It’s your problem.  

Radical Muslims are acting like badly behaved children.  “You made me feel bad, now I’m going to hurt you.”  Unfortunately they have guns and murderous intent.  We are in a war for civilization and civilized values.  We cannot afford to mince words and bow our heads in apology.  This behavior must be discredited, discouraged, and fought at every point.