Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

Let me be clear on two points. First, I am by no means saying that Islam is an immature religion or that all Muslims are immature. Nor am I saying that it is good to for a newspaper to intentionally insult one of the world's great religions.

What I am saying is that the very stereotype that two of the Danish cartoons were based on are being displayed in no uncertain terms by the rioting Muslims. The image that the rioting Muslims are projecting is exactly the image that they feel insulted by in those two cartoons.

The reality is this: a Danish newspaper printed some cartoons of Muhammed. Most of those cartoons were perfectly respectful and even sympathetic to Islam. Two of those cartoons were offensive in that they were applying negative stereotypes of Muslims to the prophet Muhammed. These cartoons brought up many issues that are important for all nations to face: the fact that Islam is no more or less legitimate a religion than Christianity, Judaism or any other religion; that Western nations have unfair and stupid stereotypes of Muslims; and that modern Islam has, in some ways been hijacked by some of its most extreme factions. All of these issues are important issues and all of them are portrayed in the Danish cartoons.

I applaud the newspapers that have printed these cartoons because we DO need to face these issues and no crying, screaming, kicking mob should intimidate us into ignoring them. Perhaps the two offensive cartoons should have been left out, but the reaction of the rioting Muslims may actually show more than ever the need to confront the more extremist factions of Islam. Perhaps those offensive cartoons struck too close to home.

What we are seeing is the name of Muhammed being used by extremist factions within Islam to inspire a massive, religious temper tantrum over imagined slights. These extremists are telling the world that Islam is so immature that it cannot take criticism. These extremists are telling the world that Islam is unable to face the issues raised by these cartoons. These extremists are telling the world that their faith in the word of Muhammed is so weak that the publication of mere cartoons can threaten that faith. They are telling the world that Islam has the mentality of a two-year-old brat.

I have known many Muslims and count some as friends. I have also met many Muslims in Turkey and Israel. All of these Muslims that I have personally met and known have been kind, mature, thinking individuals. They were not immature. They were not unable to take criticism. They were perfectly able to discuss in a rational manner any controversial issue you can imagine. Their faith was not weak, it was strong enough to shrug off stupid insults and move on with life.

The extremist factions of Islam are lying to us. They are degrading the name of Muhammed and insulting Islam. Most Muslims I have known are nothing like those rioting extremists. And yet, in modern times those extremists who have the mentality of a two-year-old brat and who are now rioting because they can't handle controversy are a fairly dominant voice in Islam today. Extremists have in many ways taken over the Muslim world and it is up to moderates to stand up to them.

This alone is worrisome: that one of the world's top religions is dominated by extremists. But then we are also seeing extremists like Pat Robertson are a major voice within Christianity in America. We are seeing extremists like Netanyahu are a major voice within Israel and within American Judaism. We are seeing extremists dominating the debate around the world.

These extremists of ALL religions spend most of their time ranting over imagined slights, crying over criticism and generally throwing never ending temper tantrums. The temper tantrum of a two-year-old child is unpleasant. The temper tantrums of these extremists are leading to tens of thousands of deaths every year. If our faiths are so weak that the teaching of evolution, an established and robust scientific theory, threatens that faith, we need to search within ourselves for our weaknesses, not deny evolution. If our faiths are so weak that the publishing of cartoons about our faith is so traumatic we have to riot, then we need to search within ourselves for our weaknesses, not burn the flags of the nations where newspapers have printed those cartoons. If our faiths are so weak that we are willing to lie to invade other nations and we call that war based on lies a "crusade" or "jihad," then we are nothing but a bunch of weak, bratty bullies.

Is this what our major religions are all about? Is this really the face of true faith? Riots, invasions, temper tantrums... Is this what our great religious leaders intended our faith to be?

If so, then our faith is worth nothing. The faith of Pat Robertson, of the rioting Muslims, of suicide bombers, of George Bush, of the whole bunch of extremist children is worth nothing. The cartoon of Muhammed with a bomb in his turban is not about Muhammed. Rather it is about the extremist Muslims who are right now rioting. That cartoon is not true of Muhammed or most of his followers, but it is true of those childish, rioting Muslims.

These extremists of all religions are destroying modern civilization. These extremists are a threat to the world. These extremists must be stopped. And it is up to the moderates of each religion to stop the extremists of their own religion. Until moderate Muslims stand up and tell their extremist brethren to shut up and sit down, Islam will be unworthy of Muhammed. Until moderate Christians tell Bush and Robertson to shut up and sit down, Christianity in America will not be worthy of Jesus Christ. Violent crusades and jihads are stupidity. It is time for moderate, rational people to stop listening to anyone who calls for a violent crusade or jihad.