Construction vs Destruction, The Battle Continues
The world has been revolted over the past few weeks of rioting
and destruction unleashed by the ill-timed, tasteless, and
insensitive publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet
Mohammed.
While the western idea that freedom of expression is sacrosanct
is not shared by most of the world, the violence, anger, and
hostility of the most recent demonstrations have shocked even
those who have a deeper understanding of Islamic culture. To
depict the Prophet in any form, even that of reverence and
respect, is blasphemous. To mock him raises the same red flags
as if African-Americans were confronted by widely disseminated
Ku Klux Klan images of the "Black Terror" or Jews exposed to
publications poking fun at the holocaust.
It is wounding, disrespectful, and divisive. Yet a western
response to such provocation would likely be limited to noisy
verbal debates or court action.
>From the barbed wire and fences that dot the international
landscape, from the corruption and absolute power of tyrants the
west has supported, to the humiliation of armed occupation,
refugee camps, and cultural marginalization, we have reaped the
whirlwind. We have allowed generations to grow up with little
devotion to anything but destruction. We have allowed the anger
and resentment of the have-nots to fester and ferment. We have
stood by and ignored a widening climate where there is no order
but DISorder.
In the chaos of the endless street fighting, children have
learned from experience that the rigors and boredom of going to
school, of building a future, of creating a life of
accomplishment and honor, are worthless and trivial in terrain
where only power counts.
It takes years of planning and hard work to build something
significant that can be razed to the ground in a few short
hours. It is like children who spend hours with building blocks
only to find their real joy in mindlessly knocking down
everything they have created.
No matter what efforts are made by great individuals with the
highest moral intentions, peace will not come suddenly and
swords will not easily be transformed into plowshares. The
forces that have produced the ugly face of violence and hatred
so prominently displayed through the cracks in our civilized
fa