The New Rushdiesque!

Indeed, it is happening again: protests and condemnations giving way to riots, arson and pandemonium. Just as Khomeini needed to use the Rushdie Affair to stoke the dying fires of his revolution, so now are the myriad Arab dictatorships, most notably the Syrian one, using an, at worst, unwise decision by a Danish publisher to rally the masses to the cause and divert their people’s attention, no matter how momentarily, from their corrupt authoritarian and inept rule. Indeed, a new Rushdiesque is unfolding, albeit a rather mediocre one. For Arab rulers cannot produce but mediocrity. The scenes in Damascus and Beirut are but a simple testament to this little macabre truth.

See in this regard as well the blogposts by Tabsir, Llano Estacado, Mental Mayhem and Religious policeman. 

Comments

[Yaman]

Ammar, couldn't agree more. I put up my thoughts on the links below. Many have been quick to condemn both, but when it comes to issues like this, my position is unwavering.

Do not trust the one with ailing power!

-- Yaman

PS New website is pretty.

http://yamansalahi.livejournal.com/17888.html
and
http://yamansalahi.livejournal.com/18237.html

[Tharwacolamus]

Thanks Yaman, your journal entries on this matter are very thoughtful indeed. I tend to be uncompromising on the freedom of expression myself: it is indeed the basic pillar of our modern subsistence.

The freedom of "discretion" is also good of course, but it is just that - a "freedom" entailing a choice to be made as to whether one should or should not censor oneself. There should be no penalties involved here (positive inducements, on the other hand, are another consideration), so long as no direct and real harm is incurred to others as a result of exercising this freedom.

There is no such a thing as the freedom not to have your feelings hurt.

[Yaman]

You are right, there is no such freedom. Unfortunately, arrogance is an attribute that runs rampantly in religious communities of all varieties. When you actually believe that you are better/holier than everybody else, you also assign yourself an artificial status. The danger in living in this false world is that when the artificial status is breached, the anger is all too real and manifests itself in unfortunate ways.