I write in response to the editorial “Cartoon editorial was irresponsible, [and] prejudiced” (Feb. 7, p.4).
It is curious that this editorial excuses “anti-Israel” and “anti-American” sentiment in the Middle East just because the hatred is not based on religion antipathy. To begin with, anti-Israel and anti-American sentiment in the Middle East is not “colored with derogatory” cartoons of the prophet Moses, or Jesus because traditional Islam recognizes Moses and Jesus as holy men and prophets sacred to Islam.
Secondly, let the author be consistent with the theme of his editorial: respect for other people’s religions, and submit a daily letter, criticizing Arab and Muslim newspapers for their inflammatory, anti-Semitic and anti-American cartoons. And if the author of the editorial objects to the term “anti-Semitic,” we can just use anti-Jewish.
The anti-Israel sentiment that the author refers to is simply hatred for Israel and the Jews. Cartoons regularly produced by the Arab and the Muslim press, depict a Jewish Star of David transformed into a swastika, and war surplus “Ugly Jew” cartoons, courtesy of the WWII Nazi propaganda machine. Stereotypical hook-nosed Jews represent Israel and are demonized and depicted as cold-blooded murderers. These blood libels, originally created in the middle ages, are unabashedly published throughout the Muslim world today. On April 21 2001, Al Ahram, one of Egypt’s leading daily newspapers published a cartoon of Israeli soldiers with Stars of David on their helmets sending Arabs through a flattening mill and Jews drinking the remaining blood with their Yarmulkes (religious head cap worn by Jews). If one does not believe the outrageous proliferation of such shameful depictions, then one must only perform a Google image search “Arab anti-Semitic cartoons.” I find the depiction of Muhammad in any derogatory fashion to be extremely distasteful and insulting just as I find the derogatory depictions and caricatures of Jews and Jewish symbols extremely distasteful and insulting. However, expressing bigotry, hatred, and “blasphemy,” is not the same as a “nuke hitting Washington D.C.,” the capital of the United States of America. To equate the two, is an absurdity unbecoming of a senior student at the Boston University School of Law. I certainly agree with the writer of the editorial that the press in the Western World has professional responsibilities. The editorial responsibility should not be limited exclusively to the US and Europe. Just because a Danish newspaper published a distasteful and “blasphemous” cartoon, that does not mean that a top Iranian newspapers should now hold a “Holocaust Cartoon Contest” which it is currently doing.
The beauty of democracy lies in our freedom to express our opinions in public whether they are popular or not. In the United States we have the freedom to assemble and demonstrate for or against causes so that our voices will be heard. Let the Muslim world rally if it would like to rally. Let them express their anger and outrage over this or any cartoon. However, when rallies begin to get out of hand, and embassies are attacked, and buildings are burned down, then one should not be surprised when local authorities use force to quell those riots. Amos Ben Harav ENG ’06