Live and let live

These are quite some freaky times for us. If you haven't spent the last few weeks somewhere in a dark cave in Afghanistan, you've probably read, saw and heard alot about this "oh so horrific and blasphemic" caricature which is apparently a good enough reason for some people to start a holy war. Feels like we're back in time, when religious beliefs had more importance than common sense.

So, I'd like to give my very humble opinion about this. In first place, because I draw caricatures myself and therefor feel quite concerned.

I'd really like to ask the muslims around the globe: does your religion teach tolerance? If it does, does it teach it as a one way road? That only YOUR beliefs and opinions are to be tolerated by others, but that you don't need to be tolerant yourself? I doubt it...

Another question is: Who do you think you are to claim censorship of the press in countries outside of your own? It's not like someone printed leaflets of these caricatures and spread them all over palestina! It happened in countries far from your own, countries with other cultures, habits, laws and religions. Our ancestors fought and died to gain the right for us all to say whatever we want.. to express ourselves freely. It's a primary right given to us by our constitution. And if we gave in, sent excuses or whatever, what would be next? Our rights to eat porc? People! Come on! Are we really going to kneel down before the islamic world each time they feel pissed, each time they feel insulted or treated badly? At this rate, we could also just invite them to take over our government.

I mean, just look at how moderate we are.. even though a group of terrorists took over an entire nation, which is totaly against our own beliefs, did we start to burn down their flags? Did we storm in their ambassy and menaced them of death? No. We didn't. And you know why we didn't do this? Because we're civilized... we repect other people's doings in their own countries. That's the damned point!

I hope this entire bullshit will be settled without excuses, because it would be the first step into censorship.. and that would mean dictatorship from the outside. So dear muslims, just say we're assholes for what we did, because that's what some of us are, but just leave it be. Be bolder than we are and forgive.