Wednesday, February 08, 2006
ADOLESCENCE IN ACTION
By now word of the Muslim reaction to cartoon depictions of the prophet Mohammed carried by European newspapers has reached the darkest cave and dankest jungle. The latest wrinkle in that reaction comes from Iran, where two days ago Tehran’s largest newspaper, The Hamshari Daily, announced it would hold a “Holocaust cartoon” contest.
Two links, one from our side, one from theirs…
From The UK Guardian: “Iranian paper to run Holocaust cartoons”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/cartoonprotests/story/0,,1703925,00.html
From AlJazeera: “Iran paper plans Holocaust cartoons”
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/FCE073DD-7F1B-4714-95F0-DD1F354F1D9A.htm
From the latter: “It will be an international cartoon contest about the Holocaust," Farid Mortazavi, the graphics editor for Hamshahri said on Monday. The Western papers printed these sacrilegious cartoons on the pretext of freedom of expression, so let's see if they mean what they say and also print these Holocaust cartoons," he asserted.”
As an Atheist, I would find the original dispute amusing but for the violence it spawned. Such primitive foolishness… More proof “we” are descended from monkeys, and not very far…
But the reaction of Iran’s “right wing” adds another dimension to the issue. While one might expect twelve year-olds to pursue this sort of tit for tat, to see this from a State-sanctioned newspaper…
And that’s a point we dare not mistake. We are seeing an adolescent reaction from a Nation ruled by adolescents – adolescents who many believe want the bomb.
It becomes harder all the time to expect any rationality from Iran. And without rationality, there is no possibility of political solutions to any of the international issues to which they are a party.
We’re going to have to spank the kids… Let’s hope it doesn’t hurt us more than them…
Two links, one from our side, one from theirs…
From The UK Guardian: “Iranian paper to run Holocaust cartoons”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/cartoonprotests/story/0,,1703925,00.html
From AlJazeera: “Iran paper plans Holocaust cartoons”
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/FCE073DD-7F1B-4714-95F0-DD1F354F1D9A.htm
From the latter: “It will be an international cartoon contest about the Holocaust," Farid Mortazavi, the graphics editor for Hamshahri said on Monday. The Western papers printed these sacrilegious cartoons on the pretext of freedom of expression, so let's see if they mean what they say and also print these Holocaust cartoons," he asserted.”
As an Atheist, I would find the original dispute amusing but for the violence it spawned. Such primitive foolishness… More proof “we” are descended from monkeys, and not very far…
But the reaction of Iran’s “right wing” adds another dimension to the issue. While one might expect twelve year-olds to pursue this sort of tit for tat, to see this from a State-sanctioned newspaper…
And that’s a point we dare not mistake. We are seeing an adolescent reaction from a Nation ruled by adolescents – adolescents who many believe want the bomb.
It becomes harder all the time to expect any rationality from Iran. And without rationality, there is no possibility of political solutions to any of the international issues to which they are a party.
We’re going to have to spank the kids… Let’s hope it doesn’t hurt us more than them…
