Washington Post: Why I Published Those Cartoons

Posted by Steve Smith on Feb 24, 2006; 5:02pm
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Washington-Post-Why-I-Published-Those-Cartoons-tp521421p521429.html

Mohammed -

I, for one, "get" what you are trying to say, at least in a few small
ways.

I personally, hold no identifiable theistic/phrophet-oriented religion,
however, I *do* hold (have held?) a similar set of values and deep
reactions around a whole other set of beliefs, terminology, icons and
symbols surrounding "rational thought", "scientfic method",
"mathematics" etc.    In my youth I could be hugely incensed by the
misuse or deliberate ridicule of "science".   The whole NewAge (rhymes
with "sewage") movement kept me hopping mad throughout the 80's and
well into the 90's for their "misuse" of the terms coined by science.  
It was only Gary Larson's poking fun at "scientists" that finally got
me to let go of (some of) that anger reaction.

I also grew up in small towns, rural environments, among people close
to the earth...  both literally among those with adobe floors their
grandparents built and their parents added onto, and those whose
livelihood involved getting (very) dirty every day.  Ranchers, farmers,
miners, sawyers, etc.   I grew into another culture, a culture
dominated by "city people"... people born or at least raised in the
context of larger towns, often even cities.   Milk came from milkmen or
the dairy case, not from cows, travel was always by vehicle - public or
private, water and light and heat (and coolth!) came from a wire or
pipe in the wall.

I was used to a very *grounded" culture and had to endure an esthetic,
a reality, an opinion base that ignored, denied, or denigrated
everything I'd been born to.   I discovered a whole world of human
beings who at best idolized the "wilderness" and took high-tech
excursions into it for a few hours, days or even weeks, and at worst,
completely dismissed everything not made of concrete, metal or glass,
and anyone who got the least bit dirty in the pursuit of their
livelihood.

I soon came to straddle those two worlds.  Like a shaman, or like a
pariah, depending on the moment, I had to take in the best and worst of
both cultures.   And I saw hugely bad behaviour from both sides, each,
in turn threatening, dismissing, resenting, hating the other.    With
my feet (and head) in both worlds, I was burdened and honored with
having to see both sides, to hold the same resentments and harms along
with the insights and inspirations of both.

I am not muslim, I do not live in third world poverty/hopelessness, I
have only barely visited other countries, so I do not imagine I know
much, if anything of the real experiences of these other peoples, these
other worlds.   I've read as much of the Koran as the New or Old
Testament, the Tao te Ching, other "holy" books... but I don't "get"
the experience of those who live these faith-bases.   But I do sense
the deep otherness that comes with them.   Just as I found "city" other
unto inscrutable in my young adulthood, I find these organized systems
of belief as alien and suspect I would have to spend years, perhaps
decades within their confines to begin to internalize any of this.

So, in the bottom line... it doesn't surprise me that the more
vocal/extreme elements of the muslim culture would react to "our"
behaviour as extremely as they have,nor that the average man on the
street would be deeply offended and incensed by our satirical attacks
on their symbols.

The terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001 were much more against
*symbols* than the individuals who were killed or maimed.   Wall Street
(our economy) and the Pentagon (our military) were the targets.   Many
of us reacted in a split response...   I, for example, could not
accept/tolerate the attack on "innocent civilians" but at least
understood the motivation at an idealistic level of wanting to strike
back against our military and economic power/threat.

When we attacked Iraq, many more innocents were killed, maimed and
threatened than on September 11, and all in the name of a suite of
ideals and concepts that were probably mostly foriegn to the victims of
our aggression.   I understand the emotions and even some of the logic
of our attack, but that doesn't mean I pretend that the victims of it
should begin to understand it.

The west, including some Danish cartoonists, have repeatedly attacked a
way of life, a point of view, belief system, a perspective that we
don't really understand, and are now surprised at the reaction.    It
is *very* inconvenient for me that the muslim world feels threatened
and dismissed by our very threatening and dismissive behaviour but it
doesn't surprise me.   I don't suppose most of the muslim world was all
that surprised that we took the use of our own airlliners as suicide
bombs against our most revered symbols of military and economic power,
as "fighting words" and responded the way we did.   Most of the people
suffering our wrath did not plan or execute those attacks, many
probably did not even tacitly condone them, yet suffer they do.   And
sadly, those of us who did not satirize the prophet of Islam, etc.  
will suffer the indignation and perhaps wrath of the muslim world for
some time to come.

They do this, we do that.
The fued continues,
as fueds always have
and always will