Rioting again

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I've been watching the fiasco over these cartoons escalate. I've also been watching people try to make excuses for the rioting, the destruction, and the threats of murder and mayhem. As I process all of this information I'm really at a loss for words. How can anyone expect people to take the "religion of peace" claims seriously when they are making excuses for this definitely non-peaceful behaviour? How can anyone expect people to take the "religion of peace" claims seriously when rioting is considered an appropriate response to a political cartoon?

I know others have made this point before but I think it bears repeating. As a Christian my faith is subject to ridicule every single day and from every quarter imaginable. Some people actually go out of their way to try to be offensive to my faith. When was the last time you saw a bunch of Christians burning stuff down and threatening violence because something offended them? We might say that we're offend but that's about it.

Virginia Postrel writes:
My response to this nonsense is to wonder why Muslims don't grow up. If your co-religionists are going to take political stands, and blow up innocent people in the name of Islam, political cartoonists are going to occasionally take satirical swipes at your religion. Those swipes may not be nuanced, but they're what you can expect when you live in a free society, where you, too, can hold views others find offensive.

(Via Instapundit.)

Cartoon controversy time line.

It is interesting to note that there are no riots in the US. Now why do you suppose that is?

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