I read it yesterday that 200 people staged a protest in front of the Denmark Embassy in Jakarta for re-publishing the cartoon purportedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad and Islam in that country's newspaper.
AP reported that one Shodiq Ramadhan as saying, "The publishing of the cartoon shows sheer arrogance and dis-respect to other people's belief."
I am in two minds here - should we just ignore it and not be overly sensitive about such insults, and risk being labelled indifferent to our beloved prophet and our religion; or should be start demonstrating, and call for boycott of all of Denmark's produce, to show the world the depth of our loves for the Prophet of Islam?
I would like for us to consider the former. To me, we should just ignore these insults and go on with our lives. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that we should not defend Islam and the prophet - if it is under attack, but may be - just may be - the others love to see us go berserk!
I remember reading Reader's Digest December 2001 edition and was taken by a story first published by the Boston Globe. The writer Alfie Kohn has this story to tell us.
If we come to view ourselves as working for an external reward, we will no longer find an activity worth doing in its own right. There is an old joke that illustrates this. An elderly man, harassed by the taunts of the neighbourhood children, devised a scheme. He offered to pay them a dollar each if they would return on Tuesday and yell their insults again. The children did so eagerly and received the money. Then he told them he would pay only 25 cents on Wednesday. When they returned, insulted him again and collected their money, he informed them that Thursday's rate would be just a penny. "Forget it," they said - and never taunted him again.
Don't you think by ignoring them, these bashers would not have the satisfaction they so crave?
AP reported that one Shodiq Ramadhan as saying, "The publishing of the cartoon shows sheer arrogance and dis-respect to other people's belief."
I am in two minds here - should we just ignore it and not be overly sensitive about such insults, and risk being labelled indifferent to our beloved prophet and our religion; or should be start demonstrating, and call for boycott of all of Denmark's produce, to show the world the depth of our loves for the Prophet of Islam?
I would like for us to consider the former. To me, we should just ignore these insults and go on with our lives. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that we should not defend Islam and the prophet - if it is under attack, but may be - just may be - the others love to see us go berserk!
I remember reading Reader's Digest December 2001 edition and was taken by a story first published by the Boston Globe. The writer Alfie Kohn has this story to tell us.
If we come to view ourselves as working for an external reward, we will no longer find an activity worth doing in its own right. There is an old joke that illustrates this. An elderly man, harassed by the taunts of the neighbourhood children, devised a scheme. He offered to pay them a dollar each if they would return on Tuesday and yell their insults again. The children did so eagerly and received the money. Then he told them he would pay only 25 cents on Wednesday. When they returned, insulted him again and collected their money, he informed them that Thursday's rate would be just a penny. "Forget it," they said - and never taunted him again.
Don't you think by ignoring them, these bashers would not have the satisfaction they so crave?
I wrote a post about this some time back and another one around the time the cartoons were first printed in the Danish press. Printing the cartoons was an open offense in my opinion. However, the reaction of Muslims all over the world did little to help the situation. They only proved the implicit accusation of the cartoonists.
ReplyDeleteI think people should protest but in a manner that does not defy the teachings and virtues of their own religion.
I found your blog interesting and am considering linking it to my blog. Let me know if you want to have links exchanged i.e. my blog linking to yours and vice versa. Just drop by and leave a comment.
ReplyDeleteDear Henmen, thanks for dropping by and thanks for your opinion.
ReplyDeleteI have browsed your blog (briefly)and found yours interesting and very different from (and it will take me sometimes to go through most, I guess, if not all). Well, you have been a blogger much longer than I was, and I certainly would not mind linking to yours and have no problem you linking to mine. Thanks.
Dear Rahman,
ReplyDeleteI have linked to your blog and if you scroll down a bit also linked to your post about the Danish cartoons. I have written on this before so I thought people who drop by my blog will find your post of interest too. I look forward to reading more from you and hope my readers will find your posts as interesting as I did.
Many thanks,
henmen