further collision

Interesting times we live in.
With this whole cartoon debacle, I reckon we are heading towards a 3 way collision involving Islamisists, European Atheism and traditional American Evangelicalism.

Interestingly, both the UK and the US have chosen to camp on the verge of the high ground and criticise the European publication.
Europeans have defended the action by labeling it a freedom of speech issue; Muslims have condemned it as demonising their beliefs.

I fear that if public image is what muslims are really concerned about, then surely protests condoning the extermination of the publishers in places like London is cause for concern.
And that's before you introduce the apparent double standard of anti semitism published regularly in arabic press.

Considering the original outburst against Denmark, it was at best a silly idea to go ahead and republish across mainland Europe.
In many respects, the violent reactions are plainly consolidating the average European perspective of religion as a superstition that aids to induce both irrational and aggressive behaivour.

Europeans will probably only continue to reject doctrine, thought and policy employed both to it's Eastern and Western neighbours which will only serve to further agitate many in our newly "globalised" environment.

[religion] [cartoon protests]