Cartoon Politics - Turkish PM

Once again, back on the subject of Cartoon Politics, the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called on the United Nations, NATO and the Organization of the Islamic Conference on Friday to act with wisdom and common sense, and display leadership, saying:

"No culture has a given right to insult the sensitivities of other cultures. The minimum prerequisite of harmonious coexistence is that different civilizations and traditions recognize and mutually respect each others' cultural differences ..."

I can certainly agree with that.

After all, why should we, as free societies, expect to be held to the standards of Muslim culture regarding what our newspapers do or don't publish. The "minimum prerequisite of harmonious coexistence" requires that a given culture must make a minimum effort to understand cultures that don't adhere to their beliefs.

Did the West burn embassies and threaten beheadings when Iran

• Kidnapped American civilians,
• Advocated wiping Israel off the map created by modern societies
• Declared that the historically proven Holocaust never happened and Israelis should be moved back to Europe
  
• Refused inspections by the IAEA while pursuing "peaceful" nuclear technology?
  

No, of course we didn't. The logic of fanatics is compelling, on the surface. But, when turned around, it is revealed as pure, emotional garbage. For example:

• Maybe we, the West, should declare that the Crusades never happened. The Crusades are a Muslim plot to discredit Western social philosophy and that Muslims should return to the Middle East. The logic is the same, ridiculous, yes, but the same.
• Maybe we, the West, should kidnap a few Imams living in our cities because they don't respect our beliefs about the role of religion, free speech and women.
• Maybe we, the West, should advocate wiping Muslim countries off the map because they don't adhere to our beliefs of acceptable actions by modern society.
• Maybe we, the West, should accept that a nation which has an avowed goal of wiping another nation off the map has a right to disallow UN inspections to prevent development of weapons to further their stated purpose.

And, while doing all these ridiculous things, we should burn the embassies of Muslim countries and threaten them all with destruction of their citizens.

The logic is the same. Yes, it's stupid, but the same. Moderate Muslims are history's most Silent Majority. When are they going to speak up ... I sure haven't heard them yet!