The Mohammed Cartoons Redux: Saudi Smoke Screen?

For the reasons mentioned in my previous Mohammed Cartoons post this topic still interests me. What sparked it has not been as interesting as the multiple debates behind it.

Now, according to some on both sides of the partisan divide, Saudis attempting to draw heat from their government for the deaths of pilgrims during Hajj, deaths that happen annually despite Saudi promises to organize the event better--not the cartoon depiction of Mohammed (top) and the 11 (above) published thereafter--may have kicked this off.

From dKos:

Muslim Cartoon Controversy: What the Media Isn't Telling You: "The point I'm trying to make here is that Mohammed (PBUH) has been depicted, painted or made appearances in animated cartoons on many, many occasions and yet there's been no rioting, storming of embassies and CNN coverage. The question becomes, not why were the Danish cartoons offensive or inappropriate, but why is there such a strong reaction now?

Denmark has a long history of multi-cultural tolerance, including their famous solidarity stand with Jewish citizens during World War 2. The newspaper Jyllands-Posten itself was surprised by the strong reaction to their cartoons and even apologized publically for any offense they may have caused. And for 2 months, there was hardly a peep from any Muslim group outside a small protest in Denmark itself and somewhat larger protests in Pakistan.

So what triggered this? Well it takes a blog to explain it. What CNN and the other traditional media failed to tell you is that the thousand gallons of fuel added to the fire of outrage came from none other than our old pals Saudi Arabia."

--snip--

Saudi Arabia's influence on the Sunni Muslim world is incalculable. The sermons from high-ranking Muslim clerics are read and studied by Muslims around the world, who in turn give sermons to their local congregations. While the Saudis do not have direct control of the world's Sunni flocks, their influence is similar somewhat to the Pope's pronouncements and the sermons that Catholic priests give to their flocks the following Sundays. Saudi Arabia also finances a number of Muslim "study centers", where all the literature and material is provided by the Saudi government, filled with hatred for Jews and other extremely racist material. For them to promote an idea based on religion, including "outrage" at some cartoons published months earlier, is standard operating procedure.

Of course there is more than Saudi Arabia's hand at play here. The issue has metamorphed from religious outrage at a dozen cartoons to a clash of those who feel they are oppressed and downtrodded by the Christian world and those they consider their oppressors. That's why there was anti-Christian rioting in Lebanon, where the two religious groups have a long and tumultous co-existance.

As I sat there watching CNN (International) with my friend today, I could not help but note the number of Saudi flags that the various rioters were waving in Lebanon and Syria. Coincidence? I think not. Look for yourself - they are green with a large expanse of Arabic writing in white above a sword.

A snip from the aforementioned blog (The Religious Policeman) on the topic:

Generally, active Muslims around the world have reacted well to our lead. As well as the unemployed "usual suspects" in Palestine and Indonesia, some British Muslims gave a particularly impressive display yesterday.

The official reaction of British officialdom - precisely nothing! - illustrates how successful we have been over the years in getting them to accept the "Principle of Asymmetry". In other words, we use their sense of "fair play", "multiculturalism", "democratic values", and of course their guilt feelings, against them, so that they restrict their own freedom of action, but are very lax when dealing with the Muslim, for fear of offense or violent reaction. This of course confuses and demoralizes the ordinary person-in-the-street, and weakens their resistance to the onward march of the Ummah.

May I just say, Your Majesty, how these events have demonstrated the wisdom of your decision to remind people about those old cartoons. The story has now developed a momentum of its own, it will run and run, and who remembers those pilgrims in Makkah? What pilgrims? Exactly! Not only that, but the Egyptians' poor maritime standards mean that a much larger death toll will now remain in the public eye.

...and a link to an earlier post (same topic, The Religious Policeman).

The blog to which the dKos diary links appears to me to be a satire blog. Wingers (and the dKos diarist) are taking the blogger (Alhamedi) at his word but I find it odd that an average Saudi citizen living in London would bother to imbed a link at the bottom of his blog connecting to the TTLB (The Truth Be Told) Ecosystem. TTLB is a page-ranking system. If you follow the link from his site to the TTLB home page you will find right-leaning sponsorship--an ad for the GOP, Pajamas Media, The Wall Street Journal, etc. I digress, but like I said I have only half belief the blog is a reliable source on the matter.

What I find jumps out beside the intended irony of the post in discussion (the one referenced in the dKos article) is Alhemedi's articulate definition of a tactic refered to as the "Principle of Asymetry":

In other words, we use their sense of "fair play", "multiculturalism", "democratic values", and of course their guilt feelings, against them, so that they restrict their own freedom of action, but are very lax when dealing with the Muslim, for fear of offense or violent reaction. This of course confuses and demoralizes the ordinary person-in-the-street, and weakens their resistance to the onward march of the Ummah.

Imagine him instead to be describing it being used by Republicans relative to Democrats. There I think you have an intended and valuable contribution not only to the discussion of religious extremism (let's call it The Mohammed Effect) in all religious fundamentalism but of Republican fanatics' application of it to all political topics as well.

(UPDATE 11:45 MST) This interesting post is from a blog launched specifically by a Dane to explain--from the Danish POV--the interpretation of each of the 12 cartoons as well as the Danish law that protects the speech (and Muslim dissent) over them. The cartoon explanations are near the end of the post.