Now’s the time to protest
So we finally seem to have got our act together and ‘mainstream’ muslim organizations are protesting this Saturday at 1pm in Trafalgar Square. Not just against those darned cartoons, but also against the violence perpetrated by muslims during the last week’s worth of protests.
To quote the Muslim Association of Britain:
“The first message we want to send to the country is that of the legitimate voice of the Muslim community as opposed to those that hijacked last week’s demonstration outside the Danish embassy. We are people of peace and are trying to do our best also in bridging the gap between Islam and the West.
“Secondly, to Europe , the lesson from the cartoon is not that Western newspapers come under the fold of Islamic law. It is actually that orientalist and Islamophobic caricatures are unacceptable, irresponsible, and lead to a more polarised world. Jewish leaders and figures like Bill Clinton have likened it to the characterisation of Jews over the centuries. We know where that ended up.
“Thirdly, to the Muslim world, we wish to send a message of calm. It may appear to them that there is a great Western conspiracy against their faith, but there are a large number of people who are on the side of reconciliation, and we hope that comes out loud and clear on Saturday.”
I hope these three messages are carried clearly across the World. I also hope the press give this as much coverage as the other protests, but the cynic in me says that’s not going to happen.
