Muhammad's OC debut

A Tuesday night event at UC Irvine -- where members of the Muslim Student Union previously raised eyebrows (and Bill O'Reilly's ire) by wearing Hamas scarves to graduation -- intends to display the Danish cartoons of Muhammad. And despite how much the University of California system swears they tout diversity and free speech, you can expect the opposite. From the L.A. Times:

The caricatures will be part of a panel discussion sponsored by the campus College Republicans scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in UCI's Crystal Cove Auditorium.

'We are firm believers in the 1st Amendment,' said Kristin Lucero, a 21-year-old UCI senior and president of the campus College Republicans. 'The public has the right to discuss as well as view the cartoons.'

Lucero said the cartoons depicting Muhammad, first published by a Danish newspaper, would be displayed along with what she called anti-Semitic and anti-Western cartoons that have been published in Muslim nations. Depictions of Muhammad are prohibited under Islamic law."

Gotta love the Times: "what she called anti-Semitic."

"She said the event was originally designed as a discussion about terrorism threats, but that the controversy over the caricatures of Muhammad offered another issue for debate.

Muslim students at UCI see the event as a provocation, said Marya Bangee, 19, a sophomore and member of the Muslim Student Union.

'First of all, unless they are living in a bubble, they have to know what has happened around the world' because of the cartoons, she said. 'We don't want to limit anyone's freedom of speech, but with freedom comes responsibility.'"

I wonder if she realizes how much that sounds like a threat.

"... Bangee has asked the College Republicans to hold the event without showing the drawings. She said Muslim students fear the cartoons will incite violence locally."

Take a peek at the Muslim Student Union Web site. "DEFEND Prophet Muhammad" a banner screams announcing a counter-event to the "unveiling" of the cartoons. Also take a gander at some "educational" pamphlets detailing their "fight for Palestine," their response to the cartoons and -- yep -- Zionist oppressors!

Comments

[Tugboat Phil]

Let's see....she fears that the cartoons will incite local muslim violence. Ok. The Muslim Student Union are local Muslims....hmmmmm. Yeah. It's a threat.

[ned]

They should chant "Diversity's fine, as long as it's mine."

[Lewis B. Sckolnick]

There is going to be a whole lot of peace on the 28th.

[Richard of Oregon]

Young Republicans. Aren't they grand? They're coming to the defence of little Denmark while nations bow in submission to the threats of violence.

[Krishna109]

The hypocracy worldwide is interesting: basically, a lot of Muslims are saying that the cartoons wrongly imply that Moslems are violent-- so that if anyone publishes the cartoons, they will be violently attacked!

Michelle Malkin has an interesting graphic commentary on this:
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004651.htm

[Ralph]

Though I might defend your right to free speech, I am under no obligation to respect what you are saying. Similarly though I might defend your right to the freedom of religion, I am under no obligation to respect your religion. It's not about respect for another's religion. It is about respect for the RIGHT to religion. Otherwise, what's the point of having a First Amendment? What need is there to protect inoffensive speech? What need is there to protect a "One True Religion" that everyone respects?

British jurist, Lord Justice Sedley, put it best: "Free speech includes not only the inoffensive but the irritating, the contentious, the eccentric, the heretical, the unwelcome and the provocative... Freedom only to speak inoffensively is not worth having."

British author Lionel Shriver has written, "I am under no obligation to respect your beliefs. Respect is earned; it is not an entitlement. I may regard creationists as plain wrong, which would make holding their beliefs in high regard nonsensical. In kind, if I proclaim on a street corner that a certain Japanese beetle in my back garden is the new Messiah, you are also within your rights to ridicule me as a fruitcake."

Tact has it's place over tea and crumpets; but in the main, "political correctness" is a Judas goat.

"Strange it is, that men should admit the validity of the arguments for free discussion, but object to their being 'pushed to an extreme;' not seeing that unless the reasons are good for an extreme case, they are not good for any case." -- John Stuart Mill

[NerdMom]

Remember when we were the crazy Young Rapublicans;)?

[Bill]

You're right, Ralph.
*True* Freedom of Speech is simple. I may not agree with you and you may be insulting me, but you have the right to say what you believe, as do I.
"Freedom of Speech, Just Watch What You Say" -- Ice-T. That pretty much sums up what very many Muslims and the all of the PC crowd think.

Bill