re: #361 davesax

Charles, that’s subjective.

To tell South Park’s creators to show “restraint” over, well, showing nothing all that offensive, anyway, after an implied threat to their life, makes me queasy. It’s implying that the responsibility for any backlash lies with them, and not the people who threaten violence. I would think a true moderate would, first and foremost, be unequivocal in condemning threates of violence, before warning that Muslims are deeply offended.

There are so many statements from Rauf condemning violence in the name of Islam, I don’t see this test as really being meaningful. In fact, in the very article about South Park you’re referring to, he is clearly referring to extremist violence when he says:

Can we be upset in these times of heightened national security that the Belgians and French want to know who is walking around on their streets?

So I think it’s pretty clear he isn’t trying to deny that Islam has problems with extremists who commit violent acts.

And thanks for pointing out his statements on Darfur. I guess what I’m looking for is an Arab-Muslim leader to unequivocally condemn the horrific genocide there, and I would think a true moderate would do that. But I guess that’s a matter of expectations, as well.

What he did do is to support Sudan on its first steps toward democracy (and with more than words, he went there as an election observer), while fully acknowledging Sudan’s existing problems. Doesn’t somebody eventually have to do things like this if these countries are to ever evolve out of the Middle Ages? And shouldn’t we be supporting Americans who do?

But really, the narrative that you’re hewing to - that anyone who has any discomfort with this is simply bigoted and stand with the bigots - is not one I agree with.

No, that’s not my point. The real bigots are the ones who are actively opposing this project. Not everyone who expresses discomfort is a bigot — but I think I can make a pretty good case for ignorance, because I still haven’t seen a really good reason for this “discomfort.”