The Moose argues against moral equivalence.
As the mobs continue their jihad against the "offensive" Danish cartoons, it is becoming increasingly clear that this is driven by a Vast Islamo-fascist Conspiracy (VIFC). Extremist clerics working with the Iranians and Syrians are fueling the flames of discontent and violence against the West. While the cartoons were published last September with little notice, the violence was carefully nurtured and manufactured.
Amir Teheri writes in the New York Post,
"The Muslim crowds that have demonstrated over the cartoons seldom exceeded a few hundred; the Muslim segment of humanity is estimated at 1.2 billion. And only three of Denmark's embassies in 57 Muslim countries have been attacked."
Teheri describes Iran's interest in the cartoon jihad,
"As the first rent-a-mob crowds appeared on global TV screens, Ahmadinejad realized that here was a cow worth milking.
"For Denmark is set to assume the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council - at the very time that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to refer Iran to the Security Council and demand sanctions. What better, for Tehran's purposes, than to portray Denmark as "an enemy of Islam" and mobilize Muslim sympathy against the Security Council?
"To regain the initiative from the Sunni-Salafi groups, Ahmadinejad quickly ordered a severing of commercial ties with Denmark, thus portraying the Islamic Republic as the Muslim world's leader in the anti-Danish campaign."
And Teheri explains Syria's role,
"The destruction of Danish and Norwegian embassies and consulates happened in only two places: Damascus and Beirut. Anyone who knows Syria would know that there are no spontaneous demonstrations in that dictatorship. (Even then, the Syrian secret police failed to attract more than 1,000 rent-a-mob militants.) And the Syrian government refused the Norwegian Embassy's request for additional police protection. It was clear that the Syrians wanted the embassies sacked."
This is not about "offensive" cartoons but about an Islamo-fascist offensive against the West. After first denouncing the cartoons, the Bush Administration is coming to the conclusion that these riots have little to do with a "slander" against a religion. The Islamic world is not inflamed - these are a relatively small group of fascist thugs who are committing violence on a new front in an ongoing war.
Unfortunately, some Democrats have not come to this realization. The Washington Post reports,
"Some Democrats said Bush is missing an opportunity to highlight U.S. respect for Muslims and Islam in not explicitly condemning the publication of the cartoons, especially one portraying Muhammad with a bomb atop his turban. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Bush has invested a lot of money and staff resources in trying to improve the U.S. image in Muslim nations.
"These and other inflammatory images deserve our scorn, just as the violence against embassies and military installations are an unacceptable and intolerable form of protest," said Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.)."
It is a delusion to believe that these mobs will be appeased by a moral equivalent condemnation of both the cartoons and the violence. Democrats, in particular, must make it clear that this has nothing to do with "offensive" cartoons and everything to do with a war against Western values. Appeasing Islamo-fascists in 2006 will have no more success than the appeasement of Nazi fascists in the thirties.
No quarter. -- | 
Email
this post
