tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172766774137902766.post3558606032838494034..comments2023-12-23T09:28:20.869+00:00Comments on The View from Cullingworth: Sensibility...or why we might not all be Charlie after allUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172766774137902766.post-12146824447900839692015-01-10T20:19:14.171+00:002015-01-10T20:19:14.171+00:00Je suis Charlie. And I think it's important to...Je suis Charlie. And I think it's important to note that these journalists and policemen- 2 of the dead being, in fact, Muslims themselves- for being what the terrorists deemed blasphemers. What happens to alleged blasphemers?<br /><br />We defeated Blair (who else?) in his efforts to introduce what was to all intents and purposes a blasphemy law. And it is not right for the BBC and journos to act as though they lived under one, as a self-censorship. Orwell described such people as living in a constipating little cage of lies, and no one has bested him yet!<br /><br />What needs to be learned from this tragedy is that we all lose out. There actually are blasphemy "laws" under which people across the Muslim world- most recently Raif Badawi- are being tortured and killed on a regular basis. The "argument" that Charlie Hebdo were asking for it is best countered by pointing out the terrorist assault on the Shiite mosque in Rawalpindi. Was THAT justifiedangeratwesternforeignpolicy, "Gaza", or "irresponsible"?<br /><br />That is what Muslims such as Shia in Sunni countries or secular and liberal types, many of whom are de facto atheists, will tell you. And I don't see how smugly "liberal" white middle-class people writing nice articles to bolster their radical consciousness can tell them otherwise.<br /><br />Ceding this discourse to the Marine Le Pens of this world is the final insult to Charlie, Ahmed and all their global network friends, that is what I say.asquithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14246701347539264295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172766774137902766.post-120798397770652922015-01-09T01:22:31.644+00:002015-01-09T01:22:31.644+00:00The answer (I think!) lies in more ridicule, not l...The answer (I think!) lies in more ridicule, not less. But the ridicule needs to be better targeted. For example, ridicule against Christianity would be better aimed at the Pope than at Jesus Christ. <br />Who was it who created a fatwah against tobacco in Indonesia, after receiving a big donation from Bloomberg? He (and Bloomberg) are the ones to ridicule. <br />I think that Muslims have a right to protest against hurtful depictions of Mohammed (although, obviously, not in this way). Is that the reason that the vast majority of Muslims, and their leaders do not condemn the murderers? Imagine Christ being shown on the cross and a silly quip about his failure to save himself being appended. Christians might (rightly) be offended and not condemn anyone who inflicted reciprocal damage on the quipper. <br />Note that I am not defending the actions of the murderers one tiny bit. Nor, really, am I defending the silence of the Imams. I am merely trying to understand it. <br /> Junican https://www.blogger.com/profile/03405543859782362078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172766774137902766.post-29378349041470133442015-01-08T23:36:48.799+00:002015-01-08T23:36:48.799+00:00You seem to be arguing that good manners trump ins...You seem to be arguing that good manners trump insult - if so I believe you are wrong. Good manners (or sensibility if you prefer) should help us decide if an insult is appropriate and in most cases it may not be, but sometimes it is because sensibility is often a polite description of appeasement.Woodsy42https://www.blogger.com/profile/12355671210161625647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172766774137902766.post-71384331786584174492015-01-08T21:30:49.093+00:002015-01-08T21:30:49.093+00:00I think the point of those who would be 'Charl...I think the point of those who would be 'Charlie' is that we all began with sensibility, then found - in the face of protectionism of the less savoury face of Islam - having sensibility forced upon us (an arrogant and absurd ambition of politicians in reaction to a problem of their - not our - making).<br /><br />We can no longer afford that sensibility if we wish to preserve the remnants of our values left to us.<br /><br />JayAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com