There are many in our world today like Bishop Tiny Muskens and others who naively believe that if we can just show tolerance for those who don't believe as we do, they will reciprocate the gesture and utlimately, the peace we all desire will come to pass. However, this sampling of Islamic diplomacy sent to The Daily Detour by Resident Atheist suggests otherwise. (Interestingly, these pictures seem to have gotten overlooked in the news coverage by the MSM. You can see the pictures here--1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.)
What prompted such vitriolic protests? As the rumor-investigating website Snopes confirmed, these pictures came from an ironically-titled, "Religion of Peace" demonstration of Muslims in response to the the controversial cartoons about Muhammad published in the Dutch newspaper Jyllends-Posten on September 30, 2005. The cartoons have subsequently been re-published by a number of other international newspapers.
I'd like to believe that those Muslims who are engage in holy jihad (like the massive car bombings in Iraq on Wednesday) represent merely a fraction of the larger Muslim population and that the vast majority of Muslims do not seek us harm. However, it is difficult to make such a determination when confronted with pictures like those linked above. Though this demonstration happened in London, it does not take much foresight to see the winds of jihad that are coming our way. Certainly, a great majority of Muslims may be peace-loving citizens, but it only takes one fanatic with a car bomb to unravel any notions of a peaceful resolution to this clash of civilizations. Tragically, I'm not as optimistic as our liberal brethren that the olive branch of peace will be met with a reciprocal desire for a "laying down of arms." What to do then? As you've read here before, and as abhorrent as it is to consider, sometimes it is tragically necessary to meet violence with violence in order to confront the reality evil in the world.
The question is, are we prepared to do what it takes to win this conflict? Marcus Luttrell, a U.S. Navy Seal who chronicles his harrowing escape from the Taliban in Afghanistan in his superb book, Lone Survivor, offers this analysis of the current prediction in which we find ourselves:
In the global war on terror, we have rules, and our opponents use them against us. We try to be reasonable; they will stop at nothing. They will stoop to any form of base warfare: torture, beheading, mutilation. Attacks on innocent civilians, women and children, car bombs, suicide bombers...
And I ask myself, Who's prepared to go furthest to win this war? Answer: they are. They'll willingly die to get their enemy. They will take it to the limit, any time, any place, whatever it takes. And they don't have rules of engagement. (p. 170)
Coming from someone with the real-world credibility of Petty Officer Luttrell it is difficult to deny his assessment. God forbid it takes multiple car bombings in Anytown, USA by our friendly neighborhood terrorists to wake us up to the true nature of this struggle before us. Those of our military who have been on the frontlines of this battle understand it all to well. The question is, do the rest of us? 
I think we need to think of all of those who are violent in protest against those who don't believe exactly as they believe as completely ignorant, and treat them as such. We don't give out special attention or awards to the ignorant, we give them special classes to teach them in a way that only they can learn - we "handle" them until they aren't so ignorant, at which point they can then be allowed to mingle and run with the "normal" crowd.
We don't live in medieval times any longer.....?
as always - JMHO
Posted by: beauvallet | August 18, 2007 at 02:20 PM
Am I being tolerant when I laugh because his name is Tiny Muskens?
Posted by: Mandy | August 18, 2007 at 09:57 PM
Beauvallet - please define "handle" for me.
Posted by: ANdy Bullock | August 19, 2007 at 12:23 AM
"handle" or maybe tolerate is a better word, vs. handle... I dont agree with brutal force when it comes to religion, why would someone want to join a religion that they are forced to join out of fear? I understand that you can't always play passive with those that are ignorant and aggressive, you can't always "turn the other cheek" if you will, but while defending oneself against the illiterate might be a necessary evil, I do believe that there are a large portion of those that are in those groups that are crying out inside for someone to educate them and take them out of the hold of fear that is oppressing them.
Again, JMHO
Posted by: beauvallet | August 19, 2007 at 05:04 PM
Did we blame all Christians and go after them with force when the radicals were blowing up abortion clinics and shooting doctors who performed abortions in Anytown USA ?
Posted by: Preston | August 20, 2007 at 10:41 AM