A Question of Intolerance

            Let me start by saying, this is my first attempt at creating a blog and I do this as more of a therapeutic release than anything. Hopefully my posts will inspire debate and a questioning of conventional beliefs.
     
            Alot has been made lately about the supposed intolerance of Americans toward the religion of Islam. This idea of Islamophobia has exploded onto the national scene and the media seems to be falling all over themselves to paint Americans, especially those on the right, with the broad brush of intolerance. From TIME magazines "Is America Islamphobic?" cover to the many op-eds calling opponents of the mosque near Ground Zero ignorant bigots, even though the majority of Americans and, more importantly, New Yorkers oppose the mosque.

             Well, we have a new front in this debate. As a "commemoration" of 9/11, a pastor at the Dove World Outreach Center has decided to burn Qurans because he sees Islam as a religion of violence rather than peace. The pastor, Rev. Terry Jones, has an estimated following of a paltry 50 or so followers, yet he has received condemnation worldwide. From Angelina Jolie, David Petraeus, Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, even the President of the United States has pleaded for the pastor to cancel the Quran burning. The State Department and Interpol have issued warnings about the possibility of a worldwide muslim backlash and President  Obama suggests the Quran burning would further put our toops in harms way. All of these things maybe true, but the real question is why.

              It seems clear today that the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by our Constitution apply to all things, except for any slight or perceived slight against the religion of Islam. Examples abound, a cartoonist in Denmark depicts the prophet Mohammed in a series of cartoons, worldwide violent riots ensued and the cartoonist, Kurt Westergaard, received numerous death threats and even had some acted upon. The irreverent creators of "South Park", Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who often go to extreme and sometimes distasteful ends to make fun of Judaism and Christianity, tried to address the sensitivity of Islam. Instead of actually depicting the prophet Mohammed, they place him in a bear costume, yes you read correct. Even so, in response to harsh muslim response and death threats on the creators, Comedy Central censored the episode taking even the word Mohammed off air. Artists have gotten taxpayer money to trash sacred objects of Christianity, the "Piss Christ" and the portrait of the Virgin Mary made with elephant dung as prime examples, yet we have to treat Islam with the utmost respect for fear of violent retribution. How does this help the narrative of Islam as a religion of peace?

             Alot of the same people denouncing the pastor's planned Quran burning, are the ones who fought so fiercely for the legal and constitutional right of the mosque being built near Ground Zero. Yet where are the people in the media standing up for Rev. Terry Jones' constitutional right of free speech and expression, no matter how idiotic and reprehensible those actions maybe. Even though the majority of Americans have misgivings about the mosque near Ground Zero, the mosque will be built because our Constitution protects it. Those same protections also should apply to the right of a private citizen to burn the Quran whether he chooses. Instead of the media and elites blaming Americans for Islamophobia and intolerance, maybe we should ask where the real intolerance is coming from. Freedom of speech and expression is being crushed by political correctness, to which Islam seems to have a monoploy.