I have no comments (beyond the obvious imperative of free speech and the understanding that it often leads to anger and wounded egos) on whether or not the Cartoons should have been published in Denmark, the U.S., or anywhere else. In a way, I am glad that they were, if for no other reason than to bring clarity to the true intent of the most powerful factions of Islam. Let’s get it out in the light, let’s openly discuss the reality that, to those who are inciting riots, and to those so easily incited, there are only three options for those of us who live in the Dar al-Harb or House of War (i.e., non-Muslims). Be killed, convert to Islam, or surrender to an existence of Dhimmitude. Dhimmi is the Arabic word for “protected”, but in practice it means being allowed to live as a second class citizen of very limited rights who must pay a poll tax to the Muslim rulers.

This is the strict interpretation by all but perhaps the moderates (perhaps in the majority, but most certainly silent) of the Islamic faith. Within the context of the nonstop spewing of insults and sacrilege to the Jewish and Christian religions by many mid-east countries, their recent demands and rhetoric are nothing short of a command that the rest of the world accept the status of inferiority and second class existence. Dr. Andrew Bostom in his book “The Legacy of Jihad: Islamic Holy War and the Fate of Non-Muslims” and in his interview with FrontPage Magazine recounts a 13th century discussion for the collection of the tax: “…The infidel who wishes to pay his poll tax must be treated with disdain by the collector: the collector remains seated and the infidel remains standing in front of him, his head bowed and his back bent. The infidel personally must place the money on the scales, while the collector holds him by the beard, and strikes him on both cheeks…”. One could argue of the irrelevance of a writing from this period, after all, the Catholic church had some fairly extreme policies during a period spanning the 11th to 16th centuries, which policies and practices in more modern times are viewed by virtually all Catholics as totally alien to their belief system (I was taught in a Catholic school in 1960 that non-Catholics were going to hell – an extreme concept, but one that left judgement to the afterlife). The problem is that those who control the Muslim religion are diametrically opposed to any view on the subject that is newer than the 13th century. To those that are drawing the battle lines, there is no compromise.

So what of the moderates within the Muslim world – the silent majority? One would hope that they would stand up and state loudly and often that their faith, as embraced by the majority, has evolved to a point where it can live in peace with those of other beliefs. That their faith can accept that people have certain inalienable rights that can not be taken by the state, even if the state and the religion are one in the same. I’m listening, but I think that the intimidation of the extremists extends even to those within their religion who would be the voice of reason. There is ample historic precedent for this assertion as well – any scholarly inquiry into the problems faced by Muslims and Arabs will lead to the incontrovertible truth that their leadership has always been the root of their problems.

So I return to whence I began – the Cartoons. I see a parallel between the discourse on that subject and some of the recent gaffes by the left wing of our Democratic Party. A lot of thunder and bluster intended to outrage the masses (cf. NSA wiretaps, Valerie Plume REALLY WAS 007 …), with perhaps the more useful, though unintended, result of showing that the emperor wears no clothes.