February
24 , 2006
Politics of
the Cartoons’ Controversy
The crisis over the blasphemous cartoons
published by the premier Danish daily, Jyllands
Posten, at the end of September last year, has already
taken a toll of several lives and caused the destruction
of properties worth millions mainly in the Muslim
world.
A closer study of the sequence of events, the ostensibly
innocuous motive of the daily but perhaps not free
of an ulterior design, the consequent adamancy of
the paper and its patron, Prime Minister Rasmussen,
on the ground of the freedom of expression, the
refusal of the PM to even receive a delegation of
Muslim ambassadors, the short-sighted and naïve
role of Danish Imams to unwittingly serve as agents
provocateurs, all point to the possibility of a
sinister plan to excite the emotions of Muslims
all over the world, tarnish their image in the West,
and widen the cleavage between the Christian and
Muslim communities.
The crucial maneuverings in this tragic episode
appear calculated to promote further a clash of
civilizations predicted by Prof. Samuel Huntington.
His 10-year old thesis that had been overtaken by
globalization and the concept of an interdependent
world, and which had been receding into the arch
of oblivion, has been brought back to the forefront.
The Muslim countries and their scholars have almost
unanimously opposed his thesis. Evidently, such
a clash would be detrimental to their interests.
The loss of life, property and the negative impact
on their economies that have ensued the riots over
the past few days bear their fears out.
The way the obnoxious caricatures have been reproduced
by papers in other European countries, reminds one
of the anti-Semitic caricatures that were spread
in 1930s by fascist newspapers depicting the Jews
as sub-humans. There is a clear parallel; only the
target has changed. Hostility against Muslims has
replaced anti-Semitism as a staple of European press.
The Jews have since won a state of their own and
they are now the chief beneficiaries in the current
conflict. The wider the cleavage between the two
civilizations, the more secure is their state and
community. If the clash leads to a Western invasion
of Syria and/or Iran, it would serve their interest
like the elimination of their declared foe, Saddam
Hussain of Iraq.
The statement of the Secretary of State, Dr. Condolessa
Rice, that Iran and Syria were fueling the controversy
over the cartoons, must have come to their ears
as music.
Let me add here quickly that the American media
did not publish the caricatures. For the media accept
the concept of pluralism as a cardinal principle
of American polity and therefore avoid publishing
anything offensive to any group or community. The
unity and strength of America lies in its diversity.
A vast majority of the population of the US comprises
people whose origin lies in Europe, which is also
a close ally of the US in international affairs.
Developments in Europe therefore impact the American
viewpoint too. But, the thinkers and policy makers
of the US keep supreme the dictates of their own
historical experiences and the communal harmony
that has been built brick by brick.
While the European media is given to wrapping up
racist slurs in the mantel of ‘freedom of
speech’, the American media would not support
any denigration of a community on the basis of race
or ethnicity. The academic community enjoys exceptional
freedom of expression, but one seldom comes across
an academic indulging in racial slur. The society
provides a level ground with equal opportunity for
all. One can go as high as his hand can reach.
The Muslims in Europe, on the other hand, feel marginalized,
despite the fact that they constitute the second
largest community in Europe. This marginalization
is quite pronounced in France, Belgium, Denmark
and some other countries of Europe. Twenty per cent
of the population of France comprises Muslims. But,
they feel discriminated against in respect of livelihood.
They are poor, and experience job discrimination,
housing segregation, police harassment and denial
of democratic rights like the blacks of the old
south in this country. Their frustration could therefore
be easily directed to street agitation. The cartoons
provided the fuel for the ambers to erupt into conflagrations.
Persons who planned the scenario perhaps calculated
that to be the outcome.
In Denmark, the Muslims are not allowed to build
a mosque or have even a separate cemetery for their
dead.
The crisis over the cartoons could have been nipped
in the bud, had the Danish Prime Minister, Anders
Fogh Rasmussen, met the delegation of ambassadors
of 11 Muslim countries and pacified their feelings.
But, he was perhaps returning the favor of the paper
for having hugely supported him in the elections.
More important was perhaps the likelihood of the
project having been conceived like a chess game
by some deep-thinkers. The naïve but emotional
Imams were egged on to take the matter to Al-Azhar
and other Muslim centers in the Middle East.
Three highly offensive caricatures that were not
even published anywhere were mailed to them to be
added to the dossier they were preparing for the
trip. The idea was to make the bunch highly obnoxious.
One shows the prophet with a pig’s snout,
one features bestiality, another pedophilia.
I heard an interview on BBC of the concerned Imam.
He was asked to disclose the source of the three
additional cartoons. He replied that they were received
in the mail. He failed to elaborate why they were
added to the bunch!!
Time will clarify the picture. At the moment it
is blurred, and a matter of conjecture. Meanwhile,
many lives have already been lost and properties
worth millions have been destroyed. Above everything
else, it has roiled communal relations in Europe
and caused a setback to the leaders of goodwill
and foresight who have been trying to thwart the
elements working for a clash of civilizations.
[P.S. Jylllands Posten has now apologized, over
four months late, for hurting the feelings of Muslims.
The apology holds little significance as it has
come after the provocative cartoons had done their
damage and widened the cleavage between the Muslim
and Christian societies.]
- arifhussaini@hotmail.com
