With thanks to my guest writer, Eleanor:

Some Things Never Change

Islam needs, no requires protection. Protection from what and from whom? Well, from us and from all that would critique or even question the tenets of Islam or the behaviors of Muslims.

Diana West - Censorship in the name of religion

Some things never change. As we see in Afghanistan -- and, increasingly, elsewhere -- this fundamental tenet of Islamic society is one of them. And it is on this point that the West and Islam are struggling to come to terms. For example, the Islamic furor over a dozen Muhammad cartoons published in a Danish newspaper --and Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's refusal to meddle with his country's freedom of speech -- continues to rise up the food chain, from death threats and street riots, to ambassadorial protests, to heads-of-state deliberations at the December OIC meeting in Mecca. Turkish prime minister Recep Erdogan's reaction not only sums up the official Islamic response, but is also highly significant given Turkey's bid to become the European Union bridge between the West and Islam. On a recent trip to Denmark, as recounted in the Internet edition of the Turkish newspaper "Zaman," Mr. Erdogan addressed the Muhammad-cartoon issue, saying, "Freedoms have limits, what is sacred should be respected." As columnist Mustafa Unal put it, Mr. Erdogan "indicated that respect toward what is considered sacred is more important than the freedom of expression." This is a major point of culture clash -- or would be, if the West cared to defend its freedoms. Which is a big "if." Meanwhile, Denmark's "Berlingske Tidende," via the blogger Fjordman (Fjordman.Blogspot), reports that the 56 countries of the OIC have now written the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to "help contain this encroachment on Islam, so the situation won't get out of control." Let's translate. "Encroachment on Islam" equals criticism of Islam -- aka "blasphemy" in Islamic quarters. "The situation" equals freedom of speech. "Out of control" equals criticism of Islam as an exercise of freedom of speech. In response, the U.N. human rights commissioner, Louise Arbour, emphasized her "regret" over "any statement or act that could express a lack of respect for the religion of others." Which sounds like the Danes are in U.N.-trouble. But what about the statements or acts -- from censorship to death sentences -- of the religion that encroach on the rights of others?

That's a question no one dares to ask.

Why does no one dare to ask? The recent all-out month-long riots by French and other European "youth" that are continuing on a smaller scale and those that are starting on the be aches of Australia demonstrate a "lack of respect" coming from the other side, an encroachment on the rights of non-Muslims, but to point this out would be an "encroachment on Islam," a an affront that no Muslim will permit. We disregard their devotion to Islam and to each other, the Ummah, at our peril.

©Eleanor