Monday, February 06, 2006
 

Everyone's wrong

In the Muhammad cartoon situation, I think a number of different problems or questions are unnecessarily being conflated together, when it would be best if our consideration of them were kept separate and distinct.

First, there is a question of policy: should a newspaper have the right to print the broadest possible range of material, even material that upsets some people, or insults their religious or cultural beliefs? To that, the post-Enlightenment Western World should of course answer "Yes, without any doubt."

(Of course, this question is easiest to answer for those who are free-speech or First Amendmendment absolutists, or who, like me, come quite close to that position. It's complicated, however, by the fact that many European countries have laws against hate speech, or denying the Holocaust, or which in some other way restrict speech in ways that we don't generally do here, where speech is restricted primarily by social inhibitions -- which is frequently a much stronger and more wide-ranging censor. That Europeans are not allowed to propagandize in ways that are anti-Semetic, but can publish cartoons which are perceived to be anti-Islamic, would surely rankle were I a devout Muslim.)

Second, there is the question of civility: is it civil, or polite, or politically correct to publish cartoons which depict the Propher Muhammad, when such depictions are certain to cause some Muslims (perhaps a sizable minoroty) to be angry or uncomfortable? The answer is, again quite clearly, "No, it was not a civil thing to do." This was a point that Atrios made when he wrote that it's best not to be an asshole when it comes to other people's political beliefs.

(Not everything that can be said, should be said, especially not when urbanized Western civilization relies on a certain amount of mutual politeness or tolerance -- or, at the very least benign disregard -- to keep things on an even keel. For that reason, the cartoons should probably not have been published, even though there should be no law forbidding it.)

This brings us to the third problem, the question of motive: Why, given the potentially inflammatory nature of the cartoons, was the decision made to publish them? I'm far from informed about the nature of the local politics, but I've read a number of claims that the newspapers that published them is a right-wing rag, and their purpose was to deliberately insult Muslims and perhaps to incite them as well. If that is indeed the case, then we can say that whatever their legal right to disseminate them, morally and ethically they should not have done so, and deserve public censure -- but not prosecution -- for their decision to do so.

Fourth, there is the question of reaction: What is a legitimate response to such a provocation, whether deliberate or accidental? There are many choices of how to respond: editorials, speeches, rallies, protests, boycotts or the response in kind, with anti-Western or anti-Christian or anti-Danish cartoons designed to insult. Almost anything, in fact, could be considered to be a legitimate response except the ones that have been taken, namely riots, violence and destruction.

Finally, this is the question of tolerance: Do Muslims have the reasonable expectation in the public arena of being shielded from those things which their religions forbids them to do? No, not in a pluralistic Western society, which almost anything one can think of will be considered to be insulting or taboo to somebody. Everyone has the right to be free from those things in their own homes, or in their freely joined private associations (if all members are in agreement as to the restrictions), but no one can or should be guaranteed not to be exposed to things they disapprove of, or which cause them religious or cultural anguish. The Western society must be very stingy about accepting taboos, and should only do so when interests of public safety, security or health are at risk, never on the basis of any one group's religious or moral beliefs (even the majority group).

There is no contradiction is saying that the publishers should have the right to publish those cartoons, whatever their contents and for whatever motivation, but that they should be subject to public disapproval and condemnation for having chosen to do so, but that at the same time, the violent and aggresive response by the Muslim street is unwarranted and wrong.

Addenda: Let me add that I'm completely aware that such an analysis as this, one which attempts to look at many different aspects of a situation, and which strives for fairness to all parties, is precisely the kind of thing which has been diagnosed as one of the problems of American liberalism. It's said that it's not possible to put such complex and sometimes convoluted arguments up against the simplistic and emotionally satisfying solutions favored by right-wing propagandists and win the support of the electorate and, perhaps as importantly, the media.

I don't know what to do about that. I'm as capable as the next person of emotional outbursts and simplistic thinking, but rationality is still my preferred mode of operation (most of the time), and sometimes complicated situations just can't be explored or explained except by complex arguments.

Of course "Everyone's wrong" is a pretty simple summary.

Ed Fitzgerald | 2/06/2006 09:46:00 PM | | | del.icio.us | GO: TOP OF HOME PAGE







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