What is a drawing of Muhammad?

[Leonardo17]

I think that the real issue here is this. The history of the Middle East is a history of clashing empire who are endlessly struggling for domination. I was still a prosperous region despite everything at least at least until the beginning of the Ottoman rule. But we have a lot of social memory on how this last one worked: There were endless palace conspiracies, people (especially the Turks) being oppressed for revolting even in the face of hunger and famine. In fact the only ones doing well where Jewish and Christian minorities who were allowed to develop small industries and trading companies (If you visit the Aegean parts of Turkey today you will be able how small Greek villages from the 19th century have developed such a level of wealth and cultural sophistication).

 

   So what about Muslims?

- They lived under very strict rules. Where called for military service whenever it was necessary. They payed very heavy taxes. They were ignorant (the empire didn’t invest in any type of public service for them). They were simply exploited to the bone by this (now) decadent and oppressive feudal order.

 

And in the other half of the Muslim world (mainly Ancient Iran / Persian Empire) things were not that different either.

 

   The problem of Europeans is that they think they are seeing “The East” when they see a woman with four children dressed like Zorro with her husband (looking completely Western) walking at least 5 paces in front of her. Many Europeans today understand that it’s not as simple as that. The proof is that the kids of that Zorro-like lady will usually (at least 3 in 4) embrace western-European values while keeping the true values of their society of origin in the Middle-east.

 

   To put more frankly: This isn’t East versus West. It’s about all those feudal values that are dying and are going to die no matter what we do and the pain that is being generated is simply caused by those who are not willing to let go of these millennia old / obsolete values.

 

   And Charlie Hebdo?

- It’s not a free magazine you know. I never had the cash to spend on that magazine. But I don’t mind if there are people who like it.

 

And there is no blasphemy. The issue in Islam is that the Prophet did not want us to idealize him like Christians idealized Jesus. He wanted to be remembered as an ordinary human. Not a God-like superior being. And that’s about it.

 

- Do I condemn drawings like Charlie Hebdo comics?

- Not really. They doing this for a laugh right?

 

On other acts like burning the Quran etc.:

 

- As a spiritual person what I see there is an act of fear (also hatred but mainly fear): I understand that Westerners I scared when they see a woman all dressed like Zorro. So it’s normal that some of them a reacting when they perceive things like their governments are doing too much for these “backward” people. – I am not saying I agree with that I am only saying this is how they perceive things –

 

   And that’s such an easy thing to do. I mean choosing a scapegoat and making them carry all your load of frustration and negative energy.

 

    On the Zorro part: You may check the History of the Turkish Republic and the extensive reforms of Mustafa Kemal on Wikipedia on that. It can be a really difficult and extensive task to deal with these Zorro-like people. It’s a long term game actually. You (we) need to be patient with them because it’s not an easy task for them either