Some Muslims just don't get it

Freedom of speech.

I dunno why, but what looks like the whole crux of the protests in Sydney over the weekend is a seeming inability of members of the Muslim community to understand our freedom of speech. This is something made clear in comments at a Hezbollah protest in that mad mad part of the World called the Middle East:

Some protesters said the US refusal to censor the internet clips was provocative for Muslims, who feel they are often subject to prejudices and aggression by US forces.

"Is it really possible that America can fight wars all over the country and it can't remove one film? America wants to sew strife for sure," said Ahmed Afif, 30, as his small son sitting on his shoulders waved a Hezbollah flag.

US President Barack Obama's administration has condemned the film as "reprehensible" but said it cannot curb the constitutional right to free speech in America.
Read more

And here too, we have even moderate Muslims saying that any criticism of Mohammed is "unacceptable". Honestly, some of these people need a few lessons in how democracy works. Like really simple shit that a 10 year old here would know; that the gov doesn't censor free speech, has no control over what goes on YouTube, and will not do so in the future (well lets hope anyway). 

I don't agree with much of that Gerard Henderson at all, but he makes some very valid points here:

Perhaps it is understandable angry Muslims in the Middle East or Africa would demonstrate outside American diplomatic missions against the apparent circulation of a YouTube video mocking the Prophet Muhammad by a person based in the US. There is no such excuse for Australian Muslims.

Citizens and residents of Australia know we live in a democratic society in which the government does not, and mostly cannot, engage in acts of political and religious censorship. That's why Americans have not been able to get the cheap film deleted from the web. And that's why footage of beheadings of non-believers by Islamist extremists remain on the web.
 .............................
All Muslims in Australia came here voluntarily and/or were born here. All have experienced the generous education, health and welfare benefits available to Australians. The rest of the country are not responsible for any alienation that they feel. Such anger will not be dissipated by the provision of more taxpayer-funded services.

It doesn't matter if the disaffected in a democracy are Catholic-born members of the Irish Republican Army or Muslim-born supporters of bin Laden. If a radicalised group in a Western society does not accept democracy and engages in terrorism or violence, there is only one response. It's over to the police to enforce the law with the assistance, where necessary, of the intelligence services. Then it's up to the judicial system.

Australia is a viable democracy in which virtually all groups have prospered, including the vast majority of Muslims. If last Saturday's demonstrators don't appreciate this, tough. It is not our fault. Read more  

Muslims need to realise that we aren't going to change what is a fundamental right of our freedom, just because they can't handle their god being criticised. Yelling and screaming about it, demanding beheading and the rest, won't change how the West views these freedoms. Simply, if they come here they have to learn this.

We aren't going to fundamentally change the way our society works for them, and for them to demand us to do so is absurd, naive, and bloody stupid.

And believe me, as an HIV+ gay I know full well what it's like to be on the receiving end of peoples opinions about that. But as the old saying goes, I will always agree that they have the right to say it in a free society. 

BTW, he's not the messiah you know, he's just a very naughty boy!