The Freedom to Offend

Authorities in Great Britain are racing to quell any further acts of terrorism after two men drove a car into the Glasgow airport, sending it up in flames, and two gasoline-laden cars- intended to explode- were found in London. Another attack, officials say, is considered "imminent."

The anguish brought upon an entire nation, not to mention the threat of physical danger, are only more tragic when considering the only possible explanation this Times article offers for the car incidents: They could be a reaction, the reporter says, to the recent knighting of controversial author Salman Rushdie. How infuriating.

As explained by the BBC, some Muslims, including the Pakistani parliament, believe that knighting Rushdie has "hurt Muslim sentiments." "If someone commits suicide bombing to protect the honour of the Prophet Mohammad, his act is justified," said Pakistan's Religious Affairs Minister Ejaz-ul-Haq. The message is that displays of disrespect toward Islam- even if done unintentionally, in jest or in any other peaceful manner- cannot be tolerated and must be responded to with violence. Clearly, this notion goes against the core values of Western democracy, namely individualism and freedom of speech.

I cannot say how democracies or any forms of government should run in the non-Western world, but in established Western democracies, these violent reactions are unacceptable. Does this mean that Islam is incompatible with the Western world? The plotters (who are most likely native to the UK) of these latest events would probably like us to think so. However, a significant number of Muslims, including both immigrants and native Westerners, happily call the UK or America home. Islam is the second most popular religion in the United Kingdom after Christianity, according to the UK Office for National Statistic's most recent survey from 2001. In the United States, there are probably 6 to 7 million Muslims, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Hopefully this suggests that the violence of Islamic extremists in the West does in fact represent extreme viewpoints. As Shahed Amanullah, a Muslim resident of San Francisco says on the State Department website, "American values are, by and large, very consistent with Islamic values, with a focus on family, faith, hard work, and an obligation to better self and society."

The marriage of Islam's sense of communal honor and the Western world's notion of individualism seems to be something the Muslim community needs to work out on its own. Until then, I can only hope leaders in the West will continue to honor great thinkers, regardless of whom they may offend.