Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Oh, noes!
And, of course, a giant op-ed response about how the MSA is not going to respond, from Khalid Mansour.
Healthy dialogue and a melting pot of ideas make the university atmosphere unique and a center of enlightenment. When a topic of debate or interest comes to the forefront, we can gather as a community of educated and tolerant individuals that can discuss the history, deeper implications and complexity of the issue. Such open-minded discussions and debate are worthy of the great intellects that comprise the student body here at UC Berkeley.
I agree. Open discussion and debate is important. We shouldn't hide unsightly details under the rug to... oh, wait, it continues...
It is rather disheartening and disappointing to hear that a student publication would actually publish the cartoons that were seen as hurtful, narrow-minded, bigoted, racist and Islamophobic by the majority of all those who have seen them.
Oh. Well. Nevermind all that about open debate. While we should debate these cartoons, we shouldn't actually show them. That's how open debate works. And I would be careful about speaking for the "majority of all those who have seen them." From what I've seen, that isn't accurate, as most folks just don't see what the big deal is.
An incorrect assumption is made that some external pressure is made on publications all over the United States from a fictitious Muslim influence that is preventing them from publishing the cartoons. In reality, what is preventing publications from printing such inflammatory images and viewpoints is nothing more than respect for their image and common-sense tact.
This is why news organizations shied away from showing "Piss Christ." Actually, now that I think about it...
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