JWR reproduces today a useful summary and analysis by Daniel Pipes of six instances of riots in Muslim countries instigated around free expression in the Western World.  They range in date from the 1989 issuance by Khomeini of a fatwah against Salman Rushie and the 1997 riots precipitated by CAIR's complaint regarding a representation of Mohammed the Lawgiver on the facade of the SCOTUS building, on up to Newsweek's 2005 "Koran-flushing" canard, and culminating in the cartoon riots in February and the Benedict XVI riots in September of the current year.  With the single exception of the 1997 events, all resulted in numerous killings.

In his analysis, Dr. Pipes makes a point of the increased frequency of such outrages, and their evident intention of silencing Western criticism of Islam.  His final point is well worth keeping in mind:

No conspiracy lies behind these six rounds of inflammation and aggression, but examined in retrospect, they coalesce and form a single, prolonged campaign of intimidation, with more sure to come. The basic message — "You Westerners no longer have the privilege to say what you will about Islam, the Prophet, and the Qur'an, Islamic law rules you too" — will return again and again until Westerners either do submit or Muslims realize their effort has failed.

We can only hope that responsible Western officials take their cue from the resolute refusal of the Prime Minister of Denmark to apologize for the exercise of freedom of expression by the newspaper Jyllands Posten. Unless and until Western governments steel themselves to defend Western values, the future looks bleak.

Contributed by John Werntz on September 27, 2006 at 02:31 PM in Islamism Delenda Est, John "72nd TCS" Werntz | Permalink

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