I know the shortcomings of the slippery slope argument. I understand that reducing major international cultural crises to "if you give a mouse a cookie" is a gross oversimplification. But I'm going to do it anyway.

Muslims complained that they were offended by an ice cream being sold by Burger King. If you looked at the lid of the container from the right angle the graphic drawing of ice cream swirls had a very vague resemblance to the Arabic symbol for Allah. Burger King pulled the offending dessert from its stores.

Nike recalled 38,000 pairs of sneakers because the stylized version of their "Air" logo written in flame bore a slight resemblance to the Arabic symbol for Allah. Muslims of course were offended.

Now there is the Cartoon Jihad in which a Danish newspaper in a deliberate exercise of free speech published some cartoons of the Muslim prophet Mohammed. Muslims are offended. Offended to the point of burning down buildings. Offended to the point of marching in the streets with posters calling for brutality and violence. Offended to the point of carrying signs that read "Freedom Go to Hell."

And throughout Europe and the United States, people are working very hard to appease the easily offended. But none of this has anything to do with anyone being offended. The offended outrage is nothing more than a tool. An instrument of policy wielded by Muslim leaders to enhance their own power and to assert Muslim control over the West.

And when the West has given up its freedom of expression in the name of not offending the Muslim world, what will offend them next? Surely there is much in Western culture to offend Muslim sensibilities. Not only do Western women parade about the streets barely dressed and unaccompanied by a controlling male - they are doing this while on their way to jobs and schools and voting booths. Will this be the next offense to Muslims that leads to riots in the streets?

In our battle against radical Islam we are armed with awesome power. We can take out a safe house with a Hellfire missile fired from an unmanned airplane controlled from thousands of miles away. Militarily, the Islamists are no match for the U.S. In the clash of cultures between radical Islam and the West, the Imams have a fearsome weapon. They can call into the streets hundreds of thousands of angry offended victims. Predator drones cannot help (much) in this fight. Our only weapon and our only defense is our will to stand by the principles of freedom. So far it seems are defenses are a bit weak.

(HT: Wizbang for reminding me of some past offenses)

Posted by: Stephen Macklin at 05:23 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment