Reductio ad Absurdum

First I was sick all through the Winter Break and then I had to study for exams, then I actually did have exams. Now I am free. For a while anyway. Classes start Monday but that doesn't mean I can't savor the sweetness of having nothing to do; I have an extra 10 minutes for fun as it were.

Exam Post Mortems

If there is one spectacle that is common on the campus of any university, school, etc, it's the exam post mortem. This is were students who have just completed an exam stand in a circle and go through the tumultuous experience one more time.

Let's identify some of the notable characters in the circle:

1. The Failure
This person is identified by outbursts of how badly they have flunked. More often than not, this person gets a good grade. I put it down to nerves. Usually this person's outburst are meant to illicit a response from the Consoler (see 4).

2. The Non-Studious Student
This one gets under my skin. This is that schmuck who tells you how much he didn't study and then is amazed at the grade they got. This person is more than likely a closet academic and needs to admit his own dorkiness. There is no shame in a little dorkiness. 

3. The Big Easy
You know the guy. He is annoying. He sees you in the dumps after the exam. He kens that face of disappointment. He's the one who goes "Oh it was so easy" when in reality the exam was unbelievably hard. You more often then not want to ram his head into the notice board when you check your grades.

4. The Consoler
The Mother Teresa of the Exam period. This person comforts the perceived short-comings of students, usually falling under the first catagory. This person is full of optimism and kindness. Remarks include how it wasn't so bad, and they are sure you will do fine. You really want to help me? Take the resit for me.

5. The Malcontent Blogger
Me. Doing my own exam autopsy on the internet. The height of hypocrisy. ha ha

I am no fan of these test paper autopsies. It just makes me doubt some answer I gave since somebody is invariably going to differ from you. But did anyone get 100%? That's the only person I'd like to discuss my paper with, Perfect Score Guy.

Anyway, in more serious news: I have decided to dust off the ol' soap box for another commentary on the state of affairs in Europe. This time involving cartoons... 

A Kufr's Two Cents

This Mohammed Cartoon Malarky has polluted my news headlines long enough. I just want to read stuff concerning important issues that affect my life. This is not the case though. Every day I am bombarded with this story as it unfolds. Alot of hoopla over nothing. Anger over what is in fact a bunch of ink on paper. But us it that simple? Is there more to this?

There exists in Europe human rights that encompass the right to free speech, freedom of the press and the right to freedom of religion. A Danish newpaper had published some cartoons [I have given a link here in order to show what the hoopla is all about... interestingly, these are on the Danish MP Groep Wilders' blog] depicting the prophet Mohammed (amongst other things) explaining to suicide bombers that there were no virgins left in Paradise and one that looks like he has a bomb on his head.

Cultural sensitivity it is not. But we have run up against a bush of thorns, the freedom of speech vs. religion.

Clearly there is a prohibition on the act of depiction in Islam but how does that work when put up against Western secular laws? It seems that the answer is that since Islamic laws only affect Muslims, the West can't be held accountable, can it?

Seems we can be. I mean, the West has in some cases banned Christmas decorations, ice cream and even Piglet to appease our Muslim compatriots and make them ( and to be fair, other minotrity groups as well) feel at ease.

But has Arab Media been so kind to other faiths and religions? How many new churchs or dare I say it, a synagogue (the horror) were built in Saudi Arabia? Yemen? The UAE? That would be a sight. The Saudi royals giving official Passover blessings...

Tolerance education is a two-way street and here I am going to cite one source. This is by no means definative but it did raise an eyebrow to say the least. We will take a look at  Al-Minbar, a service that provides khutbah (friday sermons - these at the website are said to be of pure Sunni Islam). Now imagine listening to stuff like this or this or this or this even this every friday? [I spent alot of time reading these, I honestly tried to find something positive said us westerners]. I am all for critical analysis but at least cite your sources. There is also nothing in the West that remotely resembles that kind of hatred or closemindedness, not without a strong counter group or at least public condemnation. 

The above segment shows that at least part of the Islamic world is weened on the idea of cultural supremacy and the corrupt, degenerate nature of the West.

This cartoon fiasco has proved just how depraved those Westerners really are to the faithful.

The problem here is a two fold one. Westerns don't understand the veneration Muslims have for Mohammed and Muslims don't understand that Westerners place fundamental freedoms (including free speech) above religion (hence, the secular West)

Multiculturalism is a give and take, and if you take more than you give, well you aren't playing by the rules.

I would be first to say that in a multicultural society you have to respect one another's culture. But calling for the death of the artists and boycott of all things European is outrageous and illogical. The boycott makes no sense since it is a newpaper, not the government, that published these cartoons. The government cannot interfere with the press, save in circumstances of libel and slander.

The response to this is not death threats, flag burning and fatwa issuing. Why? Because society works on negociation and if the governments do censor the press (assuming that had such a power) then the protest is simply bullying.

Time for me to make a verdict:
The cartoons were insensitive and hurtful to Muslim people. However, thats merely a consequence of living in a multicultural society. Occasionally, we step on each other's toes and have to inform the other about it. No harm, no foul. We compromise to live in tolerance. If one does not like it, Antartica has no society, save penguins. Take your pick of real estate. Maybe your beliefs just aren't allowing you to see the intricate kaleidescope that is our society. I am not saying you can't be Muslim in the West; you just can't make the West Islamic (at least not anytime soon). The response given was way out of proportion. Death threats overs ink is a bit much. Public disgust, outrage, but flagburning has no place on an issue like this. There are a thousand more important things we have to resolve in the world, Danish cartoonists aren't one of them.

I see a good outcome in this. Controversy does push people to dissect a subject or situation with some reflection and introspection. Hopefully, we can understand the boundries of the multicultural society (and hopefully remove the reigns from the incompetent people running it now, I mean Piglet for God's sake! How is Piglet offensive???) and moreover, understand the limits and morals within ourselves.

Promise not to get on the soap box anytime soon. Take care you all

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In the name of diversity and culture, let's learn new languages

मेरा दुघवाला बेईमान है। (Hindi)
Merā dūdhvālā beīmān hai
My milkman is dishonest

Ich bin kein Mitglied dieser Konferenz, dennoch möchte ich einen Pinguin. (German)
I am not a conference delegate, nevertheless I would like a penguin.

No me importa mirar, pero prefiero no participar (Spanish)
I don't mind watching, but I'd rather not join in

Lütfen pantolonunuzu verin. (Turkish)
Please give me your trousers

Ц#39;орода вам очень идѦ#39;т. (Russian)
Boroda vam ochen' idjot
That beard suits you very well.

Cha b'e sin caora, 'se sin mo chèile a bha innte! (Scots Gaelic)
That was no sheep, that was my spouse!

Cu cana poţi să bei lapte, dar cu pisica nu poţi să tai lemne (Romanian)
You can drink milk with a cup, but you can't cut wood with a cat.