An American Muslim convert—and it is a special betrayal to give up the American sense of life for the open bigotry and dogmatism of Islam—has issued an indirect death threat against the creators of the animated television show "South Park" for a very tame and semi-self-censored portrayal of Mohammed.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali has an excellent column, below, describing this threat as an "informal fatwa" and drawing attention to the uniquely anarchic quality of Islam, which authorizes a totalitarian theocracy to be enforced, not by a single, central authority, but by roving gangs of vigilantes.
Hirsi Ali has also been injecting into the mainstream discussion a crucial point that I have been making since the original cartoon jihad in 2006: that going out of our way to defy Muslim restrictions in solidarity with the recipients of death threats is not just a symbolic gesture; it is a practical countermeasure, since it multiplies the number of infidels Muslim fanatics would have to target.
In that vein, a "liberal" cartoonist in Seattle inadvertently launched the West's own cartoon counter-jihad against Islam: Everybody Draw Mohammed Day, scheduled for May 20.
Ironically, the cartoonist who originally inspired that campaign has since imploded, showing how little you can rely on the old "liberals." Backing freedom of speech when it is truly controversial requires moral courage. As subjectivists who believe in a "non-judgmental approach"—which apparently extends to toleration of Muslim fanatics—the liberals don't have the foundation for that kind of courage.
"South Park and the Informal Fatwa," Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Wall Street Journal, April 27
Last week, Zachary Adam Chesser—a 20-year-old Muslim convert who now goes by the name Abu Talhah Al-Amrikee—posted a warning on the Web site RevolutionMuslim.com following the 200th episode of the show on Comedy Central. The episode, which trotted out many celebrities the show has previously satirized, also "featured" the Prophet Muhammad: He was heard once from within a U-Haul truck and a second time from inside a bear costume.For this apparent blasphemy, Mr. Amrikee warned that co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone "will probably end up" like Theo van Gogh. Van Gogh, readers will remember, was the Dutch filmmaker who was brutally murdered in 2004 on the streets of Amsterdam. He was killed for producing "Submission," a film that criticized the subordinate role of women in Islam, with me….
In essence, Mr. Amrikee's posting is an informal fatwa. Here's how it works:
There is a basic principle in Islamic scripture—unknown to most not-so-observant Muslims and most non-Muslims—called "commanding right and forbidding wrong." It obligates Muslim males to police behavior seen to be wrong and personally deal out the appropriate punishment as stated in scripture. In its mildest form, devout people give friendly advice to abstain from wrongdoing. Less mild is the practice whereby Afghan men feel empowered to beat women who are not veiled.
By publicizing the supposed sins of Messrs. Stone and Parker, Mr. Amrikee undoubtedly believes he is fulfilling his duty to command right and forbid wrong. His message is not just an opinion…. Any Muslim, male or female, who knows about the "offense" may decide to perform the duty of killing those who insult the prophet. So what can be done to help Mr. Parker and Mr. Stone?...
One way of reducing the cost is to organize a solidarity campaign…. Another important advantage of such a campaign is to accustom Muslims to the kind of treatment that the followers of other religions have long been used to….
Islamists seek to replace the rule of law with that of commanding right and forbidding wrong.
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