General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Not liking an offensive movie is not an excuse to riot and kill people. [View all]nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)The West understands freedom of speech, but only after a very long cultural evolution including a few horrific religious wars.
I don't care what the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, it does not translate on the ground, and that is not just the Middle East.
You are using a western value set here. And arguing that it is valid everywhere.
From the POV of the developing world, it has a name, cultural imperialism.
No, what you think is universal, on the ground it is not, and will not be for a while yet. You need to read a few books on this. Edward Said is a good choice to start, even if slightly dated. Black Athena is also a good one.
One choice here, since this is an act of war, is for the US to send an intervention force to try to impose our ideas...we know that does not work. The other choice is a far more measured response, including chastising that movie. No, not because it violates our standards, but the movie might qualify as hate speech...which I will remind you can be prosecuted when it leads to violence, even in the US. No, freedom of speech, like second Ammendment rights, are not absolute.
Heresy is a big thing right now among Muslims, like it was in the West five hundred years ago. Hell, even a hundred years ago it was still big, and some are trying hard to make it big again.
Now the President is taking a meassured response, and has already condemned what has happened, and the political also enters the scene. But you knew that.
I personally prefer the more measured response btw.