Master CraftsMon - Aired Monday, February 13, 2006 at about 11pm CST - Segment 2

Master CraftsMon - Aired Monday, February 13, 2006 at about 11pm CST
Segment 2

I personally feel that there is a way to address the issue of the cartoons in the pages of the Eagle. I say on Monday, March 6, 2006 that all across Texas newspapers publish the cartoons and invite debate about why Muslims are offended.

I would have a huge headline above the cartoons saying: Do you know what Muhammed looked like when he was alive?

Then I would say:

You do not know what Mohammed looked like. We do not know what Mohammed looked like. No one knows what Mohammed looked like. Why are you, Muslims, upset by images depicting someone who cannot possibly be Mohammed? [1]

I mean, were we to take away the label Mohammed, would the picture still be of Mohammed? How can it possibly be Mohammed simply because a set of infidels says that it is Mohammed? We are not Muslims. Why do we have the right to define how Mohammed appeared when he was alive? Do you Muslims, by a threat of violence, have the right to define what we can and cannot print in our newspapers? Even if it is offensive, why do you, as Muslims, have the right to use violence against those who disagree with you?

Throughout the Muslim world there are images of Christians and Jews as dogs and monkeys. Throughout the Muslim world there are images defaming America as a vile and evil land. Do you see US burning your embassies in protest? Do you see US killing your citizens in reprisal?

When 9/11 occurred and many in the countries of Islam danced in the streets, did you see US murder Muslims in our country? No, you saw Christians guarding the mosques of our fellow citizens and trying to calm things down in our communities. You, who are Muslims, saw our President try his best to keep the Muslims in this country from being attacked.

You can make the case that we attacked Afghanistan without provocation. We see it different. The Afghans see it different. They are free now. Under the Taliban they were not. The Afghans have sworn to the whole ummah that they prefer to live as they are now instead of how they were living before. Why won't the members of Islam listen to them?

You can make the case that we attacked Iraq without provocation. We see it differently. The Iraqis see it differently. The Iraqis are free now. They cried out to their Muslim brothers to free them from Saddam and no one came to help them. They were slaughtered by Saddam. Like an abusive father Saddam killed and killed. His sons raped and found all manner of wicked ways to torment the citizens of Iraq. Why didn't the members of Islam hear them and come to their rescue?

You who are of Islam scream, cry, whine and beg that we give you proper respect. Why should we? Respect is earned, it is not given. What have you in Islam done to earn our respect? We send our children to free your people in Somalia, Serbia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. When an earthquake hit Bam in Iran, were we not the first country to provide help, even before the mullahs in Tehran sent help? When the tsunami hit Islamic countries, were we not the first people to respond to your cries for help? How are our children treated? Are THEY treated with respect? Of course not, in many cases their heads are hacked from their bodies and then their bodies are dragged through the streets and burned. If you say that our children deserve it for trying to impose our will on you, I wonder at your sanity. Ask any of our warriors. Ask them whether they wish to be in your countries. Ask them and to a man and woman they only want to come home. We do not wish you to do our will. We only want you to stop trying to force us to do your bidding because you use violence unless we do your bidding.

We have forced Afghanistan and Iraq to become democracies because it was the only way we saw to stop them from harboring Irreconcilables bent on killing us. You in Islam keep screaming that we tempt your children to do evil. We tempt our own children to do evil. If you want your children to ignore us, then offer them something better than we offer them.

I want to point out that Hitler in Germany thought that Americans were weak. Good Germans in Germany stood by and let him attack us. Bad Germans cheered him on. Dresden came and the good Germans joined the bad Germans in the ashes of that city.

Tojo thought America weak. The good Japanese stood by and let him attack us. Good Japanese joined bad Japanese in the ashes of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

I beg of you good Muslims. Restrain the bad Muslims from attacking us. We have been unable to stop them from doing this. If YOU stand idly by and let the bad Muslims attack us, sooner or later you will become involved in a bad way. The good Germans in the ashes of Dresden call to you and try to make you aware that THEY did nothing and look where it got them. The good Japanese in the ashes of Nagasaki and Hiroshima call out to you and warn you that standing by and doing nothing is NOT a good idea.

I am but a voice from the velvet black calling to you across the gulf of our mutual incomprehension and I say to all good Muslims in this community: CHOOSE or let the bad Muslims choose for you.