Daily Alert Archives

Riots, Rage, Videos, and Free Speech

(Council on Foreign Relations) Elliott Abrams - The U.S. government should not apologize for stupid or offensive comments made by private citizens. The fact is that religions are insulted all the time, in this country and beyond. Defamation of Catholicism is constant. The Broadway show "The Book of Mormon" is, the reviews state, a searing and blasphemous satire of the Mormon religion - yet our Secretary of State happily attended a performance and applauded. Defamation against Judaism is too frequent to require much comment. Every religion is defamed, yet apologies appear to be expected and offered only in one case: Islam. The explanation is clear: only in that case is there fear of violence. The State Department spent $70,000 buying time on Pakistani television for an advertisement showing Secretary Clinton and President Obama in essence apologizing for the anti-Muslim video trailer. Did no one consider an advertisement saying that Americans believe in freedom of speech and religion, that millions of Muslims enjoy those rights in the U.S., and that Pakistan has an obligation under international law to protect foreign embassies from violence? Our highest officials cannot be put in - nor should they rush to take - the position of apologizing for every stupid or ignorant, much less for every intelligent and artistic, criticism of Islam. Far better to restate and hold firm to our principles; demand that other governments meet their obligations to protect our people and facilities; and give those many millions of citizens of Muslim majority countries seeking to live under the rule of law our firm support.
2012-09-28 00:00:00
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