Guardian: Bombing of Danish embassy Bush’s fault
posted at 9:00 am on June 5, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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Well, this didn’t take long at all, did it? Columnist Jakob Illeborg of The Guardian analyzed the contretemps over the Mohammed cartoons and the suicide bombing of the Danish embassy and reached the obvious conclusion. Obvious, that is, if one likes to contort every possible event into an indictment not of its perpetrators but of the Bush administration:
Though the prime minister claims he isn’t sure who carried out the attack, he may suspect that the Taliban, or like-minded fundamentalists, had a hand in it. Jason Burke’s article in the Guardian about false assumptions of al-Qaida’s imminent defeat, to some extent rings true in Denmark. The Danes are aligned with the US in the “war on terror” and the hawkish approach taken by the Bush administration internationally is reflected by a similarly tough position on Islam and Muslims in Denmark.
Wait a moment. Are the Danes (or the US, for that matter) rounding up Muslims and closing mosques? Have they begun to deport their entire Muslim population to Somalia, Pakistan, Iran, or Saudi Arabia? Has either nation banned Islam and its practices? Er, no. The “tough position” that the US and its allies take on Islam is that we will not tolerate radical Islamist terrorism, a position brought on by the terrorist murders of thousands of our citizens.
Monday’s attack, is of course, indefensible,
… wait for it …
but it raises questions about the wisdom of the much-debated cartoons and Danish reactions to Muslim wrath. Not because anything about any cartoon - no matter how provocative - justifies such acts of violence, but because the cartoons ended up playing into the hands of extremists who could utilise it to “prove” how badly the west behaves towards Muslims.
He should have stopped at indefensible. Anything past that rewards violence. The Danes did nothing that rationally led to the suicide attack on its embassy except practice free speech in criticizing the practices of the Islamists. Illeborg says Denmark lost its “tolerance”, but that’s an inversion. Which side proved themselves intolerant of criticism? It wasn’t the Danes.
In fact, the entire exercise can be used to see who supports free speech and who would rather appease terrorists with silence. Illeborg fails the test.
Denmark used to have a reputation as a liberal, consensus-seeking country advocating calm and reason, a country that managed to support the state of Israel while at same time actively encouraging better conditions for Palestinians. Whereas we used to have no problems understanding several sides of any given conflict, the Danes are increasingly seeing things in black and white terms. The “you are either with us or against us” policy of the current US government is certainly a view shared by many Danes when it comes to Islam. The “clash of civilisations” point made by Venstre is quite commonly held. On the whole, the debate in Denmark is mostly seen as an idealistic struggle between good an evil, with defenders of the cartoons and Denmark’s alignment with the US on international issues claiming that those who find the cartoons a provocation are betraying the core democratic values of western society.
First, this is another inversion. The Danes haven’t rejected “consensus” — the terrorists don’t want it and despise it. They aren’t interested in compromise, only submission. “Liberal” values, by the way, include dissent and the freedom to criticize, two values the terrorists despise most. That was the lesson to be learned from the Prophet Cartoons. When Danish newspapers printed these images, we did not see millions of Muslims rally for “consensus”, “calm”, or “reason”. They demanded blood, and they still do.
Illeborg wants Danes and the rest of the West to surrender its liberal values in order to buy a little peace. That’s practically the dictionary definition of appeasement.
David Thompson has more on this, an excellent fisking of the entire Illeborg piece. Be sure to read it all.
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Maybe the dingoBush ate your baby.yo on June 5, 2008 at 9:02 AM
it’s gotta be a mental disorder, this liberalism. there is no other explanation.
blatantblue on June 5, 2008 at 9:05 AM
Although the Great One Levin had me depressed the other night, what’s wrong with a Democratic House and Prez to blame your flat tire and burnt toast on? And damn them to hell, it’s raining again outside.
Marcus on June 5, 2008 at 9:06 AM
very true
right4life on June 5, 2008 at 9:07 AM
Cartoons vs. suicide bombers. Yeah, the west behaves badly.
JetBoy on June 5, 2008 at 9:07 AM
If we should be worried about “offending” Muslims and the violence that it inspires, does it make sense to elect an apostate as Commander in Chief?
SPCOlympics on June 5, 2008 at 9:08 AM
It’s so interesting how courage works. It’s not really loud and noisy, like what comes from a reporter’s mouth or pen, or from some muscle guy at the gym. It’s found in little Danish grandmothers and other unknowns, and in people that don’t even know they have it.
Mr. Jakob Illeborg is a coward. I’m quite sure he can’t help it. Liberalism teaches cowardice, by default perhaps, in the face of threats. He’s finding that out about himself today, while others are finding they contain the opposite.
JiangxiDad on June 5, 2008 at 9:08 AM
More futbol, less homemaking class.
Limerick on June 5, 2008 at 9:09 AM
“Denmark used to have a reputation as a liberal, consensus-seeking country advocating calm and reason …”
Yeah? Well, now Denmark has a reputation of defeanding freedom of speech, a CLASSIC liberal stance.
Tony737 on June 5, 2008 at 9:11 AM
Nice. Another failure to recognize that Muslims worshipped the devil before America was created, they worshipped the devil before America went into Iraq, and they will continue to worhsip the devil long after America leaves.
When you worship the devil, you will act like him.
Grafted on June 5, 2008 at 9:13 AM
Denmark just signed a five year agreement to stay in the fight in Afghanistan until 2012, or the badguys are dead, whichever comes first.
Limerick on June 5, 2008 at 9:14 AM
I think it’s high time for some gutless Liberal artists
to have an art exhibition,and put you know who’s head in
a jar full of you know what,
and,out of some kind of you know what waste,and out of that
draw cartoon’s,and have you know who’s book in the background,
and sit back,and see who gets upset,
and see how well Liberal’s take to the criticism!!
canopfor on June 5, 2008 at 9:18 AM
In a business writing seminar I took, the speaker cautioned against use of the word “but” because it basically says, “forget everything I just said…here’s what I want you to remember”.
flipflop on June 5, 2008 at 9:23 AM
From Clark County to Copenhagen, the Guardian defies fumigation.
mymanpotsandpans on June 5, 2008 at 9:26 AM
Predictions: some day England will be majority Muslim and Iraq will be a Christian nation.
Akzed on June 5, 2008 at 9:29 AM
A bit of perspective;
U.S. 330,000,000
Denmark 5,000,000 (1/2 the population of L.A. county).
Of the 500 personnel currently on the ground in Afghanistan 100 are Danish SF working with American SF around Helmud.
Half of the Danish monetary committment goes directly to support the Afghani government.
Thanks Denmark! We all have our loonies in the press.
Limerick on June 5, 2008 at 9:30 AM
The devil, or just the moon goddess?
Akzed on June 5, 2008 at 9:31 AM
Ed Morrissey, Defender of Liberal Values. Who’da thunk it? Heh.
Grow Fins on June 5, 2008 at 9:31 AM
Denmark did used to have a reputation of standing up to evil. But they’re going to lose this one if they stay the PC course. I keep beating my head against the wall trying to figure out why the liberals who supposedly so love their liberties and free speech rights aren’t fighting this obvious threat. Not even a little. It’s bizarre.
4shoes on June 5, 2008 at 9:32 AM
He’s an idiot.
Esthier on June 5, 2008 at 9:33 AM
Who’s going to fill the office Of The Scapegoat Of The United States (SGOTUS) in ‘09?
shaken on June 5, 2008 at 9:35 AM
I have a Muslim colleague who keeps telling me that I don’t understand how strongly Muslims feel about their religion.
I really don’t give a damn.
Any religion that endorses or condones death for a perceived slight is not a religion, it is stupid cult.
drjohn on June 5, 2008 at 9:35 AM
And all the while ignoring the fact that an imam added the most inflammatory cartoons and then held them up to enrage the mindless minions.
Why is that fact never dwelt upon?
The whole cartoon thing is an extremely embarrassing episode in the history of the West. The lack of spine displayed worldwide only served (and serves) to embolden and encourage the ummah.
Weakness is provocative. And unwise in the extreme.
techno_barbarian on June 5, 2008 at 9:36 AM
I don’t give a flying %^&* either. Sad, though, that liberals love to insult Christianity and ridicule it and call it dangerous, but refuse to do so about Islam.
As an unbeliever in either myself, I hope Christianity gets some of its militancy back, not in the sense that it will physically harm people, but in the sense it will stand up and defend itself against liberals and Islam in the public arena; that it will defend its values that are so rabidly hated by the leftists and Islamists alike.
blatantblue on June 5, 2008 at 9:46 AM
a distinction without a difference….
unfortunately we won’t…we’re living in laodicea….
right4life on June 5, 2008 at 9:50 AM
Danes should apologize for western civilization and the Guardian can print the apology.
While we’re talking about our collective sins, Theo Van Gogh was intentionally provacative, knowing full well that his comments and work would hurt the feelings of others. Mark Steyn has also said things which could be construed in a way which might cause upset. The cartoons were intended to inflict outrage among those with fragile sensibilities.
If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
moxie_neanderthal on June 5, 2008 at 9:52 AM
Sarcasm is a hard thing to pick up on, on the internet.
Is this sarcasm, or are you serious?
blatantblue on June 5, 2008 at 9:58 AM
This morning I tried to explain to my shy, quiet nine-year-old daughter how not to be a doormat for other people, and they’d respect her more.
JiangxiDad on June 5, 2008 at 9:58 AM
I’ve always found laying down face first to be the best position when assuming the role of doormat for Muslims and liberals.
blatantblue on June 5, 2008 at 10:00 AM
You jest surely?
4shoes on June 5, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Of course Denmark got what was coming. The Danes refuse to live in dhimmitude to radical Muslims who want the world to be under a global caliphate, and live in the 7th century. Therefore the Danes are intolerant. Not the murderous terrorists.
rbj on June 5, 2008 at 10:04 AM
It’s actually all the fault of the British. They (and the French) failed to properly support the Crusades which allowed the fall of Jerusalem and strengthened the Islamics. So there!
TooTall on June 5, 2008 at 10:13 AM
If you don’t like what you see, change the channel.
As far as I know, the cartoons were not originally published in any Muslim country and they only became an issue in the those countries when local clerics used them to start and fuel riots.
And as for offending Muslims in Europe, well they can leave for their favorite theocracy. One of the hallmarks of Western culture is that artists, writers, musicians, etc. can practice their craft, no matter how offensive, without fear of death.
SPCOlympics on June 5, 2008 at 10:15 AM
So then if a conservative bombs the Guardian is that the Guardian’s fault? That’s the very same a$$ backward logic as blaming a woman for getting beaten by an abusive husband. I guess it was England’s fault that the IRA pummelled and terrorized them with bombs over and over again.
foxforce91 on June 5, 2008 at 10:26 AM
Ok so by what I see is Picture of Mohammed with a Bomb = bad.
Picture of Virgin Mary surrounded in poop and vaginas and Jesus in cup of urine = good?
When we practice free speech its our right, when Danes do, its a cultural change that was the fault of the evil EEEEEVIL USA.
I never assumed the guardian was a real paper, but it takes alot of “investigating” to find this twist to a story.
Rbastid on June 5, 2008 at 10:31 AM
I share a very similar situation at work with an American convert to Islam. This individual insists that any preceived disrespect of Islam is a hate crime and must be treated as such. Islam is This guy loves Obama….
dmann on June 5, 2008 at 11:32 AM
I saw some kid wearing a Rachel Ray scarf on the subway yesterday…made me nervous.
beefytee on June 5, 2008 at 11:32 AM
I lost my interest in what he had to say when I got here:
There’s irony in his complaining about seeing things only in black and white and his not being able to tell the difference between the Taliban and their goals in Afghanistan and AQ and their global jihad goals and the homogenized run of the mill radicalized muslim extremist in his own country who has this inbred since of superiority and entitlement.
Texas Gal on June 5, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Illeborg. What a strangely appropriate name.
Travis Bickle on June 5, 2008 at 1:12 PM
drjohn & dmann:
I understand exactly how strongly Muslims feel about their religion. But I’m not going to bow down to their goofy god.
This, to a leftist, makes it “my fault” if there’s a conflict.
Like I went back in time 1400 years and started a fight.
It is funny (and telling) how they mock Christianity but demand that everyone be respectful to Islam.
Merovign on June 5, 2008 at 1:14 PM
Another idiot!Another goose stepping idiot!Confederate on June 5, 2008 at 1:32 PM
What makes you think Iraq will be a Christian nation some day when Christians today are being murdered, crucified and driven out of Iraq?
aengus on June 5, 2008 at 1:46 PM
Islam is the bomb.
…literally.
Black Adam on June 5, 2008 at 2:25 PM
The cartoonists and their publishers don’t have to explain themselves to the Guardian or one single Muslim. But this Illeborg has such a perverse sense of porportion that he passes by murder like it was a misdemeanor but goes batsh*t over the expression of an opinion. Gives more credence to those who think liberalism is a mental disorder.
snaggletoothie on June 5, 2008 at 2:34 PM