Of course I view Islam as evil along with all the other world's religions. After all I'm an athiest. Be that as it may, the recent riots by muslims over the cartoons published in Europe clearly show how evil, intolerant and filled with hatred the members of that religion are. To speak otherwise is to lie about the real nature
of islam.
Those cartoons are offensive and show islamic hatred of all other religions by justly mocking its semi-literate, ignorant, founder. Mocking religion is not confined to islam as Serrano's Piss Christ demonstrates. And, as much as I may find Piss Christ or the Jyllands-Posten cartoon of muhammad offensive, we all have the right to ridicule superstitious beliefs. How is it that evangelists were not rioting in the streets of America when confronted with an image that would be akin to showing muhammad covered in dog excrement? And while I detest evangelicals, I must admit that they demonstrated a little bit of tolerance towards a view that was hostile towards their religion.
What is particularly odd is that while the muslim world demands respect for their religion, they have no tolerance for other beliefs. It is actually unbelievable that islamic practices are not prosecuted according to "hate crimes" law. Perhaps muslim apologists will try to point out the good that their religion accomplishes, but actions do speak louder than words. Those were not christian Danish grandmothers demonstrating a love for humanity who flew passenger jets into the world trade center towers.
I would have a different view of islamic religious tolerance if there was evidence of it. Not only are fellow muslims, especially women, treated animalistically by religious authorities in the islamic world, particular hatred is shown christian or baha'i missionaries in Saudi Arabia and Iran. My speaking about islamic benevolence towards other faiths will not happen soon since muslims continue to prove that the basis of their religion is a hatred of all that is not islam.
