Violence this week in Libya, Egypt and Yemen has once again brought to the fore inherent tensions between free speech, however offensive, and religious dignity. Some political analysts in Cairo invoke the dictum that the remedy for such speech is more speech.
The attacks on US missions in Libya, Egypt and Yemen highlight how easily passions against the nominal ally of those countries can be ignited. An obscure, crudely-made American video mocking the Prophet Muhammed triggered rage and murder.
“This is the price of extremism. If those who made the film wanted an extremist reaction, they got it. They succeeded,” said Said Sadek, a professor of Political Sociology at the American University in Cairo.
Sadek argues extremists on both sides got what they wanted: for one, proof that Islam is violent, for the other, that America is the enemy of their religion - points scored at the expense of those in the middle, including slain US ambassador Chris Stevens.
“The majority of people, Muslims and Christians, are not extremists but they're captives of those extremists on both sides. Each side is provoking something and then the others are responding and they try to push the silent majority into extremism and suspicion and intolerance,” Sadek said.
Sadek says it's an anti-Western political agenda easy to deploy.
“There is a misunderstanding in Muslim countries [about] the relationship between government and media," he said. "They still believe it's like in autocratic regimes: the government orders the media to do this or to do that. President Obama did not order that movie about Islam is made. In fact, he is being accused in America that he is pro-Muslim.”
Libya's government was clear in its condemnation of the Benghazi attack. Egypt's initial response made no direct mention of the death of Ambassador Stevens, although a day later it rejected the``unlawful acts'' against foreign embassies.
“I don't think that the government has enough political capital to actually counter that vision. They cannot state that 'Well, okay, there's an offensive movie but it's not that important and it does not represent the U.S. administration and it's a matter of free speech.' They could never say that,” said Ziad Akl Moussa, a political analyst in Cairo.
It's a dynamic that has played out several times in recent years, with Danish cartoons of the prophet and other western images deemed insulting provoking bursts of outrage.
“It's a contention over putting creativity on a pedestal in the West and actually putting a red line behind it in the East. It doesn't mean that this is wrong and this is right, it simply means that it's different. But we never addressed that,” Moussa said.
He argues until governments frame the question as one of freedom of expression, not a fight over religion, such violence “will happen again and again.”
political capital: 政治资本
国际英语资讯:Brazil hosts regional summit on refugees in LatAm
国内英语资讯:Across China: Village painters draw rural life in Chongqing
国际英语资讯:Israel foils Palestinian militants plot to assassinate defense minister
国际英语资讯:Iran, India sign major agreements to expand economic ties
体坛英语资讯:Listen to whisper of ice
国内英语资讯:China becomes top market for Chilean winemakers
国内英语资讯:News organizations should better serve the people: Xinhua President
体坛英语资讯:Real Madrid and PSG preapre for decisive Champions League tie
这些方法能让你和你的另一半身心愉悦
体坛英语资讯:Wust claims fifth speed skating Olympic gold by winning womens 1,500m in PyeongChang
俄罗斯冰壶铜牌运动员药检呈阳性
体坛英语资讯:Asensio the key as Madrid claim late win over PSG
体坛英语资讯:Former Udinese midfielder Valentim named Botafogo coach
国际英语资讯:Mexican interior minister survives chopper crash, toll rises to 13
体坛英语资讯:Brazil World Cup winner Lucio ready to play on into 40s
国内英语资讯:Xis special envoy to attend closing ceremony of PyeongChang Winter Olympics
体坛英语资讯:Pekarik pens contract extension at Berlin
国内英语资讯:Chinese FM offers condolences over air crash in Iran
属狗名人盘点:他们谁是金狗年生的
体坛英语资讯:Peiffer of Germany wins mens biathlon 10km sprint at PyeongChang Olympics
不想减少饭量,但是想瘦,怎么办?
体坛英语资讯:Former Beijing Guoan midfielder Ralf returns to Corinthians
体坛英语资讯:Dutch short tracker de Laat promises to pick up the pace
体坛英语资讯:Unified Korean team suffers second loss, Switzerland tops Group B at womens ice hockey in
国际英语资讯:DPRK accuses U.S. of using defectors to attack Pyongyang at Winter Olympics
体坛英语资讯:Figure skaters Sui/Han wins China 2nd silver medal at PyeongChang Olympics
中国过年吃的吉利食物 你知道都有什么寓意吗?
国际英语资讯:40 Palestinians wounded in clashes with Israeli soldiers in Gaza, West Bank
体坛英语资讯:Lundby tastes gold in ski jumping womens normal hill, Chinas Chang finishes 20th in Pyeo
国内英语资讯:U.S. Alaska state seeks more collaboration with China
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |