Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Muslim?

Who's afraid of the Muslims in American 2010? Seems like everyone. You can do and say anything about or to Catholics, Jews, Christians. Muslims are off limits. Protected or feared, they’re not like everyone else. The people who love to provoke, well, they know a mad Muslim means business, often times with a knife. You’re granted special status when people are afraid of what you’ll do if another does or says something to them they do not like. Like the crazy old aunt you’re not supposed to set off at Thanksgiving, you've got to speak softly around Muslims as at least a portion of them are always a hair away from some violent act from which we’re supposed to help them refrain. If they go there, it was your fault.

A Danish cartoonist found that out in 2006. He had threats on his life, there were attempts to kill him. In riots which followed, others did die. It was, of course, the cartoonist’s fault.



Now we have a religious man and his 50 followers planning to ceremoniously burn a Quran in Gainesville, Florida, on Saturday. It’s provocative, no question. It’s meant to be so. And, yes, it's stupid. Everyone’s warning that he’ll endanger the lives of others if they go through with it. Muslims, I’m left to assume, are beyond Pavlov and his dog. They’ll tear themselves away from their prayer rugs to bomb, kill, destroy yet again when provoked. Guess if Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and others got violent when crossed, as the bully on the play yard, everyone would fear them, too.

Humorous? No. None of it. Just pathetic, idiotic, ridiculous. Oh yeah, and the guy in Gainesville, too.



In America 2010, liberals are fighting to remove a large cross placed on government land out in the desert where few liberals would dare go. Christmas is only a few months away, and we all know what that brings: Lots of excitement and anger over such dangerous things as Christmas trees, nativity scenes, hateful well wishes like “Merry Christmas”. Hideous attacks followed by murderous Christians hitting the streets. Oh wait, strike that last part. They don’t do that. Wrong group.

In New York City in 1999 there was an uproar over a few pieces to be included in an art exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. Two pieces specifically, “Holy Virgin Mary” and “Piss Christ” were at the center of the controversy. “Holy Virgin Mary”, by Chris Ofili, included close-ups of female genitalia cut from pornographic magazines, along with elephant dung. Lovely. “Piss Christ”, which many will likely remember, featured a crucifix submerged in the artist’s urine. Classy. Did Christians riot? Was the American left concerned with their feelings? No. In fact, it was just the opposite. Christians were to chomp on the proverbial chill pill.



I took a class in college once called “What is art?” Looking back, I’m pretty sure the intent was the same as with many college courses: BLUR the lines, make anything acceptable. Whatever art is, what makes it appealing is surely different from person to person. Art, at some point, must be commercial, desired, or it is simply some idiot idea no one wants or would consider parting with their own money in exchange for the “art”. One man’s art, another’s junk.

I myself am an aspiring artist, mostly mosaics. I’ve started doing some mixed medium pieces of late also. Perhaps future projects might be “Piss Muhammed” (no need to explain) or “Pork Quran”, a Quran wrapped in bacon.

Would the American left pay tickets to see my creations? No. Would I have to go into hiding because of Muslims who threaten me? Maybe. All so prone to beheadings, violent attacks, yet so delicate and frail.

Who's afraid of the big bad Muslim boogeyman? Still looks like most.