State of the World

 

I wanted to pick up where I left off.

I'm back after last week and the murders in Paris.

Keep calm and carry on.

Where was I?

But there is a Muslim in my office!

DON'T SHOOT! I have a wife!

DON'T SHOOT!  We had an appointment for Wednesday at 12 o' clock!

 

He had been waiting since Wednesday.

Our mosques were threatened!  There was even a call to arms on Facebook by the PVV [ultra right-wingers] to burn the mosques!

Oh, now I know what it was all about.

You were scared.

 

How things can change in a few days' time!

Now I'm also scared!

Now everyone is scared!

HELP!

 

(Trouw, Tuesday 13 January 2015)

 

I don't understand how 'freedom of speech' equates 'freedom to insult', and why that is integral to democracy.

I'm not approving Islamic extremist action at all, but I can't approve of insulting an integral part of a large group's beliefs and very existence either. 

 

Not that my opinion matters.

I'm a nobody in the grand scheme of things.

 

But whether you fight with insults or swords, you're still fighting.

And as a group, what is the added benefit of that?

 

 

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