German minister condemns `overreaction' by Muslims

[milmor_1]

German minister condemns `overreaction' by Muslims - Irish Independent

German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble decried what he said was the tendency of some Muslim radicals to act in a "crazy'' manner with minimal provocation.

Schaeuble, in Washington on an official visit, also defended Pope Benedict XVI in his dispute with some Muslims that arose after a speech he gave two weeks ago at Regensburg University in Germany.

Benedict has expressed regret for offending Muslims in his remarks and said they did not reflect his personal views. He has not offered an apology as some had sought.

"I will never accept that it isn't allowed for the pope or anyone else to make such a speech,'' Schaeuble told reporters at a breakfast news conference.

In the same vein, he defended the right of Danish newspapers to print cartoons that many Muslims found offensive and generated protests in many countries.

"I will not accept that there will be violence because people don't like some pictures in newspapers,'' Schaeuble said.

He also said some non-Muslims go too far in attempting to accommodate Muslim sensitivities.

As an example, he cited a recent decision by a leading opera house in Germany to cancel a production of Mozart's "Idomeneo'' after Berlin security officials warned of an "incalculable risk'' because of scenes dealing with Islam, as well as other religions.

By showing too much deference to Muslims on such matters, he said, the non-Muslim world "will not succeed in convincing people'' that free speech and tolerance "are better than fundamentalism.''

[Woodmonkey]

Originally Posted by milmor_1

By showing too much deference to Muslims on such matters, he said, the non-Muslim world "will not succeed in convincing people'' that free speech and tolerance "are better than fundamentalism.''

What will happen, what is happening, is that Muslims will be rewarded for rioting and taught that this is the way to get their way in free countries.

It also teaches Muslims that the free world is willing to give those freedoms up when faced with erratic, irrational, and threatening behavior.

[KBay84]

You don't reward the teenager throwing a temper tantrum by giving him the keys to the family car...

[Snowden]

On the other hand, the one tool they have used for centuries with cunning and success is fear. The moderate Muslims know the punishments those fanatics will hand out. If it were only to the perpetrators, then there would be a lot less success with the fear element. However, remember Saddam's way of dealing first with the family of the offender, then with him/her. This is not unusual in Islam where the fundamentalists are concerned. Punishment is one thing they do well - and the real weapon that is so successful is that the family will be tortured and killed before the perpetrator for many crimes.

Oh, stealing a loaf of bread or a wallet won't be dealt with that way; for that they just have their right hand chopped off. This is more of a punishment even than it sounds, barbaric as that is. The right hand is the social hand - they eat with it, shake hands with it, do all things social. The left hand is the hand they clean themselves with and it is not acceptable that it be used in a social manner.

Subtle, but telling. Fear is a great way to keep people quiet and well behaved.