Diana West identifies the core element of international cartoon rage: the attempt to turn Western non-Muslims into dhimmis.
We need to learn a new word: dhimmitude. I've written about dhimmitude periodically, lo, these many years since September 11, but it takes time to sink in. Dhimmitude is the coinage of a brilliant historian, Bat Ye'or, whose pioneering studies of the dhimmi, populations of Jews and Christians vanquished by Islamic jihad, have led her to conclude that a common culture has existed through the centuries among the varied dhimmi populations. From Egypt and Palestine to Iraq and Syria, from Morocco and Algeria to Spain, Sicily and Greece, from Armenia and the Balkans to the Caucasus: Wherever Islam conquered, surrendering dhimmi, known to Muslims as "people of the book [the Bible]," were tolerated, allowed to practice their religion, but at a dehumanizing cost.There were literal taxes (jizya) to be paid; these bought the dhimmi the right to remain non-Muslim, the price not of religious freedom, but of religious identity. Freedom was lost, sorely circumscribed by a body of Islamic law (sharia) designed to subjugate, denigrate and humiliate the dhimmi. The resulting culture of self-abnegation, self-censorship and fear shared by far-flung dhimmi is the basis of dhimmitude. The extremely distressing but highly significant fact is, dhimmitude doesn't only exist in lands where Islamic law rules.
This is the lesson of Cartoon Rage 2006, a cultural nuke set off by an Islamic chain reaction to those 12 cartoons of Muhammad appearing in a Danish newspaper. We have watched the Muslim meltdown with shocked attention, but there is little recognition that its poisonous fallout is fear. Fear in the State Department, which, like Islam, called the cartoons unacceptable. Fear in Whitehall, which did the same. Fear in the Vatican, which did the same. And fear in the media, which have failed, with few, few exceptions, to reprint or show the images. With only a small roll of brave journals, mainly in Europe, to salute, we have seen the proud Western tradition of a free press bow its head and submit to an Islamic law against depictions of Muhammad. That's dhimmitude.
Yes it is. Read it all.
It was apparent long ago, but this article makes it absolutely official: Diane West is initiated.
Thank you Diane West for bringing the topic of dhimmitude to the MSM. The current cartoon fury is not fully explainable without the understanding that Islam, textually and historically and presently, requires all non-Muslims to submit to Islamic law. In Islamic law, Muslims are allowed to criticize non-Muslims, but not vice versa.
Yesterday, during a walk, I understood why the cartoons are so powerfull.
Images tell a strong story. Today images are all around us and the power of TV and mixed media is incredible. An image could take a government down or destroy the life of a politician. Remember the Statue of Liberty at Tiennami Square or the infamous prisioners Iraquis or Afganis prisioners. These images are nukes to our perceptions and beliefs. They kill or give life to beliefs that determine our lifes. Information is everything and an image is as ten thousand words. Images, images, and more images. That is what the people undestand today.
I think that the cartoon deliver a strong message that the West is already in deep trouble and that Islam is a real religion of Peace...A rest-in-peace for the West as dhimmi.
This morning I read about an European web site which requested similar cartoons was taken down by their server. European free press is falling. How far will it fall before the end?
Shame on us, shame, shame, shame.
Mrs. West has done a wonderful job in reminding casual readers about the word "dhimmitude." That word and the word "dhimmi" need frequent repetition. Millions more people in Western countries need to understand that the trouble with Islam didn't happen 25 years ago with new Saudi oil money, or the Iranian revolution or Palestinian/Israeli issues. The Muslim conquests of many parts of the world throughout the centuries have brought death and destruction of people and cultures. And, it has brought dhimmitude. If only more people could listen to a modern day Jew's story of life in Morocco or a Hindu's story in modern Pakistan or a Christian's story in the southern Philippines, in the same interview. The point would be quickly made...the common thread for those three examples would be their life stories as miniorities in Islamic-dominated societies and the difficulties, discrimination and fear that they face as modern day dhimmis.
You go girl!
Mock those in the West trying to put a dhimmer switch on our freedoms.
Let the light of burning embassies and the roar of "Behead the cartoonists!" rise above the sound of the studious snoring going on in the main stream media.
More cartoons!
More riots!!
More marching maniacs!!!
Let Imperialistic Islam's mask fall for good.
Diana,
I sent you an email already but I would like to say it here. Nice article. We've spoken before when I was deployed but I really liked this piece from you.
In case anyone doesn't know, Diana is a regular columnist for www.townhall.com