The World Is Upside Down:  Why It’s Okay to Insult, Criticize, Mock, Satirize Christianity but Not Islam - Watch Out Charlie Hebdo

By Anna Clairveaux-Devereaux

There are many things in the world today that have been flipped upside down.  It’s as if a large scale shake-up is occurring where the way the world operates today is opposite of how it has operated in the past.  This departure often makes no logical sense and is not a good trend.

For example, the terrorist attack in France on January 7, 2015, which took the life of several people who worked at the satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, illustrates this. Some have blamed the journalists there stating they should not have printed what they did.  In other words, they brought it on themselves. What?!

This is upside down thinking and defies logic.  Free speech includes freedom of the press or maybe to those who criticized the newspaper this freedom only applies to those who insult, criticize, mock, and satirize Christianity.  

It seems that double standards abound when it comes to Christianity.  Criticize, mock, and do what you will if Christianity is involved but Islam is off limits.  Those espousing this double standard often blame the victim(s) for publishing something “insulting” to Muslims.  Yet, anyone can “insult” Christianity with impunity. 

Take for example, Andres Serrano’s 1989 “master piece”, “Piss Christ” where the “artist” submerged a crucifix in his own urine, took a photograph and then had it displayed at the Stux Art Museum in New York.  He received money from the tax-payer funded, National Endowment for the Arts for his “art”.  While there were some outcries from the public and important figures in the church, this “art” has continued to be shown as if it’s just another day, so let’s move on, ho hum.  Interestingly, Christians didn’t form vigilante mobs to bomb and burn down the art museum for displaying Serrano’s work. Neither was Serrano or anyone else maimed or murdered.  This is in stark contrast to what happened at the newspaper attack in France. 

In 2012, Serrano’s “art” was due to appear in the Edward Tyler Nahem Gallery in Manhattan and many groups as well as Rep. Michael Grimm (R, C-NY) wanted to know why President Obama was silent on this matter but was okay speaking out against the low budget movie “Innocence of Muslims” that sparked violent and deadly clashes across the globe.  In case you don’t remember, this is the film that the White House said caused our Consulate in Libya to be attacked, burned, and gutted while our Ambassador, Chris Stevens and several others were killed by rampaging Muslims who were inflamed by that film. 

What is particularly outrageous about this and unfortunate at the same time is the obvious hypocrisy, double standards, and cowardice exhibited by our elected officials as well as the media.  The AP took down photos of Serrano’s work only after the heinous terrorist attack in France on the Charlie Hebdo paper.  Why not take it down before this attack if your policy is not to publish “deliberately provocative images” as they are quoted as saying? Or even better - don’t publish such sacrilegious works masquerading as art.

The reason given by AP for taking Serrano’s work down now is that they reviewed their policies which have changed since 1989.  How very convenient to have reviewed their policies at that particular point in time.  


Read more here: ( http://www.gospelherald.com/articles/53925/20150109/ap-removes-piss-christ-photo-from-website-following-charlie-hebdo-attacks.htm)

The sudden removal of Serrano’s work after complaints of hypocrisy and the attack in France indicates that the double standard in the Media, in Washington, and among the “elites” is the Modus Operandi when it comes to Christianity. Red carpet treatment and kid gloves is reserved for Islam and other “pet” topics and causes the Media, Washington, and other “elites” hold dear.

Buckle up, not only are we living in an upside down world, we are in for something much worse than a bumpy ride.  Once you capitulate on important freedoms such as free speech, and freedom of the press, you have already agreed to self-censor and it’s only a short ride to more onerous limitations.

Those onerous limitations will not involve self-censoring but will eventually be censoring mandated by the “elites” steering our nation.  But I apologize for using the word “nation” because in “elite circles” the word is considered bigoted, passé, and so old school, especially if you're a "global citizen".

 

Politics as Usual Or Should We Connect Some Dots?

Netanyahu won the election in Israel but now what?  Remember, Obama sent personnel and monetary support to Netanyahu’s opponent, Mr. Herzog and it just didn’t work out the way he had hoped - with a Netanyahu defeat. (see article here: http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/2015/03/18/netanyahu-to-remain-in-office-despite-obama-linked-efforts/)

Why would an American President send personnel and money to the opponent of Netanyahu?  Maybe because Obama sees Netanyahu as a hindrance to the changes he would like to see in the Middle East. Perhaps Obama holds similar views as several leaders in that region do about Israel and what should be done regarding Israel.

Netanyahu is committed to the security and defense of his country which is surrounded by countries that are hostile to it and some like Iran have said they want to wipe Israel off the map. Netanyahu’s political opponents do not seem to hold such strong views with regard to defense and security.

Then there’s the World Net Daily story where a spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority’s Fatah Party had credible information regarding a move by the Obama Administration to ascertain the viability of getting a U.N. resolution, backed by the Security Council, which would revisit the creation of a Palestinian state. (see article here:  http://www.wnd.com/2015/03/palestinians-confirm-u-s-studying-abandoning-israel-at-u-n/)

Also, we must not forget the little, teeny-tiny problem of Iran and their centrifuges that are supposedly to be used for “energy” but could also be weaponized and used as a nuclear bomb. Obama isn’t rushing to stop them and appears to be stalling or worse in order to give them time to develop a lethal nuke.  (see article here:  https://hotair.com/archives/2015/03/19/ap-confirms-u-s-nuke-deal-to-allow-iran-6000-centrifuges-for-continued-uranium-enrichment/)  and here: (http://bigstory.ap.org/article/4c7ad2158ed944579dc1e7ed6c550899/ap-exclusive-iran-limited-6k-centrifuges-draft-accord) and here (http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/03/26/us-may-let-tehran-run-hundreds-centrifuges-at-once-secret-underground-bunker/?intcmp=latestnews)

 Sane people who are paying attention are wondering, “Will any trustworthy entity be inspecting Iran’s facilities to see if they are telling the truth about using the centrifuges ONLY for energy?”

Then think about what Iran has stated publicly about wanting to wipe Israel off the map and referring to America as the great satan and Israel as the little satan.

To all of the aforementioned one should add the following:  Over the years some people have espoused the idea that Iran would like to set off a nuclear device so that America’s power grid would be destroyed by an electromagnetic pulse (EMP).  This idea has been confirmed by officials in the U.S. when a secret Iranian handbook used by their military was translated by U.S. defense analysts. In the handbook top Iranian military officials gave their approval for this type of action against the U.S. (read article here:  http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/iran-endorses-nuclear-emp-attack-on-u.s./article/2561733 )

Given these simple examples above that have been gleaned from the news let us “connect the dots” before something happens as did on September 11^th.  Israel’s people have to face attacks all the time while the U.S. has not had to do the same, yet.

Letting Iran continue with nuclear activity as shown by recent news stories is imprudent and more, but most important, it endangers the lives of people not only in Israel but the United States and any others who would raise the ire of Iran.

Thomas Sowell said it best in a recent article when he remembered that Winston Churchill was laughed at and ignored for trying to warn the British about how dangerous Hitler was. So when Netanyahu spoke to a joint session of Congress to warn us about the dangers of a nuclear armed Iran, the Administration basically turned a deaf ear to him.

In the article Sowell pointed out that a State Department official from the Obama Administration actually believed we have remained safe from nuclear attack due to the various treaties and laws we have entered into rather than the deterrent effect that our nuclear arsenal has on those who may want to nuke us.

Sowell was spot on when he pointed out that “(i)f ‘treaties, laws and agreements’ produced peace, there would never have been a Second World War. The years leading up to that monumental catastrophe were filled with international treaties and arms control agreements.” (read article here: http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell031715.php3)


So it seems we are taking the same path that prior peaceniks and disarmament advocates have taken, only the Obama Administration has added a new twist which is to stand back and do nothing while the world burns, and while we’re at it, give Iran nuclear weapon capability too.
I only hope that someone in our government connects the dots this time but before it’s too late.

 

 

 

 

There seems to be confusion and anarchy around the world. 

For example:  On 03-02-15, Raymond Ibrahim, in an article posted at pravoslavie.ru, noted that Hussein bin Mahmoud called for all Christian churches in Cairo to be destroyed.  According to the article, Hussein bin Mahmoud is an Islamic State jurist of Sharia law who cited the fatwas of medieval jurist, Ibn Taymiyya in support of his recent article calling for the same. Also cited in support of his article, Ibn Qayyim, another jurist  (see article at:  http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/77636.htm# ).

 

But there’s more:



According to another article at the pravoslavie.ru website, while Egyptian Christians are being persecuted and their churches and monasteries are being destroyed, there are at least 129 more countries where Christians face persecution as well.  This figure was from a 2013 report produced by the German Evangelical Church.  Also mentioned in the report is the fact that Christianity’s birthplace was the Middle East.  Unfortunately, the Christian population has declined to approximately four to five percent while once thought to be approximately 20 percent just 100 years ago. 


There doesn't seem to be any unified effort to stop the persecution.  Even the beheadings of the 21 Coptic Orthodox Christians recently did not stir up any substantive actions on the part of the world.


Thus, anarchy is alive and well and that's only with regard to this topic.  Politics and culture are another can of worms to be opened on another day.