And We are the bad guys!

I simply do not comprehend the reason a portion of the Muslim’s of the world feel a need to riot and murder whenever someone makes an innocent remark or publish a cartoon that references their religion.

The latest incident resulting from Pope Benedict XVI use of an inflammatory 14th Century quote on Islam and violence, Roman Catholics and Muslims alike said they fear the incident may damage the increasingly important dialogue between the two world faiths.

The incident prompted Al Qaeda in Iraq to promise a war on Christianity as well as violent protests which continued in Syria and Indonesia and all of this over a comment made in a speech that focused on the separation of faith and reason in Western society. The pope quoted from a conversation between a 14th Century Byzantine emperor—a Christian—and a "learned Persian" about the two faiths.

The emperor said: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." The emperor then argued that conversion by violence is unreasonable and therefore "contrary to God's nature."

Oh yes, of course I can see just why an entire ethnic spectrum of the world would riot and declare an open Crusade against Christianity. Of course this time it was words and not cartoons that led to the violence, heaven forbid if it had been another cartoon, it may have been a lot worse.

I grew up in a strict Irish Catholic home environment and lived in an Irish neighborhood where everyone knew one another and Saint Patrick’s Day was a national holiday. There were many times during my youth that I was the brunt of jokes and insults, both ethnic and religious and try as I might I cannot think of one moment that I ever incited a riot. Yes, there were those rare occasions when I may have popped the guy in the mouth, but they seldom occurred unless that was the person’s intent in from the start.

I cannot ever think of one moment that my neighborhood ever banded together and rioted over a callous remark or insult or for that matter declared war on someone. To be quite honest, the only fighting ever done in my neighborhood was in the local bar over one too many Guinness, (My hand is over my heart as I type that word).

We do have to remember amongst all of this hoopla that we are the bad guys. Darn I feel bad being the bad guy all of the time.