How Does One Measure Intolerance?

How Does One Measure Intolerance?

Submitted by Catfish on October 16, 2007 - 7:10pm. diversity | intolerance | Islam | Religion | tolerance

Earlier today I was reading a news story about the guy who drew the picture of Mohammad as a dog for the Swedish newspaper, and how his life has been changed forever, though he refuses to live in fear. As we all remember, when the picture showed up in the Swedish newspaper, it created a firestorm around the world by all Muslims because they supposedly have this thing which says that there can be no images drawn of their icon. Their way of handling it was to not only protest, but to put a death sentence on the head of this man.

Also, in the story, there is this mention of one relatively local Muslim woman who has threatened often to slit this man's throat because, she says, her religion allows it as a response to him insulting their god. She's been arrested a few times, but she continues, saying it's her right and duty to kill this man. After all, $100,000 is what the Muslims will pay to kill him, but if they slit his throat, they'll pay $150,000.

As this comes in the heels of the Salmon Rushdie thing from years ago, it really makes me wonder just who gets to claim the mantle of tolerance, the person who created the issue to begin with, or the people who supposedly were insulted. It's a strange question, because one has to wonder if everyone who doesn't believe in something is supposed to be responsible for knowing, then following, the tenets of that particular group or their laws. I mean, here in America, we would expect that if a person was Christian that they would follow the tenets of their religion, but to expect others to follow those same rules would be ridiculous. And, if someone in America had put a bounty on this guy's head and made it known, that person would have been thrown in jail faster than paint dries on a wall.

We can easily relate it to events that occurred on this very blog site some weeks ago, where differing ideas on a particular topic ended up bring about some of the most vociferous comments and attacks that I believe I've ever seen on any blogging site, and that takes a lot, I have to say. In the span of a few days, we got to see one kind of tolerance and intolerance that came to a successful resolution, or at least we thought it had, crumble into something that smacked of intolerance from an unknown minority that must have had its own agenda, which, in the long run, equates to the same thing that's going on now with this man that has a bounty on his head, only to a different degree.

So, how does one measure intolerance? How does one decide who's in the wrong or right, whose credibility is higher and at what point, and how to equate it to previous events to look for the best way to squelch such disagreements? And, of course, is one expected to treat someone else with special reverence when everyone else is open game, or is that something else that has to be measured also?

Not an easy question by any means; who's game to comment on it?

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I think intolerance is easy

Submitted by IntricateGirl on October 17, 2007 - 6:24am.

I think intolerance is easy to measure. Ignorance is more difficult.

In the case you quoted above, the guy HAD to have known that he was being intolerant. I mean, it just doesn't take a genius to figure out that drawing a holy figure as a dog would cause all hell to break loose. It's just plain common sense that it's not being very tolerant of other people's religion. I don't even care if it's a nice, sweet dog, it's still pretty inflammatory. But the case would be very different if he just drew a cartoon of Mohammad. Then you've got to sort out whether he knew he was doing wrong, or if it was done in ignorance.

Intolerance is not about catering to other people's wishes, and it isn't about giving up your own beliefs in the process. It's about looking at the other person, knowing that they are an otherwise reasonable person, and deciding that they must have a good reason for acting the way they do, even if you can't understand it. Let me give you a silly example. I HATE American Idol with a passion. I think it's a stupid show. I don't get why people find it interesting. But I realize that somewhere along the way, 28 million people decided that it's a good show. Now, I can't believe that many people have completely lost their minds, but that doesn't mean that I should drop everything and watch it too. It means that if I happen to be walking past an electronics store while it's on, I refrain from throwing a brick through the tvs and keep my mumbling to myself. :D

The root word is "tolerate". Not accept, not condone, not approve. Tolerate. I think even at this simple of a definition, the world has too hard a time with the concept.

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He knew, Intricate Girl,...

Submitted by Catfish on October 19, 2007 - 7:59pm.

and the newspaper had to know also, but they're just a different breed of tolerant, so to speak, in Sweden. In America, you know those same things have been drawn, but mainly be racist groups, and in their own publications. Why can't we get those who believe in Islam to put a bounty on the heads of white supremacists?

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Catfish it depends on the issue at hand for me

Submitted by Sassys on October 17, 2007 - 11:31am.

Sassys

I can be extremely intolerant, the older I get the less tolerance I have for fools. When one does something like "burn the flag" we are indeed very tolerant...we do NOT put a price on their heads...and as far as tolerance goes...what about "South Park?" They make fun of EVERYTHING. Some people need to step out of the dark ages and get a grip! That woman saying that she will "slit his throat"....she might get the money but her sorry ass will be spending it in jail...I guess it depends on the given circumstances. But like I said, if one is very stupid then one will eventually reap the big finger up the ass, sooner then later!

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I agree with IG

Submitted by spookyyank on October 18, 2007 - 4:16pm.

Salmon Rushdie aside, this man must have known he'd be held accountable. Am I saying the price on his head is acceptable? No. But, I can't help but to wonder if he did so knowing it would lead to this place and banking on it getting his name out to the world! Look at what being a hunted man did for Mr. Rushdie??? I don't believe for one second that he did not know that making Mohammad into a cartoon dog would lead to all kinds of badness! I had no idea that it is against their religious law to draw images of him at all. BUT, it's just fricken common sense not to EVER draw ANY God as a DOG!
Ask, Mr. Rushdie if he feels his book was worth living in hiding for years and he'll tell you no. Ask him if he regrets it, I'm sure he'll say no, too. Ask him if he backs this yahoo ~ I bet he says HELL NO!

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To tell you the truth, Spooky,...

Submitted by Catfish on October 19, 2007 - 7:54pm.

I don't know that he really expected it to cause the kinds of problems that it has. After all, this was Sweden, where they can pretty much get away with saying and doing almost anything as it pertains to the press. I mean, we in America like to talk about freedom of the press, but we have nothing compared to them. Sure, I think he realized he would cause a stir, but to what extent,... I doubt that he thought it would go so far.

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Could be, catfish

Submitted by spookyyank on October 20, 2007 - 1:13pm.

I'd at least hope in retrospect he'd look at it and think ~ "Hey, that was kinda stupid!".

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