Cartoon Rage

In the past America had 'road rage' - drivers getting so angry on the highway that they shot and killed each other. I remember the scenes: one car cuts another off a second car. The 2nd driver is so mad - enraged - that he pulls out a gun and blasts the 1st car. Too many people died. Now, the 1st driver was wrong. But, was he so wrong that the 2nd driver kills him? Hey, if we lived that way here in Morocco and people had guns, there would be thousands of dead people!

Now the world has 'cartoon rage' - cartoons mocking the prophet Muhamed. Yes, it is wrong and rude to mock other religions and religious figures. People get upset and enraged. But, does that give license to kill and destroy, boycott and riot? Is that something to start a war over?

In the Old Testament [Taurat], the Law of Moses limited revenge. If someone did a bad thing to you, you were limited to respond in kind, but only that much, and not more. It was called, "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." If we applied this principle in this case of mocking cartoons, then Muslims could draw their own cartoons mocking other religions. No more than that. That is the meaning of the Mosaic Law of "an eye for an eye."

Now, i ask, if Muslims hate others mocking the prophet Muhamed or Islam, they should refrain from mocking others. What i do know is that there are plenty of anti-Jewish cartoons and hate messages in the Arab media. So, who are the ones who hate others but hate to receive mockery?

Believe me, i am for peace. I want to be a peacemaker. My Lord is a Man of Peace. But, what i see around me in the world is hatred, violence, revenge, and war. Where is peace? Are people who get enraged, kill and murder people of peace? I see hypocrisy.

The Holy Scripture says to pray for peace. I do. It says to live at peace with everyone as much as I can. This i try to do. Can we all get along? It does not appear to be so in this fallen world. Too much fear and hatred. Too many blind leaders leading blind people. This concerns me.