Small mercies

Ali Al-Ahmed (a Saudi Muslim) has a nice piece in Opinionjournal on 'the desecrations'. The gist of his article is that

If Muslims wish other religions to respect their beliefs and their Holy book, they should lead by example.

He has a lot of valid points, but there's one thing that bugs me about his otherwise valiant and no doubt sincere attempt to show another, very different reaction to the Newsweek-ignited non-scandal: He essentially blames the Saudi's for everything that happened after Muslims worldwide were told the Koran gets flushed down the toilet in Guantanamo.

Now I'm the first to blame the Saudi's for everyhing that goes wrong on this planet, including world hunger, global warming (well, that really IS their fault, isn't it?), AIDS and what have you. Seriously, the Saudi's are a wretched bunch of creatures.

But the massacres in the name of indignation over the supposed 'desecrations' took place in Afghanistan. Clearly they're as psychotic over there as they are in Saudi.

It is however the only point I take issue with. Reading the piece was otherwise a hope-inspiring exercise. I invite you to read it too. You'll be so much wiser about what religious intolerance and disrespect really entails.