Trying to discuss religously motivated violence these days nearly always follows the same tedious script of whataboutism. But what about…
Almost always, of course, the whataboutism of choice is something that conveniently bashes Christianity. Whatabout the Crusades? Whatabout the Inquisition?
As Malcolm Lambert points out, in Crusade and Jihad, the Crusades ended nearly a millennium ago. The most visibly continuing institution of the Crusades is the St John’s Ambulance service, not exactly an organisation noted for military violence.
Similarly, the Inquisition ended nearly 200 years ago – and its reputation for violence is grossly exaggerated in the public imagination. In its 500-year history, it accounted for at most 30,000 victims. A deplorable figure, to be sure, but it pales somewhat when you consider that nearly that many people die today in terrorist violence every year.
And by “terrorist violence”, 90 per cent of the time that means jihadism.
Jihadi violence like this…
Hundreds of protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in central Baghdad in the early hours of Thursday morning, scaling its walls and setting it on fire in fury against the expected burning of a Koran in Sweden.
Sydney Morning Herald
Thankfully, so far, no one seems to have been killed.
As a reporter from the AFP news agency observed on Thursday night, smoke rose from the building. Dozens took part in the demonstration organized by supporters of Shia leader Moqtada al-Sadr. “We didn’t wait until morning, we entered at dawn and set fire to the Swedish embassy,” said a young protester in Baghdad. He then called out the name of the influential Shia leader with “Moqtada”. The Iraqi riot police were deployed with numerous forces. Images on social media showed fire and plumes of smoke. Some of the groups withdrew again by morning […]
According to the Swedish embassy, the staff is “safe”.
Give it time. As we’ve seen depressingly often, violent backlashes against Koran burning, real or imagined, invariably lead to dozens, if not hundreds of deaths.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this grimly familiar rigmarole of Islamic violence is just who stoked it.
An Iraqi who fled to Sweden, who had already caused worldwide protests in June by publicly burning some pages from the Koran, apparently wants to light the fire again this Thursday […]
On Wednesday, the Swedish police approved a protest planned for Thursday in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm. As reported by the Swedish news agency TT, the organizers announced when the demonstration was registered that they wanted to burn Iraqi flags and a Koran. Swedish media reported that Iraqi Salwan Momika, who fled to Sweden, organized the demonstration […]
This has now led to angry protests in his former homeland, during which the Swedish embassy in Baghdad was stormed and set on fire.
Kronen Zeitung
Of course, the drearily familiar response to such incidents is but whatabout Christians?
Ok – what about Christians? When was the last time Christians rioted over a Bible desecration? When Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ was exhibited in Melbourne, two people slightly damaged it with a hammer – not “destroyed” it, as the Age hysterically claims – and even that was a quarter-century ago.
Meanwhile, devout Christian rock star Alice Cooper is friends with Bible-ripping rocker Marilyn Manson, despite professing to be “uncomfortable” with his desecrations.