The West Begins to Find Its Voice Against the Orcs

In the battle of media imagery, the Islamists are the clear winners -- by default. Their demonstrations bristle with placards threatening bloody mayhem on the West. I take them seriously. By contrast, the West has remained mostly supine, relentlessly self-flagellating and fearful of being branded racists or imperialists for defending the truths we hold to be self-evident.

I've always wondered, when will the people of the West (and those who live by Western values) raise their voices to defend free speech, the rights of the individual, women, real tolerance, free enterprise, and other fruits of the past 250 years? Cartoons spoofing Mohammed, while a brave example of free expression, are not enough.

The West is beginning to find its voice and speak up against the Orcs. Evidence of a forceful, unapologetic Western response is becoming visible. Finally.

The first kudo goes to psychatrist Pat Santy, who blogs under the name Dr. Sanity. Santy created a simple placard, text against a yellow background, responding to an Islamist poster in New York. Another blogger photoshopped her text and came up with this:


This is important, because visuals count in our media age. Groups like Protest Warrior know this and have created signs that drive leftists completely batty (I know, since I joined PW at the August 29, 2004 counter-protest at the NY anti-war rally and saw the kind of frothing rage PW signs provoke in closed-minded individuals). In the face of an insane opponent, sharply worded and aggressive pro-Western statements are sure to provoke sputtering rage.

More evidence of the West, rising:

1. Writer Christopher Hitchens organized a rally held today in support of Denmark in Washington, D.C., which attracted about 200 protesters. The posters were mild, but they made the point that Americans are supporting the Danes. Here's one group of pictures, and here's another group that gives an inkling of a delightful twist on protest posters: note "Submit to Havarti" and "Kierkegaard Rules," as well as the Lego themes.

The Washington event inspired a one-man demonstration of "sammenhold" (solidarity) at the Danish consulate in Boston, as shown here.

2. Even as a write this, I'm getting emails from Protest Warriors about organizing a pro-Denmark rally in New York this weekend. Although I've only attended one PW event, I've always admired the group's aggressive, in-your-face approach, although I think PW could use some fresh posters.

3. In Australia, federal treasurer Peter Costell had these pithy comments, as quoted on the Cybercast News Service:

Australian Muslims already unhappy with Prime Minister John Howard's criticism about Islamic radicalism are bristling at even tougher comments from the man likely to succeed him, who says any Muslim immigrant who can't accept Australian values should leave.

Anyone wanting to live under Islamic law (shari'a) might feel more comfortable living in countries where it is applied, such as Saudi Arabia or Iran, federal Treasurer Peter Costello said in an address to the Sydney Institute, a think tank.

In a pledge of allegiance, immigrants taking on Australian citizenship declare: "I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people, whose democratic beliefs I share, whose rights and liberties I respect and whose laws I will uphold and obey."

Costello said that anyone "who does not acknowledge the supremacy of civil law laid down by democratic processes cannot truthfully take the pledge of allegiance. As such they do not meet the pre-condition for citizenship."

Any Muslim planning to immigrate to Australia should first consider its values.

Good on ya, Peter!

4. In a most encouraging development, demonstrations are planned for March 4 in Madrid and March 25 in London. Two Londoners who blog under the name Voltaire are planning a March for Free Expression. Voltaire's site has a clear statement of principle that frames the contrast between the West and its attackers in exactly the right terms:

The strength and survival of free society and the advance of human knowledge depend on the free exchange of ideas. All ideas are capable of giving offence, and some of the most powerful ideas in human history, such as those of Galileo and Darwin, have given profound religious offence in their time. The free exchange of ideas depends on freedom of expression and this includes the right to criticise and mock. We assert and uphold the right of freedom of expression and call on our elected representatives to do the same. We abhor the fact that people throughout the world live under mortal threat simply for expressing ideas and we call on our elected representatives to protect them from attack and not to give comfort to the forces of intolerance that besiege them.

And so begins, slowly, the rise of a Western voice against the madness.