Islam vs. the World

This is the first of what I hope will be many posts on the radicalism seen in the Muslim world today.

Today an Austalian news company ran a report of new photos of the Abu Gharib abuse scandal, and according to the report on MSN, the Muslim world in once again "inflamed". In fact, here is a quote from the report:

“This is truly American ugliness that no other country in the world can compete with,” Yemeni journalist Saleh al-Humaidi told Reuters.“The Americans ought to apologize to mankind for their government’s lie to the world that it is fighting for freedom and that it came to Iraq to save it from Saddam Hussein’s oppression,” he said.

Now surely what happened at Abu Gharib is indefensible on all fronts. The man responsible, Army Spec. Charles Graner, has been tried and convicted and is now serving 10 years in prison for his atrocities. Justice has been served.

But how can this be "ugliness that no other country in the world compete with"? So Saddam's gassing of the Kurds in northern Iraq is not ugly? So the children walking to school this morning that were killed by a terrorists' bomb in Iraq this morning is not ugly? So the genocide that occurred in the Sudan and Somalia is not ugly? So the killing of thousands at the world trade center is not ugly? So the Yemini bombing of the USS Cole is not ugly?

The statement, from a Muslim, condemns the US on a political level for something that is more a result of his personal hatred and intolerance, something that his culture and many in his faith feel is defensible in their twisted, self-righteous, bigoted way of thinking if it occurs by their hands or is according to their "purpose". If they kill people, it is ok; if we torture people, it is the extreme in "ugliness".

Sounds to me like the pot is calling the kettle black, Mr. al-Humaidi. Police yourself and establish some sort of tolerance for views that are other than your own and maybe you can have some credibility with your comments.