France vs Islam: The right to be offended (Interview)

Peter, and Alan Craig from the 'Hearts of Oak' program interviewed Jay on Monday, November 2nd concerning the killings in France over the 'Charlie Hebdo' cartoons in the last few weeks, and the reaction both by the French government to those killings, as well as the adverse reaction by Muslims all over the world against the strong hand the French were taking concerning those killings. Peter and Alan asked Jay why these killings were happening, and why the Muslims were so upset with the strong response by the French government, who in the past have tended to say nothing, and do even less? Jay responded that these killings by Muslims against completely innocent people can only be explained by going back to the very sources of Islam, both the Qur'an and the biography of Muhammad. It is there, he says, that you will find injunctions to kill anyone who opposes Allah and his apostle, until there is no more unbelief in the land (Surah 8:39); to cut off the head of the unbelievers (Surah 47:4), and to make war on the 'people of the Book' (i.e. Christians and Jews, Surah 9:29). But it is the biography of Muhammad himself where you find a specific model of what Muslims must do to anyone who mocks the prophet. This can be found in the story of Asma bint Marwan, the poetess living in Medina, who wrote poetic verses against Muhammad when he fist moved there in 622 AD, and he had one of his disciples go and plunge a knife through her chest to shut her up; and when it was done commended him for defending his prophet. With that kind of authority and model to follow, it is no wonder that Muslims all over the West are now attacking anyone who mocks the prophet, or the Qur'an. So, we should not be surprised that Muslims will continue to stop any criticism, or mockery of their prophet, or of their Qur'an. One can now now understand why Hatun has been hated so much over the past few months, due to her resolute confrontation concerning the 'preservation of the Qur'an', and her support for the 'Charlie Hebdo' cartoons which mocked the prophet. Yet, if Muslims continue to come to the West, and choose to live here, then they are going to have to adhere to the Judeo-Christian principles of the West, which stipulate clearly that anyone can be questioned, criticized, and yet even mocked or offended, especially if they are authorities of groups or of faiths. Jesus was criticized, mocked and offended constantly during his lifetime, and when his disciples tried to defend him using a sword in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus wouldn't even let them do it, because Jesus does not need that kind of defense. Jesus stands up to every criticism, every mockery, and can not ever be offended. Therefore, isn't he the better model and the better paradigm to follow? Hearts of Oak YouTube site: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy7r6GYTGA1gpHEZfqnscQA © Pfander Centre for Apologetics - US, 2020 (41,190) (Music: "small adventure", by Rafael Krux, from filmmusic-io - License CC BY)