Islam Today

The shooting deaths of 10 journalists and 2 policemen in Paris today appears to be an attack by Islamic terrorists against one of the most prized and necessary parts of the democratic process, the freedom of the press.  Why?

In the Czech Republic a Member of Parliament urged Czechs to walk their pigs near Mosques.  That was two weeks ago.  

Sweden has seen an increasing number of fires set on mosques and a rapid growth of an extreme right Democrat Party.  That was last week.

This follows on the heels of significant demonstrations in Germany against what they call “The Islamisation of Europe”.  The German people responded to the 20,000 demonstration with a counter-demonstration by some 30,000 Germans against the anti-Islam march.  But that was two days ago.

France had had mounting demonstrations against Islam also.  Nothing serious yet.  But that was yesterday. 

Granted, the depictions in the French newspaper, “Charlie Hebdo”, apparently went way too far.  Perhaps they represented the old concept of using a right, in this case the right  of the free press, “as a sword instead of a shield”.   Nonetheless, what happened today in Paris is a significant event which will have serious repercussions.    

In a very large part this event represents what can happen when a religion – ANY religion – runs out of control and is responsive only to one of its extreme fringe elements.