Karen Armstrong, the British theologian and author of numerous books on the great religions, has advanced the theory that fundamentalist religion is a response to and product of modern culture. A Catholic nun for seven years, she left her order while studying at Oxford University. She is one of the 18 leading group members of the Alliance of Civilizations, an initiative of the former UN General Secretary Kofi Annan, with the purpose of fighting extremism and furthering dialogue between the Western and Islamic worlds. Andrea Bistrich interviewed her for Share International.
Muslim-Bashing and the Power of Cartoons (tags)
Back in the late 19th century, the political cartoonist, Thomas Nast, in NYC’s “Harper’s Weekly,” viciously attacked Catholics, the Irish and the Vatican. He crossed the line with those caricatures. The same can be said about the Danish authors of the 12 cartoons vilifying the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the revered founder of Islam. The demonizing was, in effect, an attack on all of the Muslim faithful. The parties responsible should offer an apology.