This cartoon was posted one year ago during the height of the "cartoon jihad." And while the scene depicted in the cartoon is still far from a reality, there are people taking some important first steps:
The Secular Islam Summit will be held in St. Petersburg, Fla., on March 4-5. Speakers include notable experts Ibn Warraq, Walid Phares, Amir Taheri, Nonie Darwish, and Irshad Manji, among many others. From the press release:
Where are the secular voices of the Muslim world? Until now, they have been largely stifled and silenced. Now, bold critics of orthodoxy are calling for sweeping reforms from inside Muslim societies. With the intent of catalyzing a global movement for reason, humanist values, and freedom of conscience, delegates from Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Bangladesh will assemble March 4-5 in St. Petersburg, Florida for an unprecedented Secular Islam Summit (see www.secularislam.org).According the chair of the meeting, the rationalist critic of Islam and acclaimed author Ibn Warraq, "What we need now is an Age of Enlightenment in the Islamic world, of the Islamic mind-set or worldview. Without critical examination of Islam, it will remain unassailed in its dogmatic, fanatical, medieval fortress; ossified, totalitarian and intolerant. It will continue to stifle thought, human rights, individuality; originality and truth."
Said one summit delegate, Irshad Manji, author of The Trouble with Islam Today, "This summit is proof positive that reform-minded Muslims are creating a movement. We no longer exist in isolation. Those who hate our message of free thought in Islam will keep trying to pick us off individually, but collectively we're not going anywhere except forward."
Glenn Beck along with others in the media will be covering the conference, which is being held in conjunction with The Intelligence Summit.
Hats off to our friend Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi who has helped organize this important event.
(The cartoon was originally posted on February, 2006, and is one of over 400 illustrations you'll find in our latest book Black & White World III, which can be ordered via Cox & Forkum, The Steyn Store, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.)
Posted by Forkum at February 14, 2007 07:36 PM
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