Two years ago I got the idea for knit for peace when a Danish newspaper published caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad and a number of Muslims reacted violently. What I saw was a fundamental lack of respect, on both sides, of deeply cherished values. For Muslims, the portrayal of their Prophet, both the portrayal itself and, to add insult to injury, his portrayal as a force for violence, was horrifying. Equal horrifying for Northern Europeans was the idea that a newspaper could not freely criticize whatever it chose to criticize; freedom of speech is perhaps the most cherished fruit of the Euro-American tree.
And now the same Danish newspaper, as well as a number of others and a Swedish newspaper, have republished one of the cartoons as a show of support for the cartoonist, who has received death threats. (This link is to an article from the BBC, not to the image of the cartoons.) And there are new demonstrations. On the one hand, I understand the newspaper not wishing to bow to pressure to stifle freedom of speech. It is of paramount importance in a democracy. But all those intelligent and articulate people working at a newspaper, couldn’t they come up with a more creative way of doing it than knowingly insulting that which is of paramount importance to over a billion people? Even if the insult took on unexpected proportions the first time, perhaps (if I put on my most rose-colored glasses) they didn’t expect such insult to be taken. But to publish one of the images a second time was to just pick a fight.
And so I’ll knit for peace this year, hoping that all those who choose to live on either side of the Avenue of Discord, choose one at a time and all together, to change the name of their street to Peace Boulevard.
I still haven’t decided what I’ll be knitting come March 21. Right now, I’m knitting a new pair of mittens, specially designed to keep my hands warm while walking the dog, with slits and flaps to make it both easy and comfortable to walk her when the wind blows in from the Russian steppes. They’re blue and gray, in wonderful Mojärv garn. Hopefully they’ll be done long before March 21.
Welcome, Bend Oregon, to the map!
