As if we needed more proof

Nearly every day the news is filled with stories of how we infidels have offended the sensibilities of Muslims somewhere in the world.

Cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohamed were enough to cause recurring international riots that have resulted in scores of deaths and countless wounded.

Periodically by accident or design a copy of the Koran gets desecrated, and that too triggers an international convulsion of protests and violence.

The very presence of Jewish visitors to the Temple mount in Jerusalem (a city which isn't even mentioned in the Koran) is typically enough to cause violent riots.  And if one of those Jewish visitors should have the temerity to whisper a prayer while there, they are subject to instant ejection or even arrest for defiling the Muslim holy place.

We infidels have become so conditioned to walking on eggshells around Islamic sensibilities that our leaders seem to have pre-written apologies in their pockets, ready for just about any occasion so as to head off the inevitable rioting and carnage when one of us causes offense.

But few seem to mind that Islam doesn't share the same sense of responsibility to respect other religions, cultures and customs. 

Jewish Holy sites in Israel are routinely vandalized by Muslims, and the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives, in continuous use for 3000 years and containing more than 150,000 graves was systematically damaged by the Jordanians when it was in their control from 1948 - 1967, and has been under constant attack by Palestinian Arabs who break and steal headstones to this day. 

But it's not just Israel or Jewish shrines that bear the brunt of Islamic wrath.   Ask Buddhists in Afghanistan, Christians in Lebanon and Bahais in Iran whether their religious shrines, icons and customs are protected / respected.  Provided they aren't too terrified to respond, you are likely to get a terrifying picture of religious arrogance and cultural intolerance second to none!

Some of you may remember I wrote a few years ago about a volunteer project I was involved with to photograph the WWI Commonwealth Military cemetery in Beer Sheva for their online archives. Like all religious and cultural sites in Israel, this cemetery is lovingly maintained and treated with respect and reverence.

Sadly, there are similar cemeteries from both WWI and WWII throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa... lovingly maintained by the War Graves Commission to eternally honor the soldiers who fought in those wars.

The Palestinians in Gaza have repeatedly vandalized the British WWI Cemetery in Gaza, and now there is a video on YouTube of Muslims in Libya destroying Christian and Jewish soldier's graves in the Benghazi British WWII Military Cemetery there just this past week.

In short, it seems that nothing but Islam is sacred to Muslims. There's been no outcry following this kind of desecration, and certainly no apology will be forthcoming from any political or religious leaders for these unspeakable acts;   Just silence.

To anyone who is listening critically... that silence is deafening.