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ROGER THORNHILL



Monday, September 18, 2006

"I have no quarrel with you, good Sir Knight, but I must cross this bridge."

Just watching a typically shallow and misleading report on Nightline, which remains barely an incense ash of its former self. (Actually, as I suggested here, such metaphors flatter the show.) I wonder if anyone involved in reporting the story took the trouble to actually read the Pope's remarks before going on about what a misstep this was, how he has a lot to learn about being Pope, how his response "fell short of a mea culpa" (with no examination of whether any "culpa" even should be assigned given the context of the remarks), etc.

The fact of the matter is, he was using the quote in question to set up what he was talking about in his speech, as speakers often use "interesting" quotations. Moreover and, again, if you bother to read the remarks, it's clear that he was distancing himself from the part of the quote that has caused such difficulty.

Why is it that there is such an impulse in parts of the non-Islamic West, including mainstream media, to concede to the "Arab Street" ("Muslim Street" seems a better term this time) its misinformed, mullah-whipped impressions of what is actually happening and being said in western countries? Doesn't it seem more that a little patronizing to imagine it's always necessary to pander to the wrong opinions of certain groups of people instead of trying to change them by marshaling facts and reasoned arguments? How about treating the people who misinterpret the Pope's remarks, or seize on them, the way we would treat any other adults who misunderstand something, or who disagree with something? Is it really just too impractical and counterproductive to address those from other cultures who misunderstand or disagree with us—or ascribe malice where there is none—with as much self-confidence and respect as we would show in a conversation with an intelligent twelve-year-old? I'm not suggesting they'll listen to reason, mind you, and if they don't about some things they might end up, deservedly, like the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but at least Arthur treated the Black Knight honorably and with respect. (Clarification: by "end up" I really mean metaphorically end up.)

This episode does make me want to take a deeper look at those claims that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad didn't actually say something that was best interpreted as "Israel must be wiped off the face of the earth" or whatever it was. If those remarks were reported at the same slight level of detail as the Pope's speech, it's easy to imagine something was taken out of context. I doubt it, but not because I have any faith that mainstream media in the U.S. did not overdistill what he actually said.

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