Dear Chaudry Sahib,

Confusing apples with oranges may be excusable in certain situations, for the size and the shape of the two fruits may be similar, and in some varieties even the color of the two may be somewhat similar. But confusing apples with onions certainly points to a problem of eyesight.

Your comparison of the current French riots and the recent Muslim riots over the Danish cartoons is not a valid comparison. Mr. Ahsan Khan has already answered your question in his post # 70 pointing out that the French riots have nothing to do with any religion and therefore are not labeled as Christian riots while the riots over the issue of the Danish cartoons were called Muslim riots because they were carried out by Muslims in the name of Islam.

It seems to me that our arguments in the ongoing discussion on Muslim Sensibilities and Freedom of Speech have started moving in a circular fashion going back to same point again and again. It reminds me of an old song from our college days, which some of you might also be familiar with. It is an argument between a man named Henry and woman named Lisa (pronounced Lyza). The song goes like this:

There's a hole in the bucket, dear Lisa, dear Lisa
A hole

Go fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
Fix it.

With what shall I fix it, dear Lisa, dear Lisa
With what?

With a straw dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
With a straw

But the straw is too long, dear Lisa, dear Lisa
The straw is too long

Cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
Cut it !

With what shall I cut it, dear Lisa, dear Lisa
With what ?

With an axe, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
With an axe

The axe is too dull, dear Lisa, dear Lisa
The axe is too dull

Sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
Sharpen it,

On what shall I sharpen it, dear Lisa dear Lisa
On what ?

On a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
On a stone,

But the stone is too dry, dear Lisa, dear Lisa
The stone is too dry,

Well wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
Well wet it !

With what shall I wet it, dear Lisa, dear Lisa
With what ?

Try water, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
Try water,

In what shall I fetch it, dear Lisa, dear Lisa
In what ?
In a bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry
In a bucket !
(but...but..)
There's a hole in the bucket, dear Lisa, dear Lisa
There's a hole ….

Aziz Ahmad
New York
March 23, 2006