Worldcrunch
Until the Enlightenment, smiling and showing teeth was not fashionable — or socially acceptable — in a Europe where dental health had not yet become widespread. But then the perception of smiles changed, shifting from a serious demeanor to an embrace of open expressions.
Where the French Revolution took place, religious terror now haunts the streets. Today’s voices of free speech must turn to state authority to feel secure. What we need to do now.
Yes, it’s a minority, but too many Muslims offer religious justification for violence and subjugation – and we must be free to criticize Islam’s dark side without being branded Islamophobes.