Satiric Muhammed drawings and boycotts

[chingu]

Perhaps it was tasteless and lacked a certain amount of class, but the Danish papers had every right to publish what they did. They had a message, and they wanted to get it across to others, even if how they chose to do so wasn't in the best sense. But then again, the message probably would've lost its intended flavor if it was.

In the second place, Muslims have every right to be pissed and outraged about it. This is an attack against a very important belief system of theirs, and anyone in the same position would probably be just as angry. But how they chose to respond to it wasn't in the best sense, either. The world has changed, and it's not going to wait for anyone, so if they want to keep up they're just going to have to learn to adjust with everyone else. While they don't have to change how they feel, they'd better damn well change how they reflect it. People have become much more independently minded since way back when, so throwing a tantrum really isn't going to help. If anything, it'll just make people dig in their heels even deeper. That's just common sense, no matter what your culture or religion is.

Aside from that, comparing a pin prick to a knife stabbing and then saying they're the same thing isn't go to help further any argument.

[Fenix]

Have to disagree with you destiny81.

The danish newspaper posted it as an experiment. They still did something morally wrong, but they didn't want to offend anyone.

The muslims had their rights to be angry, yes, but not resorting to violence.

That their rage is still going on is what is wrong. The newspaper said they didn't want to offend anyone and apologized for their actions. The thing is sorted out.

Now muslims have no right to be angry. You can't blame a person if he unintentionally did something which offended you and he has already said he didn't mean it that way.

The continuing uproar has nothing to do with the drawings, this is something that sticks deeper.

Click me - an interview with the editor from the newspaper

Click me - The editors dilemma

Click me - the story behind the drawings

Click me - A chronology of the happenings

Read these and the letter to all muslims (posted earlier) before commenting the situation. This should more or less give you an idea of the situation.
_________________
"It is also paradox that the earth moves round the sun, and that water consists of two highly inflammable gases. Scientific truth is always paradox, if judged by every-day experience, which catches only the delusive appearance of things."
-Karl Marx

[Destiny81]

after reading the interview part with the editor, i found out that the dannish newspaper editor has decided continue to go ahead with the publication of the prophet muhammad even there several journalist has strongly advised the editor not to published it.

and it was clearly that the editor is trying to test the muslim feeling even he know that it would offend the muslims around the world!

about the muslims uproar upon the published images of the prophet around the world, yes it was wrong to protest in that kind manner but if u are in their shoes/situations wouldn't u might be mocking the person who published the cartoons?

you are already in rage, so when u are in rage there nothing can stop u.

imagine that ur Lord Jesus cartoons is in the paper in funny drawing and u saw it what would happened next? wouldn't u would be angry about that?
_________________

[Fenix]

[orangensaft]

what the "muslims" in arabia and the other countries are doing like burning some cars and embassys got nothing to do with the islam. i am a muslim so i know what i talk about. there are a many muslims like my self who know what it is to be a muslim and what the true meaning of islam is. its a little bit to complicated for me to explain everything in english, but what i can say is that it´s sad to see some "muslims" doing such bad things. if you have any questions about islam or about such stuff ask me : )

[kmc]

a few drawings on prophet muhammad and look what happened. well, that's what happens if you mess around with sensitive issues.

First of all, i would like to stress out that i am a muslim myself. I come from malaysia, and here the press are also following the events happening around the world concerning on the drawings. I saw the pictures myself, and i should say that as a muslim i am truely offended. In islam we are told to respect our god, Allah, and his mesengers, in which prophet Muhammad is the last and also the leader of all prophets. That is why we don't draw any pictures of our god and prophets. We are not only told to respect them but also other religions, incuding christians and jews. In fact, during the time of prophet Muhammad, Muslims and jews lived together under the first islamic country in the world, which is Madinah. Jews ARE allowed to practice their beliefs as a citizen of the country, and they are also given protections as citizens.

september 11th 2001 saw the spark of a new hatred, in which muslims were blamed to for the destruction of the twin towers and the pentagon. Since then we muslims are labelled as terrorist, blood-thirsty people, people who only think of blowing up people along with themselves. Muslims ARE being oppressed around the world. Without any clear evidence, muslims are blamed for the september 11th event and muslim countries such as afghanistan and iraq are attacked in the name of "war against terror". Israel continues to oppress the people of palestine and chase them out of their own country, and rebellions, freedoms fighters among palestinians are called terrorist, despite the fact that israel itself was form by a group of jewish terrorist who attack and killed palestinians before stealing their soil. and the west are supporting them instead of the palestinians. All this are among reasons muslims are angry.

and then there's this caricature issue. Some of you which posted here said that they're not funny. Well, they are not hilarious, but they are downright outrageously offending! The cartoos showed prophet Muhammad as a terrorist, as an idiot, as the devil,as a pig! how could muslims see those picture and NOT be mad? Won't any of you guys be mad if someone said something bad about your mother? Countries like Indonesia, palestine, Afghanistan, and recently Libya had protested, some violently, not because they like to show how violent they are, but because their sensitivity has been touched. The most respected person in Islam has been degraded, mocked around, and be made as a fool.

In malaysia they are still no protest. A few newspapers published the pictures, saying that the don't spark any religious riots, stating that malaysian muslims are not that sensitive. All of the newspapers are now being suspended, the writers of the articles fired, and some of the newspapers may not be published again ever.

I must say that we muslims do not agree with all those violent demonstration. Islam itself means "Ad-dean", peace. Most muslims are against the Al-Qaeda network, they do not show the true form of a muslim. Their members,as a study had shown, do not completely understand Islam,or the true meaning of Jihad.We muslims condemn violence, so having people killed over this issue is irrational. But we do wish to be respected, as we respect other religions. being a muslim doesn't automatically makes someone a terrorist, as being a christian doesn't automatically makes someone a Klu Klux Klan. Freedom of the press, freedom of speech doesn't mean it's ok to be mocking other religion to their hearts content. Christians should fell offended when they are drawings making fun of Jesus. (Yes, Jesus is one of our prophet, but the story about him is different in the quran from the one in the bible. Not going to elaborate more so not to offend christians. respect to other religions, remember?)

So to concluded, i would like to stress that we muslims do not support any violence over the caricature issue, or any bombings and terrorist activities aorund the globe. but we strongly dislike being made fun of. Please. respect our religion. Mutual respect. the key to peace anywhere around the world.

[Kaiser]

What we're seeing in western news here is:

1) Danish newspaper publishes cartoons, protests happen.

2) Danish muslims tell of the cartoons to the rest of the Muslim world. They include cartoons not actually printed and much more offensive than the ones in the newspaper. Protests happen.

3) European newspapers print the cartoon in support of free speech.

4) Major riots start happening including attacks and embassy torchings.

5) Western newspapers carry much of the violence and protests solidfying their negative image of Muslims.

6) More North American newspapers print the cartoons.

7) More violence.

More negative views from the Western world.

etc. etc. etc.


Quite frankly this is going in a vicious cycle and because one side demanding something with threats and violence... the other side won't give in. Its like a stupid childish fight.

Btw. 9/11 and suicide bombings are done by Al Qaeda and those who support them. Al Qaeda definitely does not speak for all Muslims but they base their values on Islam so this is one of the reasons why westerners are kinda wary of the religon.

I think even here in Canada there have been reports of vandalism to Mosques after the Middle east protests... very sad to see but it shows the gap the cartoon is making between cultures already.

[Riecth]

Several issues have been brought up in this thread and I would first like to reply to kmc. As an average American I saw the humor in some of the cartoons... some were just stupid and some were highly offensive. But before I'm called any number of things let me explain. When I saw the devil Muhammad I laughed, why? Because I saw it for the ignorant portrayal it was. It was so contradictory to what Muhammad stands for that one has to laugh at it. To take it seriously gives it credit. I also found the cartoonist and line up one had a point to get across. These were obvious pokes and jabs about real life issues. Cartoonists fearing for their jobs and possibly lives for drawing Muhammad. This has to simply be a cultural thing, drawing someone so respected throughout the world should be the norm, not an affront. I don't claim to know best, but as a Christian I don't idolize any artists rendering of Jesus or his disciples. For that matter there are a great number of both, Christians can't even agree on what race Jesus was but accept all images. The line up had all these icons and yet the person could not recognize his prophet. Like many political cartoons, these aren't funny but try to send a message. The rest were either ignorant, had nothing to do with Muhammad or were just plain offensive. The terrorist one was just way over the line. I did not see the one that depicted Muhammad as a pig.

September 11 was a dark day for many people across the world, both here in the US and in the Middle East. Turbulent changes arose for what happened that day. While I don't speak for all Americans, or any other then those I associate with, we don't believe Muslims perpetrated 9/11. We believe that the events were caused by a fundamentalist group of people who were also Muslim. An uneducated person can and does easily forget the word "fundamentalist," probably because they don't know what it means. I do believe however that most people realize that Muslims as a whole are not responsible, but still attack the religion out of fear, ignorance, and in some cases propaganda.

I'm not sure if you are aware, Israel was created originally by British mandate. In 1923 Britain made roughly the 25% of Palestine that was west of the Jordan into a " Jewish Palestinian homeland." Arab Palestinians would have no part of this and after never-ending murderous attacks upon the Jewish Palestinians (Hebron massacres of 1929, and later 1936-39 "Arab Revolt"). Britain turned a blind eye until post World War II. The 1947 U.N. Resolution 181 partition plan was to once again divide 25% of Palestine into a Jewish Palestinian State. Arab Palestinians refused and by then end of the 1948-49 "Israeli War of Independence." Israel was slightly larger then had been proposed.

To say that Jewish terrorists created Israel is extremely hypocritical. Lets not forget that it is true that in recent years terrorist for BOTH sides have been attacking without mercy, and that the reason Palestinian Muslims are angry is because their terrorists did not win back land given to the Jews by the west. The west supports Israel because if they didn't Israel would have been swallowed up by Palestine like it was after 1923. The west no longer has a need to back Israel, but does so for reasons I currently do not know.

As far as being angry if someone said something about my mother or if the most respected person in my country had been degraded, mocked, or made a fool of... I think it would take a stronger man to take it in stride. I would likely be angry, but then again what American person of position has not been degraded, mocked, or made a fool of? Jesus is made fun of almost as religiously as some people worship him, yet I find that to shake my head at their ignorance and try to explain if far better then RIOTING. I realize that nothing I say or do will change some people’s views on some things, that’s why the most I would ever conceive of doing is talking. To attack or destroy something would just be in vain, and therefore not worth it. Talking either face-to-face, or in this case publication-to-publication. While the average American does not see Muslims as terrorists, those that do are only strengthened in their resolve by such incidents as this. While I applaud the Muslims of Malaysia for not joining in these riots to express their outrage, this too can influence people about Muslims. Moreso Muslims in the Middle East. Those that see Muslims as terrorists don't always see all Muslims as terrorist, just those in the Middle East. While not true, the fact that only countries in the Middle East are rising up helps only the cause of people who view Muslims in a poor light.

It is true also that all religions teach respect of all other religions. However there are always extremists in each group. Some violent like the 'double Muslims' some over zealous like Orthodox Christians who will always be trying to change your beliefs. A sub group of people does not represent the whole group. People all over the world don't always know who is the sup group and who is the main group. People need to start speaking out and not acting out. Educating each other is the only way to stop the fear and violence.
_________________
"No! I want it American style. Kill it, soak it in sauces, then grill that sumbitch till T'HERE'S NO PINK LEFT. That's how you do steak."

[Doomsought]

With all the large, multi-paragraph arguments
its kind of just easier to just skip them all and make a point:

I christians acted like muslems HollyWood would be a radioactive hole in the ground and a large part of california uninhabitable
I fear comprehending the death toll wreaked upon Las Vegas

I said it before and it is good enought to say again
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
_________________
If violence isn't the answer, you didn't use enough.
Most people operate under a fundamental misconception:
they believe most if not all people are good
It is saddly verry much not so.

[Riecth]

And your post is probably the best demonstration of why my post was so long. Perhaps I was wrong in saying we need to try to talk, but then again it's better then doing nothing. Sometimes ignorance just can't be helped.

Doomsought, you can't just generalize Muslims like that. This is what propogates the hate and anger between two cultures. Whats more your analogy doesn't even make sense. Why would Hollywood become radioactive? I see no radioactive Muslims countries. Why only California, why not oh I dunno some place with large numbers of fundalmentalist christians. Lets not forget these extremist Muslims are attacking their homelands as well as other countries. Whats more what the fuck does "Welcome to the club" even mean? What fucking club are you refering to? One of ignorance and hate? Or just one of poorly spelled and even more poorly articulated thought pollution?
_________________
"No! I want it American style. Kill it, soak it in sauces, then grill that sumbitch till T'HERE'S NO PINK LEFT. That's how you do steak."

[siddiqui]

Pongk wrote

[Doomsought]

[siddiqui]

I gurantee there are not that many loud ones especially when your comparing the loud ones to the whole of the Muslim population.

[Doomsought]

higher percentile than radical Americans
you only see riots like that over wars and human rights over here
someone needs to streighten out thier priorities
_________________
If violence isn't the answer, you didn't use enough.
Most people operate under a fundamental misconception:
they believe most if not all people are good
It is saddly verry much not so.

[siddiqui]

Americans = 282000000

Muslims = 1300000000

Basicly meaning if 1% of muslims did one thing 3-4% of Americans would be doing the same thing.