If you want to see the cartoons that have been causing such a brouhaha, go here. I am tempted to say that it's much ado about nothing. Yet I admit that I understand why they were insulted. After all, political cartoons are often meant to insult and these were no different. I also want to point out that I have some "sacred cows" I wouldn't want slaughtered in the editorial cartoons, either.
But we all have had it happen to us. Heroes and celebrities have been ridiculed since man put chisel to rock. Jesus was mocked in his own time and I'm sure if the printing press had been invented, the Pharisees and Saducees would've been printing tons of pamphlets with editorial cartoons about him. Somehow I can't see Jesus encouraging anyone to chop off their heads. In fact, when Peter swung at someone who was actually attacking Jesus, and chopped off his ear, Jesus rebuked Peter and stuck the ear back on (Luke 22:51).I hear conservative talk show hosts say (very self-righteously) that we don't riot when a religious icon is pilloried. Well, perhaps that's to our detriment, huh? Should we really suffer such insults so lightly?
And yet the riots in the Muslim world are most obviously over-reactions and, as I said, an attempt to inflame the masses there.
The main argument I've heard is that they don't tolerate Mohammed being portrayed under any circumstances. If that were truly the case, then there would have been many more riots down through the centuries, since Mohammed has been repeatedly portrayed in both cartoons and illustrations, as you can see here. Perhaps the most obviously "insulting" ones are the illustrations to Dante's Inferno, where Mohammed is tortured as an unbeliever for eternity. Of course, I need to point out that Dante and his fans really believed this, and he wasn't attempting to mock Mohammed.
"Above all else, the Devil cannot stand to be mocked," C. S. Lewis wrote. Am I equating Mohammed to the Devil? No, although I believe the Devil deserves his due in all of this. Mohammed's followers are desperately using this opportunity to create as much unrest as possible. I'm sure there will be uneducated suicide bombers that will use these cartoons as an excuse to attack even more innocents. The only way we'll stop them is to make them feel very silly about all of this. We cannot take their censorship demands seriously. I don't believe that even they take them seriously. If they had, we would have heard about this long ago.
P.S. Thanks for all the kind comments and prayers. I need them. ;o)
21 comments:
Lets face it, wrong or not, I (and many others) think of terrorism first when we hear islam.
That isnt just because we are ignorant either. :) Islam has a big problem, and they need to fix it. They made the cartoon, in our minds anyway, they need to fix it. They associated mohammed with terrorism first, not us.
Bono is Brian Peppers!
JJ Mollo had some good comments on this as does Gypsy Scholar (http://gypsyscholarship.blogspot.com/2006/02/speaking-of-muhammads-image.html)
I think more than anything I am dumbfounded by the hypocrisy we see here.
I am wondering if we are not seeing the beginnings of an organized effort by some one to organize the religion of Jihad under one leader? This smacks of a "Cause Celebre".
Do I smell the Reichstag burning?
Having several muslim friends from countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, I can say that they are undergoing similar problems as the U.S.... extreme polarization. I think this is what you are seeing here because most moderate mulims don't condone the cartoons but they also don't condone the rioting.
This problem will not soon go away. Really it has been going on since the time of Isaac and Ishmael. It is an everlasting hatred which, I believe, may culminate in WW III
I was shocked by an episode of the Simpsons when Barney the town drunk tells Homer that "Jesus would be rolling in his grave." Aparently I have been conditioned to this for years by TV and newspaper cartoons because I didn't burn or kill anybody over it. I turned off the TV and tried to find something less wasteful to do with my time. There is a burn ban in Oklahoma anyway so what are you gonna do? I don't understand the need to riot over a cartoon but I do understand ignorant boredom.
Rioting is also a good way to distract the population from the dire conditions the leaders continue to perpetuate through their totalitarian regimes. Look at Syria, for instance. All that flag burning would not have advanced one foot if not for the blessing of Assad.
You're in my thoughts! May you be feeling better and things start to look up very soon!
Interesting post - I had been wondering what all the fuss was about, and I can't believe how such a simple gesture can spark such a huge flame.
I always learn something here on this site Saur, very nicely done, I kept hearing about this, but I hadn't seen any of the cartoons. Even funnier is when I first heard it I thought, "Cartoon? Does that mean something else?"
Also, I posted something on my site today. I think it is in the same vein as "He's just not that into you" but with perhaps a slightly different twist.
Maybe I need to write a book called, "This is what we are into"
It would be VERY short.
It's not ok to depict the prophet Mohammad in any form of illustration, and for that we have to endure the wrath of their terror and beheadings. As if they have a real handle on their own situation anyway! Good grief! Seems too lop-sided for them to even have an arguement on that.
I've never read the Qur'an, but surely the prophet didn't condone what it's followers are doing today.
I, too, agree with Fred.
I think the Islamic world needs some serious PR work. All I could think of now is that Radiohead line that says something like "you do it to yourselves."
Zombieslayer, I think their "leaders" actually believe something good will come out of this. But it definately will help to drive a wedge between them and their European neighbors.
Ellen, actually...Mohammed was very bloodthirsty and encouraged them to kill 'infidels' or non-believers. But, many modern Muslims choose to discard the more literal interpretations of the Quran.
Eddo, interesting! I'll check it out (as I try to always do). Glad you learned something! ;o)
Girl Next Door, surely there must be. I know there's a contest for Jesus and Jewish cartoons being promoted by some major weirdo out there in the middle east, but I don't remember the details.
Brianne, thanks hon.
Fred, exactly!!!
TC, I checked out your blog, love the new look!
Ted, Mike, Bryan & Alex, we are in total agreement.
Mallory, what an extremely interesting thought! I think you may very well be on to something, and I never considered it before!!!
Ed, you're correct, I see the polarization too. And it ties in with Mallory's observation.
Violence as protest is never justified. Freak city.
You pretty much said it all. There's not too much I can add.
~Mike
Ayep..you gotta wonder about the relative weight of a snarky cartoon vs. beheading, even in Mohammed's eyes. There might be a few very surprised Muslims.
Saur,
Excellent post as usual.
I have put in a call to Muhammad Ali. I think if he were to lead a special envoy to the troubled region he might be able to start an intelligent and peaceful dialogue.
I'm in total agreement with you on this!
I didn't educate myself enough on this situation to even leave a comment...however, I don't understand why people are so easily offended. You bring up a valid point. Anyone who is held so high in respect is made fun of by their enemies or just people who disagree. It seems to be that way.
Great post--and references!
As you know I've blogged on this but I will summerise:
The cartoons are bad, both artistically and the fact some of them are racist but they still should be allowed to be seen without people threatening freedom of expression.
Christians (and other religious types) are not exempt from kicking ass when things don't go there way, please see doctors who carry out abortions for ref and making threats on issues of censorship.
It is not immoral to make images of Muhammed (PBUH), it is a minor law that covers this and that has been abused in order that Saudi Arabia cover up the terrible and regular loss of life during Hajj.
See here for ref:
http://danielhg.blogspot.com/2006/02/pictures-of-prophet.html
Alex: you sound like a bigot, equating Islam with terror. You have been indoctrinated.
Everyone: you need to tread carefully on this subject matter, rushed judgements expose lack of understanding.
I think this is just more evidence that proves there will NEVER be any real peace unless religion is banned.
You see, there are simply too many people that can not handle it. There are folks who have their religous views, but do not condemn the views of others. But this is an exception, not the rule.
As long as the "my religion is better than your religion" mentality is on this planet, there will continue to be war, death, and terror. It has been that way for thousands of years and shows no signs of letting up.
You are such a great writer. I always love your point of view.
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