In September, a dozen cartoons were published in Denmark critical of Islam, some depicting Muhammad, the prophet and founder of Islam, in an unflattering light. Many Muslims consider it blasphemy to print any image of Muhammad. One cartoon depicts Muhammad with a turban in the shape of a bomb. Another shows him at the gates of heaven, arms raised, saying to male suicide bombers, "Stop, stop, we have run out of virgins." A third has devil's horns emerging from his turban.
The cartoons have been reprinted in Norway, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Hungary, as well as in Jordan. Editors at papers in France and Jordan were fired for publishing them
Friday, U.S. State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, said, "Anti-Muslim images are as unacceptable as anti-Semitic images, as anti-Christian images, or any other religious belief." But he defended the right of newspapers to publish the cartoons, saying, "We vigorously defend the right of individuals to express points of view."
Also Friday demonstrators filled the streets in the Palestinian regions and in Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Indonesia and Malaysia calling for boycotts of European goods and burning the flag of Denmark.
Today several thousand enraged demonstrators set the Danish and the Norwegian embassies in Damascus on fire to protest the cartoons. Chanting "God is Greatest," the protesters stormed the Danish embassy, threw rocks and broke windows, burned the Danish flag and replaced it with another reading "No God but Allah, Mohammad is His Prophet." The embassy was empty in anticipation of the protest and the Danish Foreign Ministry warned its citizens against traveling to Syria and urged all Danes now there to leave the country.
Is religious outrage reasonable? Should the threatened, and now exercised, expression of that outrage outweigh freedom of speech? How far do we go toward accommodating religious sensitivities in a pluralistic society? Is there such thing as a legitimate non-pluralistic society?
Varying viewpoints on the situation from Blogcritics:
College Paper Publishes Anti-Muslim Cartoons; Refuses to Publish Responses to Them
As I posted last week on Pink Pumps & Politics, The Communicator, Indiana-Purdue University of Fort Wayne's student newspaper, ran the 12-cartoon anti-Islamic cartoons that have been creating controversy worldwide. No context to them. No editorials. Just a...
Posted to Culture by Chelsea Snyder on February 23, 2006 03:47 PM
Jesus Cartoons Everywhere and Christians Are Not Rioting
I "Googled" and "Alta-Vista-ed" the phrase "Jesus Cartoon" this morning and found that there were quite a few to choose from. Most were from Christian sites, some from anti-Christian sites, some were whimsical, some were coarse and degrading, many were...
Posted to Culture by Bird of Paradise on February 21, 2006 05:43 AM
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Noor Ahmed
In the name of freedom of press can you do whatever you want. In the name of freedom of press can you draw child porno cartoon or can you draw Mr. george bush is fucking the respected Jesus Chriest? should you do that? We should not polarize the community according to religion. We should not find the differences in religion rather find the similarity in religion. In Islam, muslim have to respect jesus and the bible (in quran, God says I sent jesus as your previous messanger). In bible, once jesus told that after me there will be another messanger of God and you will follow him. Who is more pious that will be decided by God (after death), not by us.
2 - Cynapse
Neither side of this debate has a monopoly on virtue. To depict a bomb in the turban of Osama Bin Laden is making a political statement about a group that actually advocates violence. Placing that bomb in the turban of the prophet Muhammad suggests that all Muslims are Osamas waiting to pounce. That said, death threats, harassment and violence are simply unacceptable. Addressing Muslim concerns about discrimination in Europe and Australia becomes difficult when a simple cartoon can spark such extreme intolerance among Muslims.
3 - gazelle
Extreme Timing: Freedom and extremism in media
article with images
4 - Khaksare Madina
With these kinds of deeds like cartoons What kind of message Europeon countries wants to give the Muslim World??? That Europeon People are Litrate and figting the battle with Muslim World in Educated Manners. dear if they think so they are all wrong because all these Democracies all these Independance of press humanity and Media are the gifts of Islam given to this whole world. So you will see very soon the answer and reaction of this media war very soon.
5 - Aaman
This article in the Times raises interesting points on the issue
6 - gazelle
Cynapse:
I think your comment speaks volumes about the real gap that exists, and that needs to be crossed, respectfully, on both/all sides.
7 - Ahmed Khan
I think media should not be punished for this because they have the freedom to express. What's going on when media folks are held captive and beheaded in Iraq? Nothin. So, the world should understand that and this is not offensive.
8 - RJ Elliott
When a Muslim newspaper prints cartoons mocking Christians or Jews or Hindus or atheists, people in the EU and the US and Israel and India do not go berserk and burn down buildings, issue death threats, kidnap innocent people, or recall their ambassadors.
The current global chaos over these cartoons is entirely the fault of the "offended" Muslims who are presently rampaging through streets all over the world and demanding blood...
9 - gazelle
RJ Elliot wrote "When a Muslim newspaper prints cartoons mocking Christians or Jews or Hindus or atheists, people in the EU and the US and Israel and India do not go berserk and burn down buildings, issue death threats, kidnap innocent people, or recall their ambassadors."
they instead bomb whole countries without counting the dead, while looking for the mysterious "al-qaeda" instead on false pretences. and bomb al-jazeera, the media channel offices, for reporting on it.
You dont know what a riot is in india.
RJ Elliot wrote:
The current global chaos over these cartoons is entirely the fault of the "offended" Muslims who are presently rampaging through streets all over the world and demanding blood...
Wrong. It is entirely the fault of people, who spread malicious hate, without even knowing that it was their ignorance that caused the offence in the first place. they are not the first. they learn.
10 - 1Potato
Several threads are dealing with this subject. I have never seen so many Muslim bloggers before. They never speak up when terrorists strike. Did they all just buy computers this week? Never heard from them after the London or Spain bombings. What B.S.
11 - RJ Elliott
I appreciate the fact that Muslims are so outspoken about this issue. It let's us all know just what sort of folks we are dealing with...
12 - Bizzeh
i think it is really stupid that people are complaining about this, there are christian comic strips all over that depict jesus and god in all sorts of ways. what is wrong with doing it about the muslim faith? its just another reason for them to belive they are being "persicuted" and kick back over nothing.
13 - Headsake
Please see my cartoon representing my beliefs about this issue.
14 - Kruger
I am so sick of hearing about muslims. Denmark should print some more cartoons so we can get all the radical badass muslims out in the street protesting and then drop a couple hundred bunker busters on them.
15 - Toamas
JP in 2003 was going to publish some drawings of jesus, but the desided not to coz some christians would fell bad! where was the freedom of speech then??
and an store had some shoes on slag that had jesus pichter on...they was removed next morning as well! Danish PR had been getting serious reports when the drawing was released but 3 mounths he did´t take any action! they only intend to take it serious when there boycoted! i´ll say good...u decerve it!
16 - Mickel
Danish ppl r respectless.........i think only 1% r religious! wat he fuck do they know!
stupid dans!
17 - Alien
Quite a tennis match!
Idiots 0
Morons 0
18 - neocondi
Yes, Christians get outraged, but boycotting is legal and non-violent (i.e. peaceful).
Moreover, the hypocrisy is glaring because the Muslim world shows no sensitivity to Christians or Jews in either their cartoons or their actions.
Muslims print hateful anti-Jewish, anti-American cartoons all the time and I have never heard a single apology. They also burn our flag, which I find highly offensive.
19 - Alethinos
With regard to the Muslims: practice what you preach. Stand against the hatred and bigotry flung from the pulpits of your mosques. The Qu'ran preaches tolerance and compassion toward the People of the Book, i.e. Jews and Christians. SHOW IT.
With regard to the political cartoonists: your behavior via your cartoons is revolting. While there is no excuse for the violence done by those in the Muslim world intent on stirring up trouble - what DID you expect? Do you show Jesus Christ in such a hateful revolting manner because of what HIS followers do - in His name? No. You do not. Have ANY of your read the Qu'ran and are familiar with the life of the Prophet and His Family? What they suffered to bring real civilization to millions of savage people - people who used to bury their daughters ALIVE in the sands of the desert?
Muhammad nor Christ, nor Moses, nor Krishna, nor Buddha are RESPSONSIBLE for the actions of Their followers. Let's get that clear. Let us assign the blame SQUARELY where it belongs so often: the priests, preachers, mullas, "holy men" who are ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THEY and THEY ALONE know God's will...
20 - Adeel
Im muslim. And well, the cartoon obviously touched a very sensitive nerve.
That said,i think the reaction of my fellow muslims to be.........extreme.
But it's hard to practice what you preach, when what we preach is always being attacked.
What about the many islamic demonstrations against terrorism?
Every mosque i have been to almost always runs seminars against terrorism.
In Juma(friday prayer) there are always sermons that are anti-terrorism.
So why are these cartoons so full of malice?
21 - Adeel.
And lets face it, arabian news networks are not the most fair news stations in the protrayal of alot of things.
Hell, MUSLIMS dont take many arabian/muslim news soarces seriosly.
22 - Miguel
Mohammed married a 6-year-old and deflowered her when she was 9. Imagine what would have happened if a cartoon had referred to these acts by the 'perfect Muslim.'
23 - dave
just get a life...all this religous mess is uncalled for.. just another excuse for the trouble makers in the muslin community to harm their own people, and they wonder why the rest of the world looks down on muslims, its not right but when your people behead, and kill inocent people what to u expect the world to think
24 - neocondi
Adeel, it's good that your mosque preaches peace.
So you are not the problem. But you must admit, it's not just a few bad apples spoiling Islam's image; it's more like a hundred million bad apples.
25 - Anis
Dear There,
I want to clarify that what most terrorists (in the name of Islam) is doing is not considered part of the Islam ideology.
What alqaeda and others terrorist groups is doing is a kind of a radical politics not an Islam. And prophet Mohamed (Peace Be Upon Him) never considered terrorism when calling for Islam. And Muslims around east-south Asia (more than 500 millions) embarrassed Islam with no war but just because they see something peaceful and merciful in it.
So please respects others and don’t make fun of there believes (Muslims, Jewish, Christians, Buddhist,…). Be Tolerant.