Muslims worldwide have taken great offense to some cartoons that were run in a Danish newspaper and then reprinted recently in a Norwegian rag. The cartoons apparently depicted Muhammad in various opprobrious positions, one that had him carrying a bomb in his turban. The big kicker in this whole battle is that, for Muslims, it is forbidden to depict their great and wise Prophet in any manner – and apparently, by Allah, none of the rest of us should be allowed to, either. After increasing pressure by Middle Eastern boycotts of Danish products, the Danish newspaper in question apologized for publishing the cartoons. It seems that the Prime Minister of Denmark, while not apologizing for the newspaper itself, made a statement that he personally “never would have depicted Muhammad, Jesus or any other religious character in a way that could offend other people.” This apology has been met well by the Muslim leaders that started the campaign against the cartoons, so perhaps this ongoing row is finally drawing to a close.
I’ve been following this story for awhile now, to great amusement. While I agree that Muslims have a right to be offended by such cartoons, I don’t believe they have the right to dictate to a non-Muslim (or, frankly, another Muslim who has decided to do so) how they can and cannot portray icons of Islam – and I have the same opinion in regards to any other religion. It is called freedom of speech, a freedom that Muslims and Christians don’t seem to be too fond of - to great ends, sometimes. I don’t think the newspaper should have had to make an apology. I don’t think the person who drew the cartoons should have received death threats (Christians and Muslims – they don’t get what they want, they resort to violence. Nice.). And I think all the boycotting and crying by Muslims is a little more than I am willing to bear in my overall tolerance of religions. Get the fuck over it. We’ve all been dissed a thousand times over. Deal with it. Besides, I think the Muslims have a few more important issues they need to be concerning themselves with at the moment.
My husband doesn’t agree with me on this, of course. He doesn’t think anyone has the right to make a cartoon of Jesus or Muhammad or Allah or God or whoever – not if it hurts and offends people. But that is the danger, I think. How quickly will we all lose our freedom of speech if we have to refrain from doing things that might hurt or offend people? People are hurt and offended by things written, drawn, or depicted every day – some of these people may have reason to be offended, but others overreact. We can all start saying this or that offends us, just to get it stricken. How is that a good thing?
Perhaps it is my lack of faith that dictates my icy stance on this matter, but I just don’t feel it. I was raised a Christian, so there is still some small reverence for the images of Christ or God, but I have never been offended by an off-color cartoon or joke depicting Jesus or whoever. I would think anyone who has a strong enough faith, no matter their religion, would be able to withstand such ribaldry in the face of their beliefs. Besides, if a non-Muslim drew a depiction of Muhammad, calling it Muhammad, does that still make it Muhammad? What if I said this dash – was a depiction of Muhammad? Does that make it Muhammad? What if it was a stick figure? A cloud? Does the mere calling it Muhammad make it Muhammad?
In the end, I’m calling it much ado about nothing. But hey, the Muslims got their apology. Good for them. Now shut up about it.
EDIT: The Danish newspaper is still standing behind their right to publish the cartoons, and stating they are NOT apologizing for the cartoons. Vol Abroad has more. The Danish editor continues by saying:
“There is a lot at stake. It would be very naive to think this is only about Jyllands-Posten and 12 cartoons and apologising or not apologising.
“This is about standing for fundamental values that have been the (foundation) for the development of Western democracies over several hundred years, and we are now in a situation where those values are being challenged,” he said.
“I think some of the Muslims who have reacted very strongly to these cartoons are being driven by totalitarian and authoritarian impulses, and the nature of these impulses is that if you give in once they will just put forward new requirements.”
Well there you go. I think this is an important issue, one that shouldn't be brushed aside so lightly.
8 comments:
I'm with you Melissa. It's me that other American person who posts comments here all the time.
But, this time, I don't want to offend any Muslims so they will try and kill me over it, so I'll remain anoymous and tell you I agree with you.
FUCK THEM!! (excuse my language)
Oops, I meant to say "Melusina" but due to my fear of getting my head cut off by some Muslim wacko, I made a typo.
Free speech means being able to speak freely without government interference. When individuals or private organizations object to someone else's speech or threaten consequences, they are exercising THEIR right to free speech. That is what is SUPPOSED to happen in the free marketplace of ideas. And that is what happened in the case you cite, as far as I can tell.
I assume the newspaper apologized because, like the vast majority of people in the world (including the vast majority of both Christians and Muslims), they were not interested in offending anyone and felt bad when they unknowingly did so. So they apologized, as most of us would when we have inadvertently offended someone.
Neither Christians or Muslims are monolithic groups that speak or think in lockstep, but are made up of individuals with widely different points of view. To suggest otherwise bespeaks a level of intolerence that is not reflected in the rest of your writings, and I hope is a reflection of the hyperbole that blogging inspires, and does not accurately reflect your thoughts.
With charity towards all and malice towards none, Eleni
zardoz says :
a famous politician once said:
two steps backward
one step forward willsurely get ya were you want to go
...quicker..
OR WILL IT,,,
I HAVE NO TROUBLE wearing high heels
but its not that simple with muslims
fanatiscim .
think youre too angry
===========zardoz
We have seen many boycotts and calls for banning of art by various religions. Remember the widespread protests over "The Last Temptation of Christ"? There are hundreds of films that have faced protests as well. When I worked in a cinema we had protests outside over the showing of Malcolm X. What about books too? Many books are challenged and some eventually banned because people were upset with the content. I know personally of someone who recieved death threats because of a theatre play she was involved in about lesbians. Isn't it a matter of the amount of coverage given to a particular story. This one being blown out of all proportion because of the anti-muslim atmosphere we are living in?
I did say they have a right to be offended - that IS their right to free speech. But I don't think they deserved an apology - and I don't think the newspaper or Danish government did either, until it started cutting into Danish corporate profits (obviously, since this has been going on since October with no apology).
I think the world has gotten way too far on the other side when it comes to people being offended and feelings hurt and what have not. Too much "PC" stuff. I don't want to feel like I have to restrict what I say just because it might offend someone, and I don't want people to restrict what they have to say because it might offend me.
And I definitely am absolutely intolerant when it comes to religious groups making certain demands. I accept and understand the need for religion in people's lives, but I resent when it interferes with my life.
I see religion as second hand smoke - I accept your right to smoke, but get it out of my face. To me, allowing a Muslim boycott of Danish products to force their hand was as dangerous as bowing to terrorist demands. And obviously, I'd say the same if it were any other religion doing the same thing. With a world so full of different religions, I think it is dangerous to let any one religion have an upper hand. Each religion HAS to respect the fact that other people don't believe the same things they do, otherwise they ARE infringing on the rights of others. I just don't see that happening.
Christians want everyone to be a Christian, Muslims want everyone to be a Muslim. To me, that is as dangerous an idea as "white power" or anything like that. Yes, there are individuals who make up these religions, but the religions are driven by leaders who have certain goals for their religion, and the power their religion has over the world. Do the individuals in these religions share the same goals? Probably not. Do I blame the individuals? Of course not.
I don't bear any ill-will or hatred or malice towards these religions, but I do view them with a level of distrust. Not on any individual level, but as a religion as a whole. Perhaps it is a result of a bad experience in my past (a *really* bad experience) with Catholicism, and perhaps I am being unfair. But this is, in fact, the way I feel about it.
I heard that these Muslim terrorists get something like 72 virgins if they commit a suicide bombing.
Well, I've been thinking, why don't they just turn in Osama bin Laden and get the reward money.
Then, they could buy all the virgins they wanted, even more than 72.
DeviousDiva, I don't think it is being blown out of proportion. I don't even think the basic issue is the fact that Muslims are involved. I think it has, perhaps, become more media worthy because Muslims are involved - we all know that Christians have done this sort of thing so often that it isn't newsworthy if they are doing it.
I worry that the real crux of the issue will be overlooked because so many people will dismiss it as an "anti-Muslim" thing. But those of us who are concerned with human rights worldwide should be very concerned. This issue went from being a simple, religion offended issues and turned into something largely political (with the removal of ambassadors and whatnot). We can't have any single religion in the world trying to exert that much power - we have billions of people on this planet, and we all don't believe the same things. The issue would be just as onerous if it was coming from Christians or Jews.
We can't have religious law impose on our rights. And that is the main issue here. I am glad to see the Danes and other EU countries stepping up to the plate on this issue.
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