Monday, February 06, 2006

 

Those Danish cartoons

Here is a link to the cartoons that have sent many Muslims into full freak-out mode:

The cartoons, from Human Events Online.


And here is an essay on what the press in Europe has done, and the press in the United States has not done, with them.

Essay, from Left2Right.

--ER

Comments:
And here is the rest of the story:
It seems that two of the Muslem Imans from Denmark also got some hate mail when they protested the cartoons back in September, that included three other very obscene cartoons. Now these Imans in their personal anger have distributed those obscene cartoons in Syria and the Palestine areas, and the new cartoons have taken on a life of their own. Now the "Arab Street" thinks the obscene cartoons were "published" in Denmark as well. So now we have people full of Hate and Self Rightgeousness on both sides of the issue talking, nay, shouting past each other. Not to mention the Jacque Chirac says he will nuke any country that allows an attack on France.
Those cartoons don't look like they could start WWIII do they?
 
Wars have been started for less.

Re, "Not to mention the Jacque Chirac says he will nuke any country that allows an attack on France."

Do you mean allows an attack on Iran?
 
No I mean on France.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4627862.stm
 
I read that to mean any state that ATTACKS France. Sounds pretty neocon-ish to me. Not that it's a good thing, either way.
 
Yep, remember according to the neo-cons Iraq attacked the U.S. on 9-11, so why conldn't France see some terrorist attack on them the same way we seem to with Iraq. Once you set one of those firecrackers off it is really hard to undo it.
 
this image (hat tip to red tory) makes a nice companion piece to those danish images:

http://members.shaw.ca/mrayner/rt-vulture.jpg

history repeats itself....

KEvron
 
I have intemperate feelings on this issue.

Interesting, too, that traditional Islam prohibited the depiction of any human form, but because of issues of idolatry. Treating Mohammed's image as sacred means putting him on a level with God. In that sense, an obviously irreverent caricature is actually less of an offense against Islam than, say, the self-admiring portraits of Saudi princes that deck their public buildings.
 
Hypocrisy knows no borders of Religion, Time, or Space.
 
TS, in todays climate you still qualify as "moderate". Our State Department by definition is a wishey washey entity, so you can simply ignore what they have to say, even more so today than ever before.
As to why American news outlets should or should not publish these cartoons, some have, some have with Muhammad pictilated, other just didn't.
The Danish Muslem instigators of this whole thing tried to get the ball rolling in September and failed. What they are on record as wanting is an EU law prohibiting such blaspheme as they see it. Well the fire died down and nothing happened, so they added some obscene cartoons that came to them in the mail to the mix and are tying again by setting the Arab Street on fire elsewhere. Now the papers in the EU are now engaged, and are thumbing their nose at them, which is exactly what the Imans wanted to happen.
Let us leave it over there where it belongs. Importing the argument to the U.S. is simply non-productive.
By the way did anyone catch the "South Park" version of Muhammad?
One note of cultural interest however, is that for the most part, it is the ultra-conservative religious types in America that are most willing to show the cartoons that another religion deems as blasphemous.
 
One note of cultural interest however, is that for the most part, it is the ultra-conservative religious types in America that are most willing to show the cartoons that another religion deems as blasphemous.

Ironic, huh? If Christianity were being ridiculed, say by some 'artist' supported by the NEA, the guys on the left would be behind him. For some reason, Christianity is the only religion that it is OK to mock in this country.
 
REM, I don't think that's fair to say. I would say that the First Amendment permits all religions to be ridiculed equally if that is the speaker's desire. I personally wouldn't ridicule anyone's religion, but I would support the right of someone to do so. Otherwise, I could not say I live in a "free" country.

Can I ask you a question: how do you feel about Hindus and Buddhists? Would you ridicule Hinduist polytheism?
 
Red, I haven't ridiculed anybody for their religious beliefs. I was pointing out a disconnect here in America. Pay attention and see what religion is ever ridiculed through art (which a cartoon is) - it isn't Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, nor especially Judaism. Time and again it is Christianity.
 
Dr. Lobojo pointed out that the ones leading the charge to print/publish these 'toons in the US are generally right-leaning. I find it ironic.
 
REM, I certainly wasn't implying that you would. I was asking an honest question and got an honest answer. For which, I thank you. I guess a better question would be: do you respect the religious beliefs of Hindus and Buddhists?

Personally, I think if we all spent a little more time being respectful of people who believed differently than we do, and a little less time arguing that "my God can beat up your God", the world would be a whole lot better off. Religious disagreement has engendered many a war in the past, and apparently will continue to do so in the future.
 
Rem, I think the reaqson that Christianity is mocked in this country is because of the historically inaccurate assertion that this is a "Christian" nation in any sense other than most of the founders were Christians; Christianity is the majority religion in this country, hands down; the radical assertions of Jesus invite ridicule; the in-your-face approach of the Christian-media-complex; and lots of other reasons.
 
I guess a better question would be: do you respect the religious beliefs of Hindus and Buddhists?

I don't know. I've never met a practitioner of either faith. I hate to do this, but what does 'respect' mean? I would not order chicken instead of steak if I went out to eat with a Hindu - is that disrespectful? I would share belief in God with either, as I believe it is my duty - this I would try to do respectfully. I guess I would try to respect their beliefs, but I would not alter my life to appease, nor would I remain silent in my own faith.
 
ER, does that make it right?
 
By respect I mean, do you respect the fact that their religious beliefs may be as deep and abiding as your own? And that they are as committed to their version of religious truth as you?
 
Well, it's rude in a lot of cases. Insensitive. Provocative. Whether it's "right" or "wrong," I guess, depends on why it's done -- as well as who's ox is gored.

Whether people ridicule Christianity or not doesn't matter to me. In fact, I ridicule what passes for Christianity in this country sometimes myself.

I' guess making fun of anythin for the sole purpose of harming someone else is "wrong" unless you meahn to harm the someone else because he-she is an actual enemy bent on doing you harm.

We made fun of Nips and Japs during World War II. That wasn't wrong, I don't think. It would be today, probably.

IF you think that all of Islam is the enemy, I suppose that calling them all "towel heads" or "sand N's" might be the same thing. But all of Islam is NOT the enemy.

Suicide bombers and those who support them? They're homicide bombers, sissies and their mamas dress them funny, especially with those towels on their heads.

As were the ball-less murders who used to wear sheets on their heads in our own country.

"Rambling, not necesarrily reasoning."
 
ER are you still home? Have you been mixing your medicine with Mr. Dickles White Lable again? Cause if you are at work you might want someone to proof-read what you are writting today.

Personally, I have never met any religion that didn't deserve ridicule sooner or later. In general the older the religion and the more orthodox the more likely there is some paradox or incongruity that will open it to ridicule.
 
By respect I mean, do you respect the fact that their religious beliefs may be as deep and abiding as your own? And that they are as committed to their version of religious truth as you?

Yes.
 
Drlobojo,
Did you see the south park episode on the immigrants from the future coming that “Took are jobs”?
 
Missed that one.
 
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