Mohammed Cartoons

Jyllands-Posten, a newspaper in Denmark, requested and published a series of drawings depicting Mohammed (Muhammed), the prophet of the muslims. (According to the CBC, the call for drawings went out after an author complained that no one would illustrate his book on Mohammed.) The background to this is that muslims believe it is an offence to portray Mohammed, seeing it as one step on the path to idolatry.

Unsurprisingly, muslims around the world are highly offended by a newspaper that would intentionally publish a call for images of Mohammed; this is especially true given the context that the author can’t get his book illustrated specifically because it conflicts with muslim religious belief. Unsurprisingly, muslims are highly affronted when images of their spiritual leader portray him as a suicide bomber and suggest that there are “no more virgins in the kingdom of heaven”.

What newspaper would publish shit like that?

What I find even more unbelievable is that newspapers across Europe are re-printing these cartoons in droves. They support this misguided course of action on the grounds that they need to defend their rights to free speech and a free press. (Perhaps the real reason is that they have flagging circulation? Who knows.) This is totally bizarre because this is not an issue of free speech. It is an issue of respect and decency. Just because you have the right to do something does not make it a good idea.

Publishing drawings of a turban-wearing Mohammed where the turban is actually a bomb with a lit fuse is totally over the top. I am agitated and angry about this, and I am not muslim. I cannot imagine how the muslims feel about all of this.

Europe has a wide swath of racism and intolerance going on, whether it’s against the Indian subcontinent in England, the Africans in France, or whatever. White people seem to feel that we are alone in the world, and can say or do whatever we want about those “animals” who live in the middle east or africa or south america or whatever.

These assholes who are printing this material should smarten up, because there are a lot of people in the world who are being seriously offended. Major international incidents are extremely unpleasant and all, but this kind of inflammatory anti-muslim propaganda (let’s call it what it is) has the potential to inflame millions of people world-wide.

I firmly believe that the world’s increasing fiscal imbalance (to lift a Canadian political metaphor) is a pressure cooker ready to blow off steam. (What do we rich North American’s think the “third world” thinks of us?) That is nothing to what could happen if we really and truly commit to “whities against muslims” as a political agenda. It could happen folks, and if you don’t believe me just start watching coverage.

When major countries like Saudi Arabia start pulling ambassadors, it means that jerks who are reprinting hate material should smarten up. And fast.

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