I briefly wrote about the Danish and Norwegian papers that featured Prophet Mohamed PBUH caricatures in my post Freedom of Racism. But ever since that, there has been an explosion of reactions in the Muslim world, both online and offline. The blogosphere has witnessed a huge number of blogs about this topic, people all over the Muslim world are boycotting Danish and Norwegian products, some countries have pulled their ambassadors, …etc.
Over this time I’ve mainly been watching from the sidelines, wanting to write more about it, but just not finding the time to.
Most opinions I’ve read in the blogosphere are totally against what happened, yet some people think it’s not normal and very backward to react this strongly to these caricatures, and that we should just let it go.
I personally strongly disagree with these people. We’ve let go of a lot of things, we’ve tolerated a lot of disrespect and racism over the years, but when it gets to our Prophet and touches our religion, there is no way we can just let go! It is totally unacceptable!!
I’m against any violent reactions or death threats, but I’m totally for peaceful protest and political or economic boycott if necessary.
If the same paper published some caricatures that touched a Jewish figure, the whole world would have stood against it and pointed the anti-semitic finger at them, and ripped them apart.
But the caricatures being about the prophet of Islam, no one cares, and the angry and offended muslims are made out to be backward thinking and untolerant.
Well yeah, we don’t tolerate anyone attacking our Prophet or religion, and you can call it whatever you want!
A bit earlier, I read that the Danish newspaper that published the cartoons has apologized for offending Muslims around the world, not for publishing the cartoons, but for offending Muslims.
“We apologize for the fact that the cartoons undeniably have offended many Muslims,”‘ Carsten Juste, editor-in-chief of Jyllands-Posten, wrote late yesterday in a letter on the paper’s Web site. He said Jyllands-Posten wasn’t sorry for running the cartoons though.
As for Vebjoern Selbekk, the editor of Norwegian Magazinet, the paper that republished the caricatures, he too said that he “regrets if the drawings were offensive to Muslims.”
Those sound like half ass apologies to me. It’s like someone raping someone and then saying: “I’m not sorry for raping you, but I’m sorry it hurt!”
It’s more of an insult than an apology!
I think they should be able to do a lot better than that!
Related Links:
– The Danish Cartoonist
– Le Boycott : Arme de Destruction Massive (FR)
Ameen, brother!
I agree with you 100%.
If those cartoons had been that offensive about any other religion, the whole world would be crying foul. But since it was about Islam, many thinks it’s no big deal. In some ways, I find the reactions of the people who see nothing wrong with the cartoons just as offensive as the cartoons themselves!
Boycotting and protesting is great. Cartoons like those are just tasteless and despicable.
Cartoons like that are tasteless and despicable. I think boycotting, protesting, and being really vocal about this is great for a situation like this.
I totally agree with you bro !
the Boycott is the best WMD :))
BTW, Happy New Year !..
The Muslim reaction to this whole debacle is just idiotic. Apparently the general populace in muslim countries knows next to nothing about the “west”
1. Muslims boycott Norwegian goods!!! Hello? Jyllandsposten is a danish newspaper. Thats like boycotting Mexican goods over something the New York times printed.
2. No one in muslim states seems to have actually looked at the cartoons in question. Out of twelve cartoons only two were inflammatory and most were actually sympathetic towards islam, some making fun of the danish newspaper
3. The overly harsh reaction of people in the muslim countries over this trivial matter confirms the image some westerners have of muslims as religious bigots and fanatics and thereby harms muslims interest more than it helps them. In effect by demonstrating so violently the tolerance toward muslims is lowered worldwide
4. There are much worse cartoons of mohammad all over, no one is demonstrating against those.
5. I’m no expert in the quaran but where exactly does it say you cant make fun of Mohammad the prophet?
Vlad, I’ll reply to your comment point by point, but before I do, I want to make it clear that you either comment with respect or you’re not welcome here.
1. The boycott of Norwegian goods is because Norwegian Magazinet republished the same cartoons in Norway. So, read well before you comment.
2. I saw all the cartoons and thought they were very tasteless and despicable, no matter what the idea or reason behind them was. They are unacceptable!
3. So what you’re saying is that Muslims should stand down and let their prophet and religion be humiliated just so some ignorant westerners don’t go on with their ignorance? I think that’s idiotic!
4. I don’t know of any other cartoons of Prophet Muhammed PBUH, and I’m sure if they existed and were known of, they’d get the exact same reaction.
5. Regardless of it being mentioned in the Quran or not, it is totally unacceptable. There should always be respect for other people’s religions and religious figures and symbols.
It’s very disgusting that Danemark and Norway talk aganist our Prophet Muhammed,peace and blessings be upon him,the best man came to the earth.
Anything is accepted except talking badly and aganist our beloved prophet who teached the earth how to live?,mercy and brotherhood.
All non muslims should read and know even few subtitles about WHAT IS ISLAM? AND WHO IS PROPHET MUHAMMED,PEACE AND BLESSINGS BE UPON HIM?
I’m not a Muslim, but if I’m not mistaken, didn’t Mohammad have sexual relations with a girl, Aisha I believe her name was, when she was only like 9 years old? Is this correct?
If true, wouldn’t that make him a pedophile? If it is true, how can he be the best person to ever live?
I would think that would be pretty sick. Tell me it is not true. What is the real story behind Aisha?
Clearly the non-Muslim world has gotten the impression that a good percentage (maybe more than half?) of Muslims believe that the offending Danish cartoonists should be put to death. Very far-fetched? What about the famous “Fatwah” issued against Solomon Rushdie? Most religions of the world and their practitioners have advanced beyond the notion that the proper response to “blasphemers” is to kill them. One should also note that there are many gradations in “hate literature”, so that it is incorrect to say that the west is hypocritical in denouncing anti-semitic hate speech but not the Danish cartoons. These cartoons show a disdain for Islamic piety and satirize the claims of Muslims to be “peace-loving”, but that is far from evidencing the kind of hatred that aims to exterminate a people. Muslims are fully entitled to express their understandable outrage about these cartoons–what is impermissible in civilized society is to suggest that violence is the proper response to the offending parties.
Hey Bro., Great Post.
As a Muslim, in my
Jake Serlichs comment about Aisha seems to lack perspective. In various cultures at various times through history, the age at which marriage and sex were considered Ok change. I believe until recently in certain states of the US 14 was the legal age, illegal in the UK.
I’m not religious at all, I’d just like to know why RELIGIOUS people of many FAITHS work hard to find reasons to HATE and kill.
Re: The Crusades, Holocaust, Catholic v Protestant, Christians v Paganism, Evangelical Christians v everyone else etc. etc.
If someone insults me or anything I care about. It is thier problem, what do the idiots know anyway.
Wonder how many INNOCENTS will SUFFER this time.
Yeah… I agree with S. Hardman about Jake’s comment.
your post was linked on maghreblog.net
It seems not everybody is as nice and friendly as the guy from Denmark… see link
I think that the Danish press should apologize to all Muslims for their disrespectful and degrading drawings under the following conditions:
1. ALL Muslims must renounce violence as a means of furthering their beliefs
2. ALL Muslims must recognize Israel and its right to exist in peace
3. ALL Muslims must renounce terror and apologize to the United States for the 9/11 attacks
The Danish and the international press should feel free to use degrading and disrespectful cartoons depicting whatever they want until all the above conditions are met. Sorry it has got to be this way, but if Muslims (at least the ones getting the press coverage) are going to play this game, I can play it too. After all if Muslims can burn our flag, kill our people, kidnap our women, bomb our restaurants and impose their beliefs through violence, maybe I too am just a little offended and would like an apology.
The holocaust was a little more than “making fun of Jews”.
The holocaust was a little more than “making fun of Jews”.
What Muslims fail to understand is that the moment the practitioners of Islam use the tenets of their religion to inspire political action (however they may interpret those tenets), or to found an “Islamic State” governed by “Islamic Law”, they have left the realm of the spirit and entered the world of power. And in the West, for hundreds of years now, anyone who chooses to enter the arena of power and politics has been considered a legitimate target of satire, jeering, mocking, what have you. It should come as no surprise, then, if the prophet who most vividly embodies that religion should also be such a target. Take Islam out of the realm of power and politics and I think you need not worry about satirical cartoons of the prophet. By the way, it’s precisely because Judaism has re-entered that realm in the form of the State of Israel that we see religious Jews as a legitimate target of political satire. I’m just curious, though: How many of you Muslim dudes out there would object to a satirical representation of Moses (hooked nose and all) in the Arab press?
Ok I just saw the allegedly 12
To: Lawrence Garner
To answer your question, Islam dictates that we
Jeremy, you either talk with respect or you’re not welcome here.
This whole thing of trying to portray Prophet Muhammad as a paedophile is simply stupid and idiotic.
First of all, we’re talking about something that happened over 1400 years ago. And as S. Hardman said in various cultures at various times through history, the age at which marriage was considered ok change.
A second thing is that the prophet married Aisha when she was young, and never had children from her, for a reason, and that is so she could learn his teachings from him easily and pass them on after his death.
So before you start talking about something, try to learn the facts and get perspective on the issue you’re talking about!
Lawrence, as M.A.Khadra said, we believe in all God’s prophets, and so we wouldn’t accept to see cartoons including Jesus, Moses or any other prophet.
And something else I’d like to add is that we don’t mind cartoons about muslims or arabs, there were many of those and we said nothing, but when it gets to touch our prophet pbuh or our religion, then that’s unacceptable.
Bjax, we muslims do renounce terrorism. And don’t forget that we too suffer from it too. In fact, there have been more terrorist attacks in Arab and Muslim countries than in western countries. So we’re all united against terrorism, which exists all over the world.
Israel and whether we recognize it or not has nothing to do with this, so lets not mix unmixable things together.
S. Hardman, I totally agree with you that religion should not be used as a reason to hate and kill. There should be a mutual respect between followers of different religions, and it should not be an issue that leads to conflict.
But when one party dares to disrespect the other’s religion, it’s only natural they get offended.
I’m against it going towards any sort of violence, but being offended and showing it in peaceful ways is very normal.
1st of all Bush Sucks. He is a liar and invaded Iraq based on lies. He and his family are oil and war profiteers. He is also very stupid like a retarded jackass. Now I must say that all edges of fanatical religion are equally evil and have hijacked the base of peace to which all humans have clung to religion as a safe base. I have seen multiple pictures of signs calling for death to Danish publishers and French editors. I have seen calls for Bitch Laden to bring another 911 or a 7/7 to the UK. What registers in the pea brained people to blindly follow such an asinine line of thinking? Radical elements of all religions are ruining the world. Bombing stores that sell beer and wine (wtf). What a bunch of idiots. I must say that ultra orthodox Jews are no better as they openly proclaim to be chosen as a people literally, and proclaim their superiority over all other humans. Also Pat Robertson, wow what a jackass, calling for assassinations and deaths of Supreme Court Judges. Religion is ruining the world and hopefully the outrage over some little Cartoons will illustrate the base animal nature of the protesters. I am sure that this unbridled visceral hatred for freedom and liberty will show the true enemies of liberty and freedom. Religion has no place in government and free speech should never be censored or contained. I think the USA and UK are limp wristed dandies for not publishing these wonderful whimsical cartoons. I think Bush is like a prison bitch for the house of saud, and has no testicles. USA USA wow I am sad that our leadership sucks and we are wasting money trying to establish Democracy somewhere like the middle east were people don’t and never will know how to live free. It is a region where all the inhabitants must be led around like puppets. It is sad to see that the Arab world can’t recognize that there own beloved religion is what is suppresing them. It is used as a tool of control by Mullahs and dictators. Why is the Arab world so resistant to common sense?
Texan, I agree with your comments about Bush and all those who profit from war and the manipulation of power. Those who are desperate for power or money will always abuse people. Well socialised psychopaths do very well in business, politics, war.
A lack of functioning conscience helps. As does believing “god” is on your side.
I don’t agree with the statement that the Arab world “never will know how to live free”. It has been frequently observed that people who have been controlled for much of their lives find the transition to freedom, of any sort, difficult and often frightening. Time will tell, as other cultures develop their own (relative) freedom.
No culture is innocent.
The moral highground is composed of the hidden bodies of the past.
This whole business smacks of hypocrisy.
Many in the muslim world laugh at the killings of thousands of innocent westerners,
then whine about cartoons in a foreign newspaper and rave for more death to westerners.
Those folks are the real ones responsible for the current cartoon outrage. They provide the caricature for all the world to see.
MMM starts all of his posts here with a warning about being respectful and then uses words like stupid and idiot in his criticism of others posts.
What a hypocrite. Is MMM another sick muslim caricature? Those like him are the real ones responsible for the current cartoon outrage and a detriment to muslims everywhere.
When did God or his Messenger ever need defending, except possibly from the intellectual bankruptcy in blogs like this?
Texan, why are we resisting?
The US has waged wars, invaded nations, and is the only nation in human history to USE weapons of mass destruction / nuclear bombs; all because you are
Inertia, if you follow my comments closely, you’ll see I only use the words stupid or idiotic with the people who allowed themselves to use them in the first place, and to show them that they’re the ones making idiots out of themselves.
Anyway as M.A.Khadra said, what you said about muslims laughing about westerner killings, that is complete nonsense and has nothing to do with reality. So stop making up stuff, it’s people like you who make things worse between the west and muslims.
As for your attack on me and my blog, well all you have to do is go through my archives to see that I’m one of the people who is always trying to advocate peace and understanding between us all. So again, get your facts right before you start living this conspiracy theory of yours.
TO M. A. Khadra;
HELL NO! I’M NOT A MUSLIM. I’M NOT A JEW EITHER. I AM AN AGNOSTIC. As a matter of fact I’ll go on record to say “THE JEW does NOT have some ‘Davidic’ right to the land stolen from the Palestinians”. I AM NOT AFRAID TO HAVE AN OPEN MIND. The teachings of Jesus are so far away from what Bush and his Cabal of satanic war mongers claim to espouse, that it is absolutely hilarious to see him portray himself as a ‘Godly Man’. I am sick of the wasted money going to fund something that has a base of religion. The War that cost the USA 2 billion a week is only creating a more militant baby Iran. I feel bad for the Kurds they have gotten the short end of the stick for years and years and years. My point is that religious extremists of every faith are enemies to Freedom and liberty everywhere. Now you must ask yourself’ When you see the phrase Liberty and Freedom do you have a negative reaction? If so it is you who are brainwashed. I still feel the outrage over some very delightful and insightful cartoons absurd. I am running for state representative in Texas on the Libertarian Ticket. I suggest you read what liberty and Freedom really mean by checking out the libertarian website.
Most people in America feel that you should be able to enjoy a Ham Sandwich and a Cold beer at a Titty Bar or not. The choice is yours. YOU should be able to choose, however your decisions should never infringe on the Liberty of another.
Peace Freedom and Liberty
Texas Bush ain’t one of us, he is an East coast wealthy elitist posing as a Cowboy. What a bunch of B.S.
TO M. A. Khadra;
HELL NO! I’M NOT A MUSLIM. I’M NOT A JEW EITHER. I AM AN AGNOSTIC. As a matter of fact I’ll go on record to say “THE JEW does NOT have some ‘Davidic’ right to the land stolen from the Palestinians”. I AM NOT AFRAID TO HAVE AN OPEN MIND. The teachings of Jesus are so far away from what Bush and his Cabal of satanic war mongers claim to espouse, that it is absolutely hilarious to see him portray himself as a ‘Godly Man’. I am sick of the wasted money going to fund something that has a base of religion. The War that cost the USA 2 billion a week is only creating a more militant baby Iran. I feel bad for the Kurds they have gotten the short end of the stick for years and years and years. My point is that religious extremists of every faith are enemies to Freedom and liberty everywhere. Now you must ask yourself’ When you see the phrase Liberty and Freedom do you have a negative reaction? If so it is you who are brainwashed. I still feel the outrage over some very delightful and insightful cartoons absurd. I am running for state representative in Texas on the Libertarian Ticket. I suggest you read what liberty and Freedom really mean by checking out the libertarian website.
Most people in America feel that you should be able to enjoy a Ham Sandwich and a Cold beer at a Titty Bar or not. The choice is yours. YOU should be able to choose, however your decisions should never infringe on the Liberty of another.
Peace Freedom and Liberty
Texas Bush ain’t one of us, he is an East coast wealthy elitist posing as a Cowboy. What a bunch of B.S.
Just a Quick reminder. All the big religions believe in an actual talking serpent that deceived Eve and brought original sin to mankind. If you really believe that stupid crap what do you have to fight about with any other talking snake religion. It is all the same B.S. Wake up people there was NO talking snake. Jews think oh yea Talking Snake, Christians oh bigtime talking snake, Muslims? Oh gee, you guys tell me. Talking snake yes or talking snake NO? Talking snake? Talking Snake? I mean really I am embarrassed for all of you Talking snakers. I refer to all of the major religions as talking snakers. I wonder why any of the Big 3 could ever claim to be superior when they are based on a talking snake. The whole concept of redemption through law, Ransom, or submission is based on Man becoming tainted with sin because of a Talking Snake. Wow, before someone writes back that the snake was the devil or the evil forces, please stop and realize how stupid that sounds. Talking Snake? Talking Snake? (WTF)
The trouble threatened to rile sectarian tensions in Beirut when protesters began stoning St. Maroun Church, one of the city’s main Maronite Catholic churches, and property in Ashrafieh, a Christian area. Sectarian tension is a sensitive issue in Lebanon, where Muslims and Christian fought a 15-year civil war that ended in 1990. A small group of Islamic extremists tried to break through the security barrier outside the embassy.
Demonstrators attacked policemen with stones and set fire to several fire engines, witnesses said. Black smoke was seen billowing from the area. Security officials said at least 18 people were injured, including policemen, fire fighters and protesters. Witnesses saw at least 10 people taken away by ambulance.
Thousands of Muslims rampaged Sunday in Beirut, setting fire to the Danish Embassy, burning Danish flags and lobbing stones at a Maronite Catholic church as violent protests spread over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.
Don’t remember why this is the way Muslims act?
Someone please tell me!
Last year, in fact 2 days after Christmas, myself and everybody I know followed the tragedy of the tsunami on TV, weeping silently in horror over the fate of helpless indonesians and others around the Indion Ocean. We sent private donations, hundreds of millions, as well as our government contributing with an equal amount. Saudi Arabia by the way, sent less than one tenth of that amount… We organized pleas and collections, we sent volunteers to help in the affected areas. This fall we saw a new catastrophy, the earthquake in Pakistan. The same thing happened. And now we are “a Nation of Evil People”, to be beheaded, lynched, hands chopped off, whatever…
In the past weeks I have seen the same people – in masses, so don’t tell me it is just a few radicals – we helped, burn our flag, burn our embassies and chase down Danes whereever they could find them, all for the sake of 12 pubertarian cartoons published in an independent Danish newspaper, that neither I, nor the Danish government has any control whatsoever over.
Go ahead, tell me again how it is exactly that muslims can claim to be a peace-loving people. Please, because I cannot understand it. Also, please tell me why the Danish government should continue to be the top 1 spender of foreign aid, per capita, to countries in the muslim world. Tell me why we should continue to financially support the palestinian community.
Tell me also, if you can, why these cartoons, and not the hundreds of other cartoons of the prophet that have been published over the years, including a very non-flattering painting by Salvador Dali have not been protested against.
Finally, I would like to know, why is it OK for the muslim press in Gaza, Libanon, Iraq, Iran, and many other areas, to continuously publish deeply offensive satirical cartoons about Jews, christians, the western world etc. I saw one two days ago on TV, a David Star with a swastika interlaced, that I found particularly “funny”.
Please also explain to me, if someone can, why these repeated offenses of the west and our values by muslim world, do not result in a hystercal melt-down screaming and yelling, jumping up and down, on the flags of these nations. My own guess would be, oh, I don’t know, maybe something with education, ethics and a decent upbringing.
Sten
for the guy Jake Serlich he is a man who dont respect other so the best thing for him is to shut his mouth
I respect Muslims, rather the ones that are not planning to kill me. But I respect free speech also, and not letting free speech be controlled by terror. I believe the Danish people should be proud to freely speak their minds, and I hope they do not let the terrorists take that right from them. Nobody is above any other person, and that includes Muslims, so they need to accept the world will insult them just as freely as they will respect them. I made a game out of the Danish cartoon in response to this. Although the game starts with the introduction from their Prophet, it continues on into a shooting gallery for the ones who gave their Prophet a bad image, such as Osama Bin Laden. Enjoy the game, it is free for any to play, you can find it at my website, http://www.obber.com.
what da hell got into these denmark people!! are they crazy or WHAT? insulting a prophet!! thass WEAK! i mean insulting A PROPHET? some1 that god chose 2 guide us 2 the good things! Denmark deserve 2 be punished! and they will incha2allah! lets see if WE insult them or do caricatures of them nacked! they will be mad! not as mad as god is! they will be punished! we the muslims will never even think of doin such a thing! caricatures of jesus or moses cz they are prophets, WE respect the religions!!…. i h8 u DEMARK!!! I respect every religion!!
sara, 13 years old. egypt