Why Everyone in the Civilized World Must Support ‘Everybody Draw Muhammad Day’
by Brad ThorMany people have asked if I am supporting “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day” tomorrow, May 20th. I am and two of the most moving arguments of why you should too come from the Huffington Post and Reason Magazine.
In response to Islamic reaction over the movie Fitna, which juxtaposes images of Muslim violence with passages from the Qur’an (the same passages Islamic terrorists cite as justification for their violence), writer Sam Harris at the Huffington Post penned one of the best critiques of Islam (and our refusal to engage it) I have ever read: Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks. In it, Harris rightly points out:
The controversy over Fitna, like all such controversies, renders one fact about our world especially salient: Muslims appear to be far more concerned about perceived slights to their religion than about the atrocities committed daily in its name. Our accommodation of this psychopathic skewing of priorities has, more and more, taken the form of craven and blinkered acquiescence.
There is an uncanny irony here that many have noticed. The position of the Muslim community in the face of all provocations seems to be: Islam is a religion of peace, and if you say that it isn’t, we will kill you. Of course, the truth is often more nuanced, but this is about as nuanced as it ever gets: Islam is a religion of peace, and if you say that it isn’t, we peaceful Muslims cannot be held responsible for what our less peaceful brothers and sisters do. When they burn your embassies or kidnap and slaughter your journalists, know that we will hold you primarily responsible and will spend the bulk of our energies criticizing you for “racism” and “Islamophobia.”
Our capitulations in the face of these threats have had what is often called “a chilling effect” on our exercise of free speech.
In Mark Goldblatt’s Reason Magazine article this week The Poet Versus the Prophet he expands on many of Harris’ arguments and states:
[O]ur tip-toeing around Islamic sensibilities is nothing more than plain, old-fashioned cowardice…. We lack the moral courage to walk the walk, to put our individual lives on the line in order to defend the principles of free thought and free expression—the very principles that allowed the Judeo-Christian West to leave the Islamic East in the dust, literally and figuratively, three centuries ago.
Goldblatt makes multiple excellent points throughout his piece and closes with:
Since 2001, many Americans have asked how they can contribute in a direct way to the war against totalitarian Islam. Now we have an answer. If it’s legal, and likely to offend the radicals, just do it. That seems straightforward enough. But how many of us will have the nerve to stand up to a million or so Muslim dirtbags, and to scores of millions, perhaps hundreds of millions, of their fellow travelers and psychic enablers, and say in unison, “You want to kill the Enlightenment, you’re going to have to come through me.
Islam is not above question, criticism, critique, or examination. In fact, Islam is fourteen centuries overdue for some serious questioning, criticism, critiquing, and examination. People the world over need to be reminded that the freedom of speech most certainly includes the freedom to offend. The right of non-Muslims to draw pictures of Muhammad is equaled by a right just as powerful, the right of Muslims to ignore pictures they find offensive.
Though I can’t believe I am going to quote Captain Jean Luc- Picard, there is no better way to express why tomorrow’s world-wide event is so important:
“We’ve made too many compromises already, too many retreats. They invade our space and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here! This far, no farther!”
While Picard goes on to say that he will “make them [the Borg] pay,” that’s not our job. Our job is to stand and defend free speech. No more outrageous outrage and Muslim grievance theater over cartoons, operas, and videos.
We will no longer retreat. We will no longer fall back. We will no longer demand from every other community on the face of the planet that they meet us on the playing field of civilized, rational discourse, yet carve out a special, protected, no-holds-barred zone for Islam.
It’s over. This far and no farther. No more special treatment. It is time for Islam to come into the 21st century.
This is why I support “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day.”
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933 Comments
Here's my Mohammad drawing. Be on the lookout for my "20 MO's" tomorrow.
it is as silly to draw him as it is witless to ban it…
But whatever trips your trigger. If a million or so folk sketch Mohammed it would be hard to target all of them.
And no one wants to see hatred and violence rewarded with silence and fear. Still, it would be nice if everyone could respect the religions of others…
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I don't have a facebook account and I'm not really interested in making one. But I will particpate somehow, even if I just have to draw a picture and tape it to my car.
'm going to draw the following:
Mohammed – Mosses – Jesus – with a rising sun in the background and one word below "FAITH"
Is that Mullah Omar, who, I've been assured, is being held by the Pakistanis?
I don't get the chance to do this often, but i want to say I agree completely.
It's a d-bag move to go after someones religion. It's a bigger d-bag move to be so uptight and have your priorities so screwed up that you threaten very unreligious like action because of it.
WELL WE DEFINATELY NEED TO DRAW MOHAMAD BECASUE WE LITTERALLY ARE THE ONLY POWERFULL POEPLE IN AMERICA STANDING UP SO HARD AGAINST ISLAMO-FASCHISM. WELL THEIR'S THE MUSLIM IN THE WHITE HOUSE BARACK HUSSIEN OBAMA, THE MUSLIM'S IN ARABIA TAKING ALL ARE OIL, AND WE CA'NT SAY 'BOO' ABOUT IT. AND THE MUSLIM WORLD KNOWS THIS AND THEY JUST RUNNING ROUGH-SHOT ALL OVER US. SOME TIMES I WISH I COULD BE A MUSLIM THEY GOT IT SO EASY [GOD FOREGIVE ME].
WELL LOOK BACK AT THE LAST HUNDERD YEAR'S OF THE CENTURY. WHOSE KILLED MORE VICTIM'S THAN ANY OTHER RELIGION? WELL OF COARSE ITS MUSLIMS AND IT JUST GOES TO SHOW THERE NOT THE 'RELIGION OF PEACE' THAT OBAMA ALL WAYS CLAIMS HE BELONGS TO.
You're all a bunch a pussies!
good job bosch!
Thanks.
but what if a religion defaults to terror, or a belief system always creeps to tyranny & communism or a religion has a caste system that always keeps many oppressed? not all religions or beliefs are equal…not at all.
Yes, it would– if EVERYONE did. But being human, it ain't gonna happen in our lifetimes. Wishful thinking is of little use when discussing the real world. That's why the liberals –er, progressives– don't get it and think just making nice gestures will somehow cause eveyone to play nice. They really aren't in notuch with reality.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/monkeyone/th_00-Cover-600px.jpg
also support Act for America, Frontpage and others… if you feel more 'quiet'… or afraid… they are friggin brave so support them if you cant do it yourself or feel isolated and alone in the fight. buy their books if you want something out of it… including Wafa Sutan and Brigitte Gabriel…
hurry up with pigman tooo!!! Grrrr!
Those are all very good reasons. I can't draw worth a darn, but I support all of you who are participating!
And I like the Picard quote. I always liked that quote because it was the TRUTH.
HERE, AND NO FARTHER! It applies to so much that is going on today.
Don't believe the hype. In the real world, spelling and grammar count.
The Pig will land this summer in The Infidel #1, digital comic. Be on the lookout.
I see a few possible outcomes from the response to Islamic efforts to suppress freedom of speech:
1. Islam will self-realize and reform internally to become a peaceful religion that learns to live with other religions in an non-expansionist mode.
2. The West begins to deport muslims who support islamic law, and bans all aspects of Islam that conflict with Western ideals of freedom and law.
3. The West sees an increase in terror, immigration, appeasement, and dhimmitude, ultimately leading to a state of Ummah.
4. WW3
If this list even somewhat accurately represents the possible future outcomes, ask yourself which one is the most likely? When electing government officials, which outcome will your vote support?
I have my Muhammed Cartoon done as well. I have him munching on a bagel watching tv while Jesus and Moses play foosball in the background. Where can I post it or submit it to?
My Muhammad cartoon is going to be Him standing there with an eight year old girl and a goat. The caption: No that's not my daughter that' my wife, the goat? That's my other wife.It will be a good time!
Cool!
Are you entered in the Reason contest? If so, good luck!
They don't respect our religions. The finality of respecting their religion is submission and conversion to Islam. I'm not thrilled by that. They are the ones that get bent out of shape of graven images, so yeah, if drawing images of Mo' is the easist way to bent them further out of shape, let the disrespective illustrations flow.
I am, thanks.
I'm too late to enter the Reason contest (my pics are crap manipulations, anyway). I'm just going to upload some pics to imageshack and imagevenue.
Looking forward to seeing yours… sounds funny.
I know most people here won't agree with me, but it must be said. I'll risk the negative votes. I've already thrown away any sot of a screenwriting career posting for BH, so I'll go for broke. On May 12, I wrote an email to Breitbart and many others stating the exact same sentiments here. Yet for many crucial reasons, I am now against it. We should be targeting the extremists alone as they pop up, and defend the First Amendment vigorously from Islamist threat and assaults as they occur, i.e. laser targeting of the radicals, not indiscriminate ideological shotgun blasts that hurt the innocent and guilty alike as EDMD would do.
And yes, we do have the right to draw whatever we like. We are not bound by Islamic law. That said, I do not see the need to wantonly offend the entire Muslim world with these caricatures. Many good Muslims are fighting and dying at the hands of the extremists right alongside our brave servicemen and women. Ultimately, whose purpose does EDMD serve the most, ours or the extremists? For whom is it an ideological victory in the end? Is offending the entire Muslim world and giving the extremists even more appeal worth it?
For the record, those of you know my work here know that I have railed against Islamists extremists for a year straight on this very blog. To drop EDMD is not capitulation, It is common sense. How would you Christians feel if the entire Muslim world were to intentionally draw the most insulting caricatures of Christ en masse to make a statement? Who would that hurt most, PR-wise? The Muslims or us? Great idea, bad timing for many reasons which I have elaborated on earlier today at Digital Journal. Let's use our heads and look at the Big Picture here people. This could be a huge shot in the foot, with little to gain and lots to lose.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/292215
What about drawing Muhammad, having the drawing made into postage stamps by the U.S. Postal Service, and then using those stamps to mail copies of the U.S. Constitution to our peaceful Muslim friends here in the United States?
http://www.usps.com/postagesolutions/customizedpo...
How about if we judge people as individuals, giving them the benefit of the doubt until they've proven they don't deserve it? Blanket condemnations of Islam and Muslims — or a blanket defense — isn't going to improve things. Some on the far right need to put their money where their mouth is, and follow through on their conviction. If it REALLY is that simple, then why don't we just ammend the constitution to outlaw Islam, liberalism, socialism, the Democratic Party, etc. Why NOT just cut their heads off, if they REALLY are ALL (or even most of them) that dangerous and insidious? At least people like McVeigh, Hitler, and suicide bombers had the courage of their convictions — wrong as those convictions obviously were.
Awesome!
I can't tell if you're sincerely outraged at Obama and/or Muslims, or if you're trying to be sarcastic and misrepresent those of us on the right. If you're the former, it would help greatly to not post again until you figure out where the Caps Lock button on your keyboard is.
Forget you losers. Anyone who doesn't want to be caught in the crossfire of all this, I say we all go out somewhere and bury our heads in sand.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaa hahahahahaha
0[-<
I am so there dude. Where do we send them in?
*~@:{o>
John,
Don't worry about the negative votes. If people are going to vote you down after all your work here, they've got bigger problems than you do. I get your comments, and I agree that just because you have the right to do something offensive doesn't mean you should. But I do support this, for a couple of reasons. For one thing, the Muslim world has invited this, as Thor points out, by claiming Islam is a religion of peace and then demanding an absence of anything that might be considered disrespectful, and then standing by silently while the radicals go on the rampage against those who don't "submit." For that, I say they deserve a cartoon or two. Plus, I think this has a certain practical value, in that if done on a large enough scale, it would force Muslims to put up or shut up. If they don't follow through on their threats to retaliate, well and good; if some do, at least we know who stands with us and who stands with the terrorists.
For 1500 years they've hated us all. They'll never stop. The only thing different is global media now, and we should use it to desensitize them to themselves.
Weakness is not treated kindly by muslims or Islam, they do not respect it and will attack it more.
Also, you know as well as I do that there's no need for us Christians to imagine how we would feel if the things we hold sacred in our religion were so mocked. They already are, and have been for quite some time. A few fringe yahoos react violently to these offenses, but they aren't following the teachings of the Bible, and have been repudiated by all church leaders. Is it too much to ask to apply a similar litmus test to Islam and its followers? Just a thought.
By the way, why have you forsaken a posting career at BH? Everyone enjoyed your columns.
Point well taken, T-Ray. I'm just looking at this from a War on Terror cost/benefit POV. Like I said, we need to fix the Islamist extremists firmly in our sight. Throwing ideological Molotovs burn innocent and guilty alike. Please read my linked post and feel free to comment. I said it all there. Again, like I said, anyone who knows my work knows I have taken on the extremists head on without fear.
Here's more proof from two years ago if you need it: a rant-filled post on Liveleak pulling Fitna. I targeted the offenders and their enablers, not the entire Muslim world. I made that differntiatioon then too. Ask yourself this. Who are the Muslin Greens fighting in Iran? How would they react, all things considered? Would this benefit us in Iran or Ahmadinejad? Again, Big Picture.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/252351
No, T-Rav, I'm talking about being a screenwriter. Got some industry cred and a new script coming out very soon, but given all I have said here the past year that may be a dead horse now. FYI.
Avatar, when our forces seek out and destroy terrorists in Iraq, do we snipe them or drop daisy cutters on major population centers? Ideologically it's the same thing, IMHO. Target the extremists. Why attack the largest number of Muslim victims of their terror as well? Who does that help?
Does anyone else see a very bizarre dichotomy with a Muslim dating service rotating ad juxtaposing this post? Inquiring Minds Want To Know, LOL!
Point taken. I suppose if we did manage to unite the entire Muslim world in opposition to us, that might be biting off a little more than we can chew. And normally I'm not the kind to unilaterally demean other people's faith. But I'm getting sick of all this. I'm sick of hearing about Theo van Gogh, about Pym Fortuyn, about Geert Wilders, about the riots in France and Denmark, about everything. Drawing cartoons of Mohammed may not be the most effective way of resisting Islamic terrorism, but if it at least demonstrates our refusal to be cowed into submission, then I say, maybe it's worth it. But then again, maybe it's also a good thing I'm not in charge of foreign policy, because I might be the kind to nuke first and ask questions later.
that is an individual decision. There is no real right or wrong here- other than the notion of civility towards others…
good points, all…
This is just an exercise in theory, that's all. But a little temperance seems a good thing, don't you think?
because Christianity doesn't OUTLAW anything. where do we cut off heads? Hitler was courageous? I consider someone who steps down from power, much more courageous than one who continually seeks and uses it. George Washington limiting his power… now that's courageous.
in a Christian society will you find yelling & screaming, debate & soap boxes, wrongs & rights, sinners & redemption… to and fro… but in other belief systems… you find death, genocide, slavery, terror and to keep their power… pure submission.
I made a hokey "art" submission to Reason's blog shortly after reading their initial post on the subject last month. I think the important thing to remember is that we needn't produce hateful, obscene material; there's a lot about Muhammad that can be ridiculed in a PG fashion. I don't care much for South Park, but I kind of love free speech.
Muslim sources say he promoted violence. Muslim sources say he married a child. Muslim sources establish his objectification of women and hatred of infidels. Anyone who looks to the guy as their model could stand a little playful criticism, so far as I'm concerned.
If we define allowable behavior as "things that won't offend Muslims," the West is already finished.
as said, whatever floats the boat. have at it…
Man, I thought it was a pretty good idea at first, but you do make some valid points John. My total lack of drawing ability saves me on this one.
Last word and I'm outta here. Consider this. Most in the Green movement in Iran are devout Muslims, and the Islamist extremist regime is crushing them underfoot. No one is safe, not even famed director Jafar Panahi. How do you think they would feel, looking at the bloody regime on one side, and the democratic West mocking their hly prophet en masse on the other? How does this help? Draw caricatures of Ahmadinejad instead!
The Jawa Report,http://www.mypetjawa.mu.nu, is hosting images. Use the contact link at the top of the page to email Howie, Stable Hand, or Vinnie.
here's minehttp://s1008.photobucket.com/albums/af202/conchob...
Is this a "Your Brain on Drugs" PSA?
I love it, Bosch.
And I can't wait to read The Infidel #1.
I like these: http://www.heretical.com/miscella/rcjoa.html
count me in…
If you never learn anything else from Big Hollywood again, please learn to stop using all caps, to spell correctly, and to use proper grammar.
AWESOME! You ROCK!
Brad? You're as courageous as you are cute. And damn, you're good looking!
So – I'm reactivating my Facebook. And putting Muhammad on it – with a goat!
It's official: Everybody Draw Ahmadinejad Day!
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/292238
How much better would THAT be? And it only targets an Islamist extermist everybody hates, even Muslims! Can't be bad
Thanks! I removed the , from the linkhttp://www.mypetjawa.mu.nu/
Will do… if my 'puter survives the tornadocane …. which is why I'm turning off now.
I have zero drawing ability. How about if I just change all my online avatars to the picture at the top of this article for the day?
And to those who argue we shouldn't do this because it might offend "peaceful" Muslims, these "peaceful Muslims" have utterly failed to condemn the atrocities being committed in the name of their allegedly peaceful religion. They need to learn that when massacres are being committed in the name of your faith, silent appeasement is not an appropriate response.
Funny.
I am also looking forward to finally reading The Infidel!
I can't draw, this is the best I could do.
That depends on whose definition of Christianity we're using. Freedom of religion didn't really take as a political concept until this country was founded — and even then, many conservative Republicans are CONSTANTLY asserting that our constitution was based on "Judeo-Christian values." And you know I wasn't calling Hitler "courageous," but that my point was that at least he had the guts to actually follow up on his racist hate speech with racist hate deeds. I'm just wondering out loud why so many people want to stereotype any particular belief system or political philosophy as such an immediate and evil threat, yet will do nothing but throw rhetorical molotovs in opposition to it. Many so-called Christian societies, and many so-called Christians, have done much evil in the name of doing good. It would be just as dumb to assert that religion (or even one in particular) is the cause of all the world's problems as it is to blame it all on the lack of religion (or even one in particular).
i looked back at the last hundred years of the century and saw 100 years
When's the last time you changed your mind about anything of importance, not because someone reasoned with you respectfully, but because they called you "stupid" and "evil," or use broad generalizations, oversimplifications and stereotypes to define you? I'm just saying…. ')
Hey, NORMAL GUY, I caught you at the San Francisco Tea Party protest. You were the moron crashing the protest pretending to be a "Right Wing Media" news correspondent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQp1rwzREZY
Yeehaw.
You have been saying a lot of solid things, John. I think there is import in drawing Mohammed despite the offense good Muslims take to it. They ought to be able to understand that the motivation for doing so is to display freedom of speech in the face of threats and as refutation of the cowardly response to those threats so far. It is not the fault of the West if those brave people can't get accurate media coverage of a day like tomorrow.
I'm not drawing a picture because I don't draw mean pictures of other religious figures either. But I will certainly look at them if I choose to, and in addition to the other stuff I read (Brubaker's "Cap" etc.), I am grateful for access to the work of comics guys like Bosch, even when I disagree with him. A day like tomorrow helps to widen the target from just himself.
i posted this earlier today on big government but I think it bears repeating:
I'm going to be in the minority here.
I have an issue with this. It is viscerally satisfying, but to denigrate what someone believes to be sacred is wrong.
How Many Catholics got mad when Sinead O'Conner ripped up a photo of John Paul II?
Piss Christ? Mary made of Dung? Grafitti in a Synagogue? How does goading people solve the problem? We usually get worked up about Christians and Jews getting picked on. Only difference is some Muslims fight back.
On the other hand, if we have millions of people doing this it will innundate them with potential targets and make it pointless to try any retaliation.
I don't know. I'm torn. I'm not saying it should be illegal or anything, just that I'm not going to participate.
and now new comments: I originally thought that the idea was genius, it might still be. But I hate it when my denomination gets dragged through the mud, so I refuse to do it to others.
I won't participate. I know that taking the high road will be unpopular and maybe even a waste of time. But wouldn't it be even more shocking if people plastered respectful depictions tomorrow? I have little desire to see crude subject matter and technique, but would be very interested to see uplifting and quality art.
do with my comments what you will.
I'd say you're missing the point by a country mile.
SC, points well taken. A question. How much of Big Hollywood's time is taken up responding to insults from the Lefty film industry? Is it helping or hurting them with the American public PR-wise? I rest my case
The way I see it, this action is clearly aimed at those who have dictated to us that we SHALL NOT draw Muhommad under penalty of death. The clearest way to respond is to do precisely what they have attempted to forbid us to do. If these "peaceful Muslims" are reasonable people, they will understand who this (really quite harmless to any sane person) protest is aimed at. If, instead, they are knee-jerk religious fanatics quick to take offense…well, I, for one, am not willing to walk on eggshells to accommodate such people. YMMF.
We also need to rise up against the so called fun house they want to build near ground zero. What ever they say about how wonderful it will be is a flat out lie. There are NO moderate Muslims. They just scrapped the blue prints on their web site that showed the mosque on top of the 15 story building that overlooks ground zero. We must speak out and loudly about this and our border. CLOSE the frking borders! We need hero movies with the true evil bad guys shown and defeated. Please draw and draw some more!
A little temperance is always a good thing, dcase.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."
I did that when the South Park Mo Censorship issue first came up, my little poke in the eye of terrorist scum from the safety of an internet pseudonym!
Freedom of religion was why our country was founded. The puritans, the quakers, they all needed a haven from politics. From politics! Not a total separation prohibiting religion, but making it possible always. And there is freedom of speech.
So, we have our constitutional rights to draw any photo of mohammed just as any NY Met artist has the right to put a crucifix in a bottle of urine. Until you are willing to speak out for all religions, you are drawing sides and punishing one at the expense of another.
Why not just admit it? It's not that you don't like the idea of these drawings, you just don't think they're targeted at the 'right' religion.
No need to walk on eggshells. But given that the vast majority of Muslims don't seem to feel the same as the fringe minority (regarding drawings of their prophet, etc.) anyway, what's wrong with exercising a little self-restraint so as to avoid collateral damage? Or perhaps you aren't considering just how far some are clearly willing to go in their zeal to not just offend the Islamist zealots, but all Muslims. Take a look at some of the comments around here, and you'll see a lot of Islamiphobia exhibited on a daily basis. Again, I'm just sayin'….
Super Best Friends!!!
So, what is your position on 'art works' of crosses in urine?
It's timeless.
Yes, if done voluntarily. Not if done out of cowardice. This is showing we are not afraid.
And as far as gestures go, this is much more peaceful and temperate than a car bomb in time square.
That's right. They need to be told boldly they can't force the entire world to submit, not just yet. Not even with an apostate muslim in the white house.
Nope, Omar only has one eye. Mohammed is squinting for a better view of his 6 year old wife.
It's a subtle difference, but it's the best I can do.
But does that help all the victims in the last 50 years?
And how real does it need to be, before it flips from hype to reality for you?
Have you been to see ground zero?
I'll treat your comment with the respect you treat this issue (thumbs up), I agree in principle and in a perfect world would never go out of my way to mock someones most important beliefs. But this is a far from perfect world and this may be my only way to say 'enough'.
"Only difference is some Muslims fight back." That quote is quite an understatement, it was more then some and more then a 'fight back', they killed innocent people, burned property and threaten more of the same in quite a number of countries. And IIRC the worst thing I heard was some guys shot a Nun (who had dedicated most of her life to helping the people there (Africa?)) in the back because someone else halfway around the world drew some pictures they found offensive.
At the very least I see this as a lot of people in the West standing up together and saying we will not let Islamic Terrorist dictate to us what we can say, what we can draw, what we can watch. It might not change any of their minds, but it will make us feel better.
I think it will come to #4. Only because we're not smart enough to understand our enemy.
We need to educate ourselves on the concept of 'Al-taqiyya' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfPbz9mQ5fw
They not only have a brutal religion, but one that teaches them it's a good thing to lie and cover as long as possible until it's too late for us to respond.
Can you give the world a fool proof way of identifying the extremists and the moderates that only cover for them and allow them to continue?
Until we can differentiate we need to first guarantee the safety of our troops. And make sure that we are there for a good reason when we go in.
But once we go in, our safety should be the priority. Weakness is a bad thing to show to any muslim.
Exactly, touche!
I'm not sure how to take your comment.
If every moment of BH was busy responding to insults from hollyood, and the 'hits' kept coming in it would be a good use of free speech.
Evil doesn't need to be supported, but unopposed. I'm not the first to think along those lines.
PR wise? They have a spot for patriots and rational thinkers. That's better than some websites.
Very funny. Really, it was!
I know that I was minimizing but it was an effort to show the number
of radicals is low (I hope) when compared to the overall number of
Muslims around the world.
Yes it will make you feel better, but will accomplish little else, I fear.
I have no issue with the freedom to do so, I just wish we could
exercise the freedom and be respectful at the same time.
But bottom line the radicals will be pissed either way. I just want to
be able to respect ourselves in the morning.
But it's not historically accurate, or factually accurate.
And Jews don't go around planting car bombs, or suicide vests.
Who should we resist most actively I wonder? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkJHerqPKq0&pl...
John – I also see merit in your points about Iran and appreciate how you've argued them. My concern is that you're warning against demoralizing the Iranian opposition when our president, whose voice carries more symbolic power overseas than all ours combined, is too busy coddling Ahmadinejad's government to even consider toppling it. It's tough for me to imagine American doodles demoralizing further than Obama's disinterest already has.
More importantly, this issue stretches far beyond Iran. Whatever happens to Ahmadinejad, Islam is a rapidly growing religion whose central tenets are incompatible with democracy and whose loudest adherents respond to shoddy cartoons with rioting, firebombing, and murder. How can we hope for any reformation of Islam from within if we allow the extremists to define the bounds of conversation – even for outsiders?
Most that can draw well enough can manage to do both.
And the green party people understand why we hate the extremists.
First hand.
"But given that the vast majority of Muslims don't seem to feel the same as the fringe minority (regarding drawings of their prophet, etc.) anyway, what's wrong with exercising a little self-restraint so as to avoid collateral damage?"
Because I WANT to spit in the face of those who threaten me with death if I don't obey their demands and try to use their religion to justify their barbarity. If drawing pictures of Ahmadinejad would work, I'd be happy with that…but they didn't tell me not to draw Ahmadinejad, now did they.
And if the "vast majority" of sane and peaceful Muslims doesn't share the fanatic fringe's outrage at drawings of Muhommad, then what's the problem?
"Take a look at some of the comments around here, and you'll see a lot of Islamiphobia exhibited on a daily basis."
So what? Blind hatred of Islam is bad, m'kay? But I don't see those guys blowing up marketplaces or flying airliners into office buildings. There IS a difference between speech and murder, you know.
If we in the West, specifically the US, can put up with something as stupid as "Piss Christ" (some here may recall that stupid piece of "artwork"), then drawing ole Mohammad shouldn't be a problem. Welcome to the West.
Buckwheat (may I call you Buckwheat? haha) – as a Christian, I can definitely see where you're coming from. And there are similarities you mention that are worth considering; the level of ridiculousness we see in attacks on Jesus and Catholic figures is far beyond what it takes to offend a Muslim because our culture is so much freer, but it's a difference of degree.
One point I would offer: I believe that Christianity is true and other faiths are false, or I wouldn't be a Christian. This doesn't give me carte blanche to offend, and perhaps joining in with Everybody Draw Muhammad Day is a mistake. However, keep in mind the things Muhammad did and said. If we cannot criticize a murderous pedophile because others think said murderous pedophile was the greatest man who ever lived, we have forfeited any ability to defend right and wrong.
That's too much to do in the name of being "nice."
Excellent point, Roger. We see a cross in urine and we rant and rave, and we fume and grumble…but the "art work" is still allowed. And we do NOT make it our mission to kill the artist…and everyone who looks like him.
Yours is perhaps the best reasoning I have heard.
I still won't participate and believe we can point out and oppose the
evil and sacrelige without crossing the line ourselves. I know they
are not equivalent, but we can be better than to do it this way.
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