That cartoon depicting prophet Mohammed

[manwithnoname]

Apparently the Koran says that it's blasphemous to depict Mohammed, because you could never imagine the wonder and splendour and superioty of God or Mohammed, so anything you would draw is an insult.
...

4 months ago a Danish author writes that he could not find anyone to illustrate for a book about the life of Muhammad.

On hearing this, Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten asked people to submit their drawings of Muhammad.

They then published 12 entried in their paper
...

I do not have the full facts but Assuming Steven W and Ash McD are correct, this looks like sloppy Journalism: to ask people to do some blasphemous (I bit of research on the issue first?)- or worst possibly trying 'stir it up a bit'. Whether or not you think the Cartoon is offensive or could be found to be offensive, it is blasphemous so will be offensive to others. (btw I have not seen the cartoons ... nor will I).

I do wonder how many articles published around the world either offend people is the same country or other countries.

What kind of reaction would there have been if image was a 'normal person' in a 'normal pose' with a caption 'this is Mohammed'?

[fuddam]

did u use common sense when you chose that user name?

LOL - sharp one! way ironic in this thread

[e-LAN-go]

Just because Islam says caricatures of Mohammed is wrong doesnt mean non-Muslim papers etc should obey that,

That's not what I meant but with a sensitive subject like Islam you're only ever going get an angry reaction by doing something like that so nothing good came out of it.

The newspaper should've known better.

[RedPutty]

Many muslims to say they dont like the way that islam has been portrayed and violent when it is not.

Many muslims greet this these cartoons by storming government buildings in full terrorist uniforms and threatening to blow us up.

Slightly hypocrytical?

only if those are the same people, or are they all the same to you. The linked cartoon is offensive in that it does the same thing by equating a religion with something carried out by some people who follow it.

Its like having a cartoon of jesus abusing children because some christian priests abuse children.

The reaction is overblown yes I agree but I cant help thinking that the danish newspaper got exactly what they wanted.

Last year, Jyllands-Posten, Denmark's biggest daily newspaper, asked 40 artists to submit caricatures of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The request was not made to encourage condemnation of the historical figure or his followers, but to test whether residents were afraid of provoking Muslims. The newspaper wanted to find out whether the country's freedom of speech had been eroded by Islamic intimidation.

[chicken]

I have never been one to judge people on race, religion, etc, but what they are doing here is ridiculous. They are making themselves out as a separate group and basically saying "We are the muslims and we use threats and violence to get what we want". I know they're probably the minority, but they're the ones making the most noise, and therefore the points of reference most people will use when talking about them.

I feel that I'm becoming more and more wary of muslims just as I pass them in public, this is not through my own doing but through seeing repeated scenes of violence and threats (behead someone for publishing a cartoon?!) where the purpetrators are fighting in their name. What they are doing is hurting their people, rather than try to just get along with everyone, which requires certain sacrifices in both cultural sides.

This is what annoys me the most, these people who "fight for their cause" but are actually creating something to fight against in doing so. If we weren't being attacked, bombed, threatend, then these pictures would never have appeared as there would be no reason to be talking about their faith in a paper. If they had maybe taken legal action (if there is any?) rather than wanting to kill people for showing a few pictures, images of their people behaving violently wouldn't be all over the news. Also back at home, ordinary muslim people wouldn't be increasingly worried about their safety and freedoms around town as other people watch them suspiciously or even threaten them in response to the intimidation from the extremist minority.

If you're going to fight for a cause, you don't take actions that can fuel an opposition. You're doing it to end the need to fight, not to prove yourself right.

[autopilot]

Have the Daily Mail actually done something good for once? I heard on the radio on the way to work that they have printed various cartoons, made by Muslims for Islamic papers, which they have been printing for years. Things such as the Israeli PM depicted as Hitler and other 'offensive' stuff. Although I feel very bad about this, but I am getting increasingly for vary of Muslims myself too.

I saw a guy in London on the news who had a banner saying "Behead the cartoonists". If i had my way that guy would be evicted from this country, people like that don't deserve to be here... Oops, of yeah, free speech, blah blah...

I would not have published them if i was an Editor, i do think it was irresponsible given the posible backlash our troops may face. But these Muslims are a bunch of hypocrites, this story is making me madder by the day.

[Konan555]

It was supposed to be Mohammed? I thought it was Brian Blessed

And that comment is about as seriously as I take religion I'm afraid.

[chicken]

Heheh


I've just been thinking about this again, and I think if the Muslims don't want everyone thinking they are just a bunch of extremists that should be kicked out of the country, then those who don't think all us white infidels should be beheaded should stand up against those who are giving them all a bad name.

I'm sorry but I've had it with all this nonsense, as far as I'm concerned if they are not willing to fight for the integrity of their own group within the world, it's not our fault if they get tarred with the same brush.

[RedPutty]

I've just been thinking about this again,

uh oh..

and I think if the Muslims don't want everyone thinking they are just a bunch of extremists that should be kicked out of the country,

why would you kick someone out of the country for their religion, should you be kicked out because someone in your religous or racial group is distasteful. Where would you be kicked out to.

then those who don't think all us white infidels should be beheaded should stand up against those who are giving them all a bad name.

What do you propose your average innocent muslim should have to do to redeem himself in your eyes?

I'm sorry but I've had it with all this nonsense, as far as I'm concerned if they are not willing to fight for the integrity of their own group within the world,

Do you fight against everyone who has done something bad that happens to be in the same racial/religious group as you. Ian huntley was a white christian male, if you were also the same what should you do to prove to people passing you on the street that you aren't also a child murderer? How have you proved you havent abused prisoners in abu ghraib, or firebombed dresden or gassed jews? I'm pretty wary of you now...

it's not our fault if they get tarred with the same brush.

Its the fault of the person wielding the "they are all the same" brush...

[colincliff]

Ian huntley was a christian - i never knew that...

or do you just mean he was white?

[RedPutty]

no I listed a set of attributes, perhaps he wasnt christian - I made an assumption in the same way that chicken assumes he is passing muslims on the street because they are brown. Anyway he was definately white and male and I would like to know what chicken ( and dangerous_dom ) thinks white males should do to prove themselves so we dont have to kick them out of the country.

Ludicrous? Yes it is isn't it

[chicken]

Its the fault of the person wielding the "they are all the same" brush...

That's exactly my point, it's designed to point the finger of blame at the people who wouldn't have had these thoughts if not provoked.

I don't propose they "redeem" themselves, just that they voice their opinion as it is more likely to be heard by the extremests coming from followers of their own religion than the people they see as infidels. It's a case of being quiet isn't enough anymore, if they're going to get people to see them as separate to the extremists they need to make themselves and their opinions heard, and that is up to them.

[autopilot]

Sorry RedPutty, but you have missed my point entirely. My point was about the A) the childish hypocrisy of the situation - from both sides, and B) The paradoxical situation regarding so called 'free speech' (which is what i am guessing you misinterpreted). If you had read my first post in this thread you might understand my view point somewhat better. But there you go. Tallyho!