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The Hypocrisy of the Cartoon Controversy

5.7K views 105 replies 41 participants last post by  buddyholly  
#1 ·
Religion is always controversial, so are western media groups.

I didn’t intend to blog on this thorny issue because I never understand why some westerners behave dumb when it comes to religious sensitivities. More than half the world’s problems arise from religious intolerance and just don’t understand why people who preach peace on one side instigate hatred on other.

Globe and Mail ran a survey with the question “If you owned a newspaper, would you have published a cartoon depicting the Prophet Mohammed? 50% of them shamefully said “yes”. Where are the values that Canada has been built on, why do 50% of readers think its ok to insult a religion?

Western media and businesses have a tradition of insulting Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. I wonder if the same media and businesses that have insulted these religions have the nerve to draw images of Jesus and Virgin Mary in nude and call it art, put their images on toilet bowls, bikini’s, sandals and make sexual jokes about them. I have never seen anything like that, not even when the news everyday was about priests in Churches across North America being accused of Pedophilia, so why the hell insult other religions and call it frigging freedom of expression.

India is a country where 85% are Hindus, but when the Pope came to India trying to convert Hindus to Christians they gave him a red carpet welcome to respect the beliefs and faith of 5% Christians who live in India. Tolerance and freedom of expression is not only how you react to other people’s comments, but it is also how you treat other people with your comments and actions. Those who think they can insult the faith and beliefs of other people and hide under the cover of this FofE should feel ashamed of their lives and values. In most cases these papers do these to improve sagging sales of the newspaper, as controversy always sells.

Leave religion alone, we already have enough global problems because of it, is our creativity limited to insults and religious intolerance?

Millions of Muslims around the world are protesting against these cartoons and the governments of many Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Libya, Syria, Pakistan have protested with Denmark. What have these governments done to prevent the spread of violence and terrorism against Israel, India, US, UK and other countries? What have they done to promote religious tolerance and freedom in their own countries? While Saudi Arabia has withdrawn its ambassador from Denmark in protest of these cartoons that appeared in a paper not even owned by the government, Saudi does not allow its residents to even wear a cross or read a bible. Why the hypocrisy?

And as one blogger put it eloquently

“And why are more Muslims apparently outraged over some goofy cartoons that were drawn thousands of miles away than they are about beheadings and suicide bombings that occur in their own backyard?”


Why? You are all hypocrites but I think the western media is the easier of the two, who will understand it than the fanatics. So can we put an end to this practice of insults to religions.

What do you think?
 
#2 ·
I already told you I'm not a religious person myself, so I don't think I have the right to express my opinion about it.

I'm just going to say that one thing is freedom of speech and another thing insulting someone. There's a very thin line between them. And unfortunately these people that created the cartoon and decided to publish it crossed said line.

As for hypocrisy? I'd say it's like a bullet that has just come off a weapon: you cannot stop it.

That's all, just because you asked for it. :p
 
#3 ·
AgassiDomination said:
What do you think?
I think you are probably right - except for the bit about Western art not being offensive to Christians. What about the ''Piss Christ'' and the ''Elephant Dung Virgin Mary''?

Anyway, I am now afraid to draw a conclusion. Someone might burn down the Thai Embassy in Damascus.
 
#8 ·
It now appears that Anne Frank is to blame for the cartoons . . .

Last update - 16:27 05/02/2006
Dutch Islamists post cartoons depicting Anne Frank, Hitler in bed
By News Agencies

A Belgian-Dutch Islamic political organization posted anti-Jewish cartoons on its Web site in response to the cartoons of the prophet Mohammed that appeared in Danish papers last year and offended many Muslims.

The cartoons were posted on the Arab European League's site on Saturday. It was not working Sunday morning because of exceeded bandwidth.

The cartoons depicting Mohammed wearing a turban-shaped bomb were first published in Denmark, and then in newspapers elsewhere in Europe in a show of solidarity with press freedoms.

The Islamic site carried a disclaimer saying the images were being shown as part of an exercise in free speech rather than to endorse their content - just as European newspapers have reprinted the Danish cartoons.

One of the AEL cartoons displayed an image of Dutch Holocaust victim Anne Frank in bed with Adolf Hitler, and another questioned whether the Holocaust actually occurred.

Dyab Abou Jahjah, the party's founder and best-known figure, defended the
action on the Dutch television program Nova Saturday.

"Europe has its sacred cows, even if they're not religious sacred cows," he told the program.

Denying the Holocaust is illegal under most European hate speech laws, which outlaw intimidating or inciting hatred toward groups on the basis of their ethnic, cultural, religious or sexual identity. Complaints about alleged hate speech are common but prosecutions are rare and convictions very rare.

The AEL espouses nonviolence but has gained a reputation for extremist views, and opposes Muslims integrating with non-Muslims. It promotes the
participation of Muslims in political dialogue in European countries, but is internally divided as to whether or not to participate in elections directly.

Lebanese torch Danish consulate in Beirut
Lebanese demonstrators set the Danish mission in Beirut on fire Sunday to protest against the publication by European newspapers of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, a Reuters witness said.

A cloud of black smoke was billowing from the site. The images of the prophet, forbidden in Islam, first appeared in a Danish newspaper.

Lebanese security forces fired tear gas at demonstrators outside the Danish mission, and witnesses reported several casualties.

Thousands of protesters took part in the protest but only a small group of Islamic extremists tried to break the security barrier, prompting troops to fire tear gas and water cannons from fire engines to try to disperse them, said the official. Troops also fired repeatedly in the air and over the protesters' heads to keep the protesters away.

Witnesses said at least seven wounded protesters were carried away in ambulances.

Also Sunday some 300 Muslim Turks marched to the Danish consulate in Istanbul to protest caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad printed in European newspapers, lobbing eggs at the building.

In a separate incident in Istanbul some 2,000 Shi'ite Muslims gathered at a city square for a separate protest, chanted slogans and burned an effigy of Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen before heeding police calls to disperse.

Scandinavian countries protest torching of embassies in Syria
Denmark, Norway and Sweden protested to Syrian authorities on Saturday for failing to protect their diplomats after demonstrators angered by the cartoons set fire to their embassies.

Denmark, where a newspaper initially sparked the furor last September by publishing the cartoons, one of which depicted the prophet wearing a turban resembling a bomb, advised its citizens to leave Syria and said it was pulling out its diplomats.

Norway said it was taking similar steps.

The United States on Saturday sharply condemned the attacks and blamed Syria for their occurences. According to the U.S., Syria should have taken preliminary steps to protect the embassies.

The attacks on the embassies of Denmark, Sweden and Norway were the most violent so far of the protests against the caricatures.

No diplomats were reported injured in the attacks.

Riots in Palestinian territories
Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinians stormed European institutions and burned German and Danish flags in Gaza City.

About two dozen protesters stormed the German cultural center Saturday morning, smashing windows, breaking doors and burning the German flag. Down the street, about 30 Palestinians threw stones at the European Commission building, and replaced the EU flag with a Palestinian flag, before police brought them under control.

In the West Bank town of Hebron, about 50 Palestinians marched to the headquarters of the international observer mission there, burned a Danish flag, and demanded a boycott of Danish goods.

"We will redeem our prophet, Mohammed, with our blood,' they chanted.

EU calls on PA to halt attacks
In Brussels on Saturday, the European Union called on the Palestinian Authority to protect EU buildings from attack.

"The Commission expects the Palestinian authorities to ensure that European premises are properly protected," the EU said. "The Commission deeply regrets that Europeans who are working to bring a better life to Palestinians should be the subject of such attacks."

The United States condemned the cartoons, siding with Muslims outraged that newspapers put press freedom over respect for religion. "We ... respect freedom of the press and expression but it must be coupled with press responsibility. Inciting religious or ethnic hatreds in this manner is not acceptable," said State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper.

Major U.S. publications have not republished the cartoons.
 
#9 ·
Intellectually, I don't see why we would have to "leave religion alone". Religion should be opened to discussions and criticism like any other topic. It's possible to criticize a religion while respecting people who believe in that religion. Those 2 are not incompatible.

The cartoons... Cartoons are a powerful tool to express an idea quickly. Is it provocative? Well... 90% of the time, yes. That's the point. It's there to provoke a quick emotion and make you think at the same time. The problem is that a lot of people do NOT have the intellectual ability to take a distance from a cartoon and to try to understand the message behind it.

Are those cartoons disrespectful to people of faith? I don't think they are. Given what's happening now, I think those cartoons are deliciously sublime.
 
#10 ·
Agassi, and you're not even discussing Kanye West's "Jesus" cover?

Just wondering, I could care less about cartoon or Kanye....I lack any inclinations as far as organized religion goes.
 
#12 ·
kapranos said:
Intellectually, I don't see why we would have to "leave religion alone". Religion should be opened to discussions and criticism like any other topic. It's possible to criticize a religion while respecting people who believe in that religion. Those 2 are not incompatible.

The cartoons... Cartoons are a powerful tool to express an idea quickly. Is it provocative? Well... 90% of the time, yes. That's the point. It's there to provoke a quick emotion and make you think at the same time. The problem is that a lot of people do NOT have the intellectual ability to take a distance from a cartoon and to try to understand the message behind it.

Are those cartoons disrespectful to people of faith? I don't think they are. Given what's happening now, I think those cartoons are deliciously sublime.
I agree.
Freedom of speech is the most important thing and it should be possible to criticize religion.

And in any case, seen the way the muslims react, they simply confirm what was in the cartoons.

The West should be very firm about not accepting the reactions in muslim countries. Burning down a country's embassy is a very bad thing to do, not at all in proportion with the cartoons.
In international law, this is very very bad! Just imagine if we burnt down the embassy of Syria in a Western European country. They would drop a bomb on us.
 
#13 ·
kapranos said:
Intellectually, I don't see why we would have to "leave religion alone". Religion should be opened to discussions and criticism like any other topic. It's possible to criticize a religion while respecting people who believe in that religion. Those 2 are not incompatible.

The cartoons... Cartoons are a powerful tool to express an idea quickly. Is it provocative? Well... 90% of the time, yes. That's the point. It's there to provoke a quick emotion and make you think at the same time. The problem is that a lot of people do NOT have the intellectual ability to take a distance from a cartoon and to try to understand the message behind it.

Are those cartoons disrespectful to people of faith? I don't think they are. Given what's happening now, I think those cartoons are deliciously sublime.
Criticism is fine, mockery isn't.
 
#15 ·
Socket said:
It now appears that Anne Frank is to blame for the cartoons . . .
I think that Aboe Jah Jah is just enjoying the hell out of this sort of thing and seeking controversy. I saw an interview with him yesterday and all he was doing was putting oil on the fire. :rolleyes:

It's not a matter of blaming Anne Frank for the cartoons, though. Jah Jah says that he believes in the freedom of speech but he puts up insulting Anne Frank cartoons on their own website (cartoons that question the holocaust) just to give the Western media a dose of its own medicine: if you can lash out, you've got to be able to receive it as well.
 
#16 ·
AgassiDomination said:
Criticism is fine, mockery isn't.
We could on during hours about what is fine and what isn't. But what is really important is how must people react when they see something they don't consider "fine".

There are things that I see everyday that offend me, that I don't consider to be "fine". But because I'm civilized, I react appropriately.

Wait, did I mention the word "civilized".

Lolz.
 
#17 ·
AgassiDomination said:
Criticism is fine, mockery isn't.
Then maybe followers of organized religion should refrain from activities that invite such mockery.

Christians, Muslims...whatever they may be. Hypocrisy should be mocked whenever it is encountered.

Burning embassies is not an acceptable response, no better than pro-lifer Christian nutcases bombing womens' medical clinics....

Its so easy to be agnostic in this day and age.
 
#18 ·
michelleg said:
Then maybe followers of organized religion should refrain from activities that invite such mockery.

Christians, Muslims...whatever they may be. Hypocrisy should be mocked whenever it is encountered.

Burning embassies is not an acceptable response, no better than pro-lifer Christian nutcases bombing womens' medical clinics....

Its so easy to be agnostic in this day and age.
For the record, I don't support suicide bombings and the like.
 
#20 · (Edited)
There's plenty of things that they do which offend us - we take it on the chin and don't retaliate.

When christians do stuff (not intentionally) its wrong.

And now they're rioting and God knows what else.

The Muslims rioting give a bad name for all of us "good" muslims. Not all of us are like that. I can understand and be subjective about it. Other Muslims can too!

Narrow minded gits!
 
#21 ·
Great blog on the cartoon controversy:

http://www.cagle.com/news/BLOG/main.asp

Image


And of course Iran has to prove to the world that it's still stuck in the 6th century:

Iranian Paper Plans Holocaust Cartoons
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060207...artoons;_ylt=AgOEjNi6UqTtRW6SBnnpq_QDW7oF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

The dirty secret here is that many Middle Eastern countries routinely mock and insult non-Muslim countries with their own political cartoons so I don't see why this latest crop of anti-West cartoons would cause any reaction other than a yawn.

You certainly won't see any Christians or Jews rioting, killing people, or burning up embassies in protest.

And somebody please inform these crazies that writing placards in English threatening to kill "infidels" doesn't exactly prove the original cartoon wrong, does it?

Image

Image
 
#22 ·
stupid and tasteless cartoons, even worst and disgusting reactions :shrug:
 
#23 ·
tangerine_dream said:
Great blog on the cartoon controversy:

http://www.cagle.com/news/BLOG/main.asp

Image


And of course Iran has to prove to the world that it's still stuck in the 6th century:

Iranian Paper Plans Holocaust Cartoons
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060207...artoons;_ylt=AgOEjNi6UqTtRW6SBnnpq_QDW7oF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

The dirty secret here is that many Middle Eastern countries routinely mock and insult non-Muslim countries with their own political cartoons so I don't see why this latest crop of anti-West cartoons would cause any reaction other than a yawn.

You certainly won't see any Christians or Jews rioting, killing people, or burning up embassies in protest.

And somebody please inform these crazies that writing placards in English threatening to kill "infidels" doesn't exactly prove the original cartoon wrong, does it?

Image

Image
... and don't forget gay people in most muslim countries :mad: :sad:
 
#25 ·
I think there's a positive from this entire debacle, and that's that there can no doubt in any Westerner's mind what the values of a sizeable majority of Muslims are, and those values are not consistent with Western values.
 
#26 ·
artlinkletter said:
"Europe, you will pay bin laden is way?" What does that mean?? Do they mean Bin Laden's way?
I think it means "Bin Laden is the way." In other words, flying jumbo jets filled with passengers into skyscrapers filled with office workers is justified.

I wonder if the people who are holding these signs comprehend what they are saying about themselves, their religion, and their values.