Muslims all over the world are going bananas over a series of political cartoons European newspapers are running linking Islam to terrorism. One of the most controverisal depicts the Prophet Mohammad with a turban and a bomb ready to explode.
As offensive and degrading as these cartoons are, I am a bit confused.
Muslims are hitting back at everything European, even commercial products unrelated to the newspapers. I support boycott, even general ones, but why over some stupid cartoons? These European countries colonized Muslim lands, support Israel now, treat their Muslim citizens/ex-subjects like crap, and some even have soldiers occupying Iraq and they’re worried about cartoons?
I’m interested in hearing others’ thoughts. It is probable that since political activism is taboo in many Muslim countries, religious outrage is one way to safely bundle in frustrations stemmming from political issues.
No one likes to see their Prophet belittled, but I think God can handle it. This can’t really be about just cartoons. If it is about other issues, we as Muslims need to become more sophisticated and independent in protesting the West.
Related posts:
i think you raise an interesting issue here. I had a similar reaction to the koran abuse scandal last summer. I mean American soldiers are torturing, indefinitely detaining, summarily executing and disappearing Muslims all over the world, but the sort of inflamed passion and rage seen when Newsweek wrote the Koran story was practically unprecedented.
Posted by Krao | February 2, 2006, 10:51 amI agree that the reaction from the Muslim World seems a bit over the top, I have been asked to sign a petition here in Qatar. The threats against Europeans in Palestine, most likely there doing releif work, are ridiculous.
However, I am equally annoyed by all the European (and even one Lebanese) paper who are now running the cartoons to show support for “freedom of speach/press”. BBC had the class to show the paper out of focus.
Many hate groups and/or speach is already regualted in some European countries, and there are limits to the freedom of speach in every country. I don’t see why the Europeans are making this such an issue either.
If it is such a vital issue it would be better to print well argued editorials, rather than reprinting what are obviously inflamatory cartoons.
Posted by Laith | February 2, 2006, 11:16 amWell as long as you maintain it’s a European thing. Because the Arab press seems to have none of those pangs of concience when it comes to slandering Jews, promoting blood libels, printing racist nonsense of every stripe and type. Which is fine – I mean we know that it’s all agendized agitprop and hatespeech typically controlled by the government anyway.
So – yeah, as long as we limit our outrage to the countries that actually have a free press and we shouldn’t have any illusions let alone expectations of the arab press prattling on in its usual way, then hells yeah I’m with you.
Posted by reynaud | February 2, 2006, 11:30 aminteresting point- yes these cartoons are offensive, and i dont think they fall under the ‘right to free speech’ category because they incite hate- if the situation was flipped, and arabs for example drew bush with bomb for a cowboy hat, would people point and say: there’s democracy in the middle east for u…yay to free speech?
as for why this issue in particular, again, i dont know. if this is to be a worldwide muslim issue, then like u said, uve got not only occupation in the holy land but the dome of the rock being dug up– i dont see any muslim countries up in arms about that.
what i cant figure out is how in palestine and iraq people have come out to protest, when in fact, in terms of protesting they’ve already got their hands full with occupation etc.
Posted by الفلسطينية | February 2, 2006, 12:01 pmsupporters and haters of kabobfest alike, check out this article:
http://counterpunch.org/itani02022006.html
Posted by krao | February 2, 2006, 12:07 pmThey don’t incite hate, they capitalize on dislike that’s already laying around. I don’t think you can make a reasonable assertion that political cartoons cause a person to pick up a pipe and smash someone’s head or shopwindow, at least not if they’re otherwise not mentally defective. We too too easily grab the ‘you’re a racist’ lever as if that’s a good enough reason to silence people you don’t like. Them’s the breaks sometimes being offended since there is no constitutional right NOT to be offended. Sorry.
And before anyone tells me about Germany’s law against swastikas – that has much to do with their own shame and efforts to clean up their own societies, post WW2 than it does worrying about the possible effects on the 23 Jews left breathing in Germany after the war.
Posted by reynaud | February 2, 2006, 12:10 pmOh, Counterpunch? How many paragraphs before they say it’s some Jew’s fault? 4? 5?
Posted by reynaud | February 2, 2006, 12:12 pmRednaud,
You make every issue go back to the Jews. I’m starting to think you are anti-Semitic.
Posted by Anonymous | February 2, 2006, 12:20 pmIt’s just that if you use the screeching fuckwits at Counterpunch as a source that’s what you get. They’re just this side of claiming that Jews run their own secret moonbase, killed Elvis, JFK and Tupac and control the banks.
Posted by reynaud | February 2, 2006, 3:38 pmI was in Palestine when the story about the Koran desecration broke in Newsweek, I attended Friday prayer in the AL AQSA Mosque (dome of the rock) that Friday and witnessed protests against America and Bush, The sentiment prevalent was that these types of abuses by westerners who consider themselves so liberal minded and so much more enlightened then Arabs and Muslims was a direct insult to a people they look down upon and the protests and boycott is a reaction to uphold and defend our societies dignity.
Some comments posted above compare the depictions of the Prophet (pbuh) found in the Danish newspaper with that of cartoons of Bush found in various Arab Media, however this goes way beyond that, as believers our Love for the Prophet(pbuh) goes beyond the love of even ourselves or our mothers. This act by the Danish paper which has now been re-published in other European journals is not an expression of free speech; it is an expression of a superiority complex prevalent in Anglo-Saxon societies and is an insult to the dignity of all peoples. These types of abuses reaffirm racist views on the part of Europeans, which allow their governments to carry out such abuse like torture, killing, and occupation in the Muslim world.
Posted by reef | February 2, 2006, 9:13 pmIf caricatures making fun of the holocaust were published, all hell will break lose..and i dont support that kind of thing either because people died and thats nothing to be laughed about..
But to insult the Prophet PBUH when it is known that he is sacred to all muslims is nothing to be silent about, i think its about time muslims around the world stand up for themselves and show the whole world that its not its doormat..
i support the boycott, it shows Denmark that we are in fact a power to reckon with cuz last i heard, the boycott is causing it so much loss financially…
Posted by Anonymous | February 3, 2006, 7:27 amQuestion:
It seems like most of the efforts on this blog are to incite anger against mistreatment of arabs and Palestinians.
While I appreciate that effort, and appreciate the idea that because Israel is an ally of America, that it makes more sense to offer criticism of them than of arab countries that we consider enemies anyway, my question is this: doesn’t that kind of discount your own identification as Arab-Americans and Palestinians?
As a “European American,” I have no power whatsoever to influence the ideas in arab countries. You, on the other hand, as highly educated Arab-Americans, would seem to have some power to do so.
Is it an unfair criticism that you could do a lot more good if you focused more on the injustices and misinformation within your own community, rather than the rather more modest injustices and misinformation in countries like America and potentially in Israel?
Posted by Guest | February 4, 2006, 1:59 pmhttp://www.filibustercartoons.com/
Posted by reynaud | February 5, 2006, 7:13 pmI think that the actions of a few individuals, be they from any Middle Eastern county, Europe, United States or America or even Antarctica cannot be held and the opinion or idea of an entire culture. I personally don’t agree with what most of the leader of the world, free or otherwise, have to say.
All leaders in power, and those that want to be in power have their own agenda. It is common throughout history that these leaders surround themselve with like minded individuals.
When their constituates tire of the rhetoric and broken promises, there are either voted out of office if possible or in those kingdoms or nations where it is not possible to vote them out of office, they are eventually forced out of office.
Why is it that those religions who claim loudly that they are peaceful always turn out to be the most violent in an effort to force their belief or propgandize the masses. This is not true just for the Muslin world, but the Western world as well.
President Bush was correct in saying the US should end it’s relance of imported oil. When tat happens, I fear that the rest of the world will truly be left alone with a commodity that is no longer useful. Thus, all of the nations that have endured the American dollar will be forced to find a new means to support their masses, or not. Since most of the US dollars never make it to the needy or poor in those nations, perhaps they would be better served and looking upon themselves to insure that the opportunities and wealth from those opportunities are no longer privately held by the controlling few who make up OPEC.
I also feel that the United States will eventually be unable to educate the worlds students, feed their poor and mend their sick. The time will come when the people of these oppressed nations must take back what is theirs in the lands in which they live, not just exist, be really live. Why make war with the United States? A place where one may practice whatever religion one desires, or not practice any religion at all.
I do not hate anyone, and I feel that one should have the right to pursue whatever it is that they desire, as long as it does not interfere with my own desire to my pursuit.
True communication is the answer to this desire, not strapping a bomb on. What the hell good does that do.
It seems that the United States and the former Soviet Union staged the cold war until it was agreed that mutual destruction was not the answer.
During these times of crisis, one must rember that the destruction of one’s own life for myrterdom does not serve any valid purpose other than to mean their is at least one less voice to carry on meaningful dialog or one less man to bring about change in one’s own house.
It is not Bush or Blair they the Muslins have declared war with, it is a way of life that appears evil.
Perhaps some people really do hate Europeans, Americans or even Dogs, but that soesn’t mean that everything is evil.
I do agree with the right to free speech, but it should be tempered with common sense and an open mind. When one hears or in this case sees someone else’s opinion they should take it as just that, someone else’s opinion. But when it is published repeatedly, it is sensasionalism or just bad jounalism. Most media outlets, including CNN and Al-Jazeera are guilty as well. Even carrying this story or the ensuing rioting as a news event was in poor taste. I believe that most of the free world sees this the same way, however it was just two mens opinions that started the whole incident.
Posted by Anonymous | February 6, 2006, 5:59 pm