Malygris on 3/2/2006 at 13:30
There were other cartoons, I think 12 in all, but the one posted by GBM seems to be the most inflammatory. Although that may just be a "western perspective," since the upset seems to come as much from the fact that any depiction of Muhammad is forbidden.
It's just inconceivable to me that any kind of mainstream religion would burn flags, riot, and threaten bombings and kidnappings because of a newspaper cartoon. And without wanting to sound too "extreme," I find it very difficult to respect a culture which so clearly has no respect for my own.
SubJeff on 3/2/2006 at 13:33
Much as I hate to be on Convict's side, I have to agree that this is a very dissappointing and dangerous development.
I'm not surprised at the Palestinian response though. There is a distinct lack of logic in that region (what with them voting in a party who pledge to destroy Israel, like that is a. ever going to happen and b. oh shi wat happen my dipolmacy now?).
I think some serious arrests need to happen and some serious talking to needs to go on. There has to be some education here. Apart from the idiocy there is the sheer hypocracy of these fanatics - they are perfectly happy to desecrate holy places belonging to other faiths but do anything even slightly iffy concerning thier's and OH JIHAD. You want us to respect your faith, then you show us some respect. Oh, and STFU.
Hesche on 3/2/2006 at 13:58
Press freedom, yeah right.
Why don´t they show any footage when there´s a court hearing about child porn?
Why does western media call not showing public beheadings or videos of kidnappees "responsible coverage"?
Because this self-censorship is tactful. Because it would be tasteless and heavy-handed to show that kind of stuff. So why not respecting other people´s feelings and hold yourself back on this one? Do it once, get a public clyster, apologize, done.
But jumping the bandwagon to save the western hemisphere 4 months after the actual event isn´t about press freedom. That´s some he-stole-my-sandbox mold-game.
Also today is the "International Day of Wrath" because of this whole shebang. SO WHERE´S THE UNIQUE GOOGLE MAKEUP FOR THIS SPECIAL DAY?
Quote Posted by Malygris
I find it very difficult to respect a culture which so clearly has no respect for my own.
That´s probably what "they" are thinking too. Good God, I´m getting Strontium Doged about this subject.
BEAR on 3/2/2006 at 14:20
The problem seems to me that they cant laugh at themselves. Alot of religious people are like this sadly, where as I can laugh at myself for near anything, and I can stand to be laughed at. When you take yourself so seriously, bad shits going to happen.
As far as what to do about it, I say we just build a huge wall around the middle east and get on with our shit, this is getting old. OMG DONT PISS OFF THE MUSLIMS! WE MUSNT PISS OFF THE MUSLIMS!
Are they just bored? No infidels to rage at today, the best they can do is get pissed about a cartoon? At first I can imagine christians getting this upset over a god related cartoon, but I dont know.
Paz on 3/2/2006 at 15:00
Oh man, this brings up so many issues at once I don't even know what to do.
Ok .. ok, let's start with the cartoons. These are basically kinda crappy cartoons, aren't they? I mean LOL MUSLIMS = BOMBS is about as good as LOL JEWS = MONEY in the joke stakes, really. However, rubbish cartoons are a newspaper standard.
People turning up to fire guns in the air in response to crappy cartoons is ... less standard. Five month old crappy cartoons, even. Since I don't even understand Christian anger toward "Jerry Springer: The Opera", there's no way I can even conceive being this motivated by rage against comedy.
I suppose this is where we slide into cultural studies. The UK has a proud and fabulous tradition of utterly ripping the piss out of anyone in a position of power (be they government, religion, business figure - whatever). This is excellent and healthy. It also leads to some terribly lazy jokes on "Have I Got News For You", but that's a price we have to pay.
I'm guessing this tradition may be missing in, say, Iran. Which is a terrible shame, but may go some way toward explaining (though not excusing) a response which looks MASSIVELY OVERBLOWN. Due to the fact that it is, in fact, MASSIVELY OVERBLOWN.
Anyway. "Jerry Springer: The Opera" is crucial. "South Park" is crucial. "Behtzi" is crucial. If someone works on the laughs a bit, satirising Islam will also be crucial.
{edit} Just remembered, Omid Djalili does that pretty well. He's just one guy though - and I'm sure he doesn't want to be pigeonholed as THAT GUY WHO DOES THE COMEDY ABOUT IRAN. {/edit}
In short; HANDS OFF MY PRECIOUS COMEDY, RELIGIOUS NUTTERS.
SubJeff on 3/2/2006 at 15:27
The thing is Paz it's not even the MUSLIMS=BOMB LOL that they are getting wound up by. It's pics of Mohammed. I'd have more tolerance if they were getting wound up about bomb jokes, but this seems to be a more complex issue than that. There are soooo many factors in this and these nuts can't make up thier minds what the hoo haa is all about.
1. Pics of Mohammed = HI I'M NOT MUSLIM AND THIS ISN'T A MUSLIM COUNTRY so get over it. What, am I not allowed to eat bacon either? Get out.
2. Mohammed is being mocked = no, the mockery is of the idiots who choose to kill in his name AND IT'S NOT RELIGIOUS IN ANY WAY - IT'S JUST YOUR EXCUSE.
3. Threats to foreigners and burning of flags = HELLO, IS ANYONE HOME? A. IT'S NOT THE COUNTRY, B.IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THOSE PARTICULAR PEOPLE. And just how is this going to diffuse the view that Muslim fanatics just freak out and go nutso in the name of Mohammed, when you are all freaking out and going nutso in the name of Mohammed?
4. Jesus? Jesus is a Muslim prophet too so why am I not surprised that you guys don't draw satirical comics about him. BUT THE TALIBAN DESTROYED BUDDHIST STATUES AND THE PALESTINIANS DESECRATED JOSPEH'S TOMB. OH WHERE WAS THE MUSLIM VOICE THEN EH?
Ahem. As you can tell, this has me :mad:
Jack Straw is a snivelling wimp. Grow some balls man, for G_d's sake!!
SD on 3/2/2006 at 15:56
I am pretty :mad: too. Muslims in the Middle East are doing a good job of justifying all the worthless stereotypes that typically get thrown at them.
HOWEVER, it is worth noting that:
(a) there are a good majority of Muslims in the West who couldn't really give two shits about these cartoons
(b) Christians aren't exactly blameless where this sort of thing is regarded - remember the riots when the BBC aired Jerry Springer: The Opera?
Convict on 3/2/2006 at 16:01
Isn't that a matter of trying to censure your own country with the state religion as your religion (Christianity), rather than being of a different religion to the state religion and being in another country?
Quote Posted by SE
the mockery is of the idiots who choose to kill in his name AND IT'S NOT RELIGIOUS IN ANY WAY - IT'S JUST YOUR EXCUSE.
Can you please clarify what you think their reason is for suicide bombings? Do you believe it is because of Western interference or something else?
