The Cartoon
I'm probably the last person to post on it, but here's my penny's worth:
It was no surprise to see the riots. It was no surprise to see the announcement of the Iranian Holocaust Cartoon Contest. And it won't be any surprise when more people die. But for what? To prove what a great thing freedom is? If anything, I'd say these cartoons make the case for censorship, rather than freedom. Just because you "can" print a cartoon that ticks off millions of people doesn't mean you "should". It reminds me of a 16-year-old kid in his mom's car dumping the clutch at every stoplight. Trying to be cool, but you just look like an idiot. I read on another blog (I lost the link) that we should print cartoons about all the Japanese who vaporized in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, or maybe the kids who have died from leukemia. Always good for a laugh.
The last I saw, 5 people are dead because of protests related to these cartoons. You say the Muslims are over-reacting. Maybe you're right. But they wouldn't have been there if some pinhead didn't think printing his cartoon was more important than lives. At the risk of sounding like Rodney King, we all live in this world together so we might as well make the most of it and try getting along instead of stoking the fire every day.
posted by DErifter @ 2/06/2006 10:17:00 PM
6 Comments:
Wow... how UNamerican of you! :)
I think you're on to something here, though. The problem, of course, is convincing everyone. Alas, I think the reality is that as long as people have the freedom to poke fun at someone else they will. And like a little brother (I know, I am one) when you get a reaction, it only makes it all the better.
It seems that the best use of the media hype here, for Christians, is to realize that this is displaying the glorious difference between Christ and Muhammed; between Christians and Muslims; between true religion that pleases God and the man-made, man-centred religion on Islam.
Well I don't think I'll be hopping on THAT bandwagon just yet. I'd rather sit down and talk reasonably with a muslim about our differences than say, "Our religion is better because we don't over-react and kill people." I know I'm over-simplifying what you said, but when a "Christian" man or woman kills an abortionist, how much better is that? I don't know if that's an over-reaction, but it's a wrong reaction.
Bin Laden with a bomb-turban would have been more appropriate, (though still not funny) and would not have offended the millions of peaceful muslims in the world who don't want to be associated with him. Muhammed in that cartoon was excruciatingly inappropriate.
I think probably our best course of action would be to distance ourselves from the stupidity of the media, and say, "That's not us!"
Remember, our enemies are not flesh and blood. It's not these people.
"UNamerican?"
Why I oughta...
No, just kidding. Coming from another American, those would almost be fightin' words, but I think I know how you meant it. "How different from what would typically be expected from the stereotypical American"
At least that BETTER be how you meant it. Otherwise, why I oughta...
I did a search through the Koran on unbelievers and here a few of the results notice number 2. So was this cartoon so incorrect? I am no expert on the Koran but from what I have read else where and seen in the Koran it does seem like it teaches a lot of war like tendency to the people who read it. Now I would like to say these cartoons where in bad taste but how many derogatory thing are published about Christians and we are not out rioting and killing people.
The Family of Imran
[3.28] Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully; and Allah makes you cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and to Allah is the eventual coming.
The Immunity
[9.123] O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil).
The Clan
[33.1] O Prophet! be careful of (your duty to) Allah and do not comply with (the wishes of) the unbelievers and the hypocrites; surely Allah is Knowing, Wise;
The Koran does teach to fight against infidels, I'm not saying it doesn't- but a quick trip through the Bible will yield many verses where God is ordering the annihilation of entire races of people. But that's not my point. I'm not trying to make it a Christian vs Muslim thing, I'm saying it's a stupid vs smart thing or maybe kind vs mean.
Doing something you know will cause anger in someone else, and doing it for no good reason, is both mean and stupid. What good came from the publishing of those cartoons? What was the best we could have hoped for as the result of it? If there was some good reason it may still have been mean, but maybe not stupid. I don't see any way that good could have come from it.
Man I haven't sounded so cranky in a long time.
hehe... I guess the thing to recognize is that the people who published the cartoons are NOT Christian. The display of difference between Christians and Muslims is in the way we react when people mock Christ (every day) and when people mock Muhammad (in a cartoon!!).
Our religion is founded on one who was mocked... and said not a word--at least until he asked the Father to forgive them.
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