Q&A: The cartoons row

[barb162]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theissues/article/0,,1704102,00.html

As international protests over the publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad continue to spread, we look at how it began

Staff writers
Tuesday February 7, 2006


How did this all start?

In September 2005, Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper based in Aarhus, decided to publish a page of drawings depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammad. According to the paper's arts editor, Flemming Rose, the exercise was inspired by a conversation with the Danish comedian Frank Hvam, who said he did not dare make fun of the Qur'an. Furthermore, a children's author, Bent Blüdnikow, had said that all the illustrators he approached to work on his book about the prophet would only work anonymously. The result was a series of 12 cartoons depicting Muhammad, published on September 30 on page 3 of the paper's second section.
snip

What happened next?

The editor received a number of angry letters but little else until, in mid-October, three of the artists were sent death threats. The threats were widely reported in Denmark and prompted anti-Muslim comments on chatshows. A week later there was a demonstration involving 5,000 people in Copenhagen and diplomats from Islamic nations complained to the Danish prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen. His initial reaction was that it was inappropriate for the government to get involved in an issue of press freedom. A group of ultra-conservative imams went to Saudi Arabia and Egypt with a dossier of the cartoons. According to Jyllands-Posten, they also took three unrelated images which showed Muhammad with the face of a pig, a dog sodomising a praying Muslim and Muhammad as a paedophile - it is not clear who drew these or where they came from.

snip

[madeline_con]

1. Here's what I don't get...

The protest is supposedly over the forbidden act of portraying the Prophet, "to prevent idolatry".

How does a cartoon inspire idolatry?

If the cartoons made fun of Jews, would there be a bigger protest, cries of "hate crime" and "anti-Semitism"? I believe there would be.

[barb162]

3. But Mideast papers portray Jews in disparaging ways often.

Do you see any Jews attacking Mideast embassies, consulates, etc.

The idolatry thing...sorry, I am not sure but I just think that's about no pictorial representations.

[PsychoDad]

10. But how often....

But how often do you see muslim or arab publications showing Moses in an offensive light? Or Jesus?

Never.

Muslims are drawn and portrayed in offensive ways in many, many publications everyday. There is almost never any outrage of this that I can think of. This was not "just a muslim" this was Muhammad(peace be upon him), and that was where the anger came from.

Peace.

[Nickster]

11. You can't actually be serious about that.

Muslim/Arab publications NEVER show Moses or Jesus in an offensive light?? Let's be serious. As if repeatedly calling for the destruction of Israel wasn't offensive enough.

Isn't it true that it's blaspheme for a Muslim to portray Muhammad, but not for a non-believer to do so? Must the entire world bow to whims of the Muslim religion now?

[PsychoDad]

14. Totally serious

"Muslim/Arab publications NEVER show Moses or Jesus in an offensive light??"

They don't. Find me an example otherwise.

"Isn't it true that it's blaspheme for a Muslim to portray Muhammad, but not for a non-believer to do so? Must the entire world bow to whims of the Muslim religion now? "

No, nor would I expect them to. As a point of historical fact, Muhammad has been portrayed by Muslims and non-muslims before without any incident of outrage.

I was simply pointing out where the Muslims found the cartoons offensive: Not because they portrayed a muslim in a negative light, nor was it even the portrayal of Muhammad, but because they portrayed Muhammad in what was calculated to be an offensive light.

And not all Muslims or Muslim publications call for the destruction of Israel, just as not all Danes or Danish publications go out of their way to offend Muslims.

Peace

[neuvocat]

2. As if they aren't outraged enough over Iraq

the Danes not only posted an incendiary cartoon but also dodged any repsponsiblity for it.

[barb162]

4. they said they were sorry

did you read the last sentence of the link about the 3 extra cartoons?

[neuvocat]

7. You need to read the article.

Some major points:

One:

"...on January 10, a Christian publication in Norway, Magazinet, printed some of the images."

Two
Ironically, it appears that that move, aimed at ending the dispute, propelled it on to an entirely different level. A number of rightwing European newspapers believed the Danish were caving in and decided to republish the images to show they would not be cowed."


"Die Welt put the image of the Muhammad with the fizzing turban bomb on its front page. Papers in France, Spain, Italy and Switzerland followed suit."


Now if you look at this abusive behavior, you'd really have to question the sincerity of the "apology" to begin with.

And finally:

"Why hasn't the Guardian published the images?

Although the BBC has shown images of some of the foreign newspapers' reporting of the dispute in its coverage, no British newspaper has printed any of the images. The Guardian, in a leader, argued that although free speech was hard-won and essential to liberty, the option to print images that some would find insulting did not imply it was obligatory to print them merely because it was controversial."

There isn't an "apology" to begin with but rather a statement regarding the decision only by The Guardian not to print them. Had you read the article in the first place you would have seen that this is the last paragraph.

[barb162]

8. I read the article and still have the same comment

I thought this was the most important part of the article:
"According to Jyllands-Posten, they also took three unrelated images which showed Muhammad with the face of a pig, a dog sodomising a praying Muslim and Muhammad as a paedophile - it is not clear who drew these or where they came from."

The ultra-reactionary imams took some extra incendiary cartoons with them to whip up Muslims in the Mideast. Did you miss that?

[neuvocat]

9. You aren't making any efforts to think about anything.

Otherwise you wouldn't be so confused about what's actually in the article and what I have said. I am very clear on what I have said. The article is also quite explicit on its position. Not only are you seeing words that haven't been printed in the article but you are also misstating what I have said completely.

You need to stop contradicting yourself like that and you also need to stop wasting everyone's time here.

[OneMoreThyme]

5. I am suspicious of the whole thing

its feels like a move to try to whip up the Islamic world into fervor. Why now if the cartoons are so old?

[barb162]

6. Look at last sentence of the snipped article on the 3 extra pics

I definitely think this was incitement by the Danish imams

[azurnoir]

12. Sorry but

Noonan, Captain Ed, and Margolis would thank you for bringing their point to us.
Wake up!!!!! Take a look at this episode as part of a much bigger picture -just who befits from whipping up anti Islamic feelings at this point in time?

[Karenina]

13. There are MANY agendas

being promulgated by this "incitement" by MANY different actors. It's about time that people who consider themselves intelligent, informed, socially aware and caring learn to walk, chew gum and adjust the volume level of their i-pods simultaneously.

The original post is incomplete to the point of disingenuous and merely proffers the agenda of several of the MANY actors.

Those ________ (fill in the blank) Muslims! They're ALL TURRISTS ANYWAY trying to TRAMPLE on "OUR" rights!!! :eyes: They're trying to force THEIR fanatical beliefs on all us freedom lovers!!! Don't you see how THEY are??? Beheadings, stonings, suicide bombers, HOT DAMN if those cartoons weren't right!!! :eyes:

I suggest anyone interested in exploring the issues in depth go here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x374233