The Cartoons had been a Journalistic Project….

The world around us continues to ask for peaceful protests in response to the Blasphemous cartoons published a few months back. From the gloomy day of 9/11 the Muslim community has continued to take accusations for a good five years sitting quietly taking punches and have generally adopted an apologetic attitude even for an action that IS NOT a part of a peaceful religion. Please do not equate or generalize the radical approach of a select few individuals as Islamic, they are the extreme end of our religion which sadly is NOT Islam.

When these cartoons come forth, we have now been forced to scream Enough is Enough, and have come onto the streets in protest, call it a boiling-over of all the anger built up over these five years finally let loose. We don’t mean harm, and I on behalf of all Muslims sincerly apologize for the actions of a radical few who have resorted to rioting and vandalism but in the same breath as followers of Islam we will do our part to inform the world of the grave offense against our beliefs. Muslims, like followers of other religions, are extremely emotional when it comes to disfiguring a religious their idols. Especially when the Editor-in-Chief of Jyllands-Posten talked so boldly when there was no pressure back in October confidently defending his publication.

[Editor-in-Chief, Carsten Juste]‘…The newspaper urged cartoonists to send in drawings of the prophet, after an author complained that nobody dared to illustrate his book on Muhammad. The author claimed that illustrators feared that extremist Muslims would find it sacrilegious to break the Islamic ban on depicting Muhammad.’

The cartoons had been a journalistic project to find out how many cartoonists refrained from drawing the prophet out of fear. ‘We live in a democracy,’ he said ‘That’s why we can use all the journalistic methods we want to. Satire is accepted in this country, and you can make caricatures. Religion shouldn’t set any barriers on that sort of expression. This doesn’t mean that we wish to insult any Muslims.’ — Little Green Footballs – Oct 12th 2005 & RedTV – Oct 17, 2005

……Its important to read the entire statement very carefully, his publication received a complaint from an author, that nobody dared to illustrate the authors book on Muhammad. The author claimed that illustrators feared that extremist Muslims would find it sacrilegious to break the Islamic ban on depicting Muhammad. Juste, the editor in chief, was well aware of this dilemma but continued to set up a competition to find illustrators willing to mock Prophet Muhammad in an illustration, his actions and later the printing of the 12 blasphemous illustrations can’t be termed as a naive mistake on his part due to oversight but instead a well thought out aggression against the peaceful religion of Islam.

Juste and his newspaper have now issued a public apology which to many seem like a mere half-hearted face saving letter, akin to committing murder in broad daylight and then sending a simple “too bad – I’m sorry” condolence letter. For him to even indicate that “the cartoons had been a Journalistic Project”is making a mockery of our religion and is Simply unacceptable.

Many ask, Why are the Muslims so vociferous? I don’t justify the rioting around the world but when you irritate a persons religious beliefs, he/she usually tends to react in a very unpredictable manner. Amongst the thousands of muslims a select few reacted poorly. The world should now warn idiots like the Danish publication to think twice and hard before ever repeating such a mistake.

One also will tend to wonder what it takes to wake the world up from the February slumber, it only requires a few burning buildings and a number of riots and boom the issue is a global incident. Back in September 2005 this images barely raised an eye brow but after all the news breaking incidents the issue is now the headlines of all major news channels around the world. One thing is for sure the Muslims are offended beyond words, will this be an excuse to lead the world into the invasion of Iran? I like many now have to keep our fingers crossed, one excuse for another.

Sorry to the People of Norway and Denmark
by the Arab world for all the unrest created by the rioting

Read more @ The Olive Ream : Prime Ministers Speech | CounterPunch | DesiCritics


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13 responses to “The Cartoons had been a Journalistic Project….”

  1. jk Avatar
    jk

    This is blasphemy, but it was perfectly fine for the taliban to destroy the world’s largest buddha statues?

  2. Teeth Maestro Avatar

    JK -lets stick to the point, but as I mentioned lets try not to confuse the radical islamists with the true Islam. Sadly it is organisations like the Al-Qaeda that have continued to embarrass the general Muslim world. I am not defending them, they are in a league of their own, preachign their own version of the religion.

  3. Destitute Rebel Avatar

    True making a mockery of religion is the worst thing someone can do, people have strong feeling for their religions and someone making fun of what they believe in pisses them off. Its true for people of all faiths.

    I dont think this issue has anything to do with Iran, Although the nuclear issue might trigger some tension. I personally dont think the Americans can wage war on another front, they are dumb but not that dumb. Messing with iran, if it happens will be the downfall of america, they wont have any support and Iran and iranians I believe can fight their own battles.

    Thirdly about radical Islam, its not just al-qaida, its a lot of muslim folk who create misunderstading and misinterpretations of the religion. The views and portrayal of Islam in the west is due to our own doing.

  4. SKETCHER Avatar

    Nice post Teeth…You are absolutely right their apology did not mean anything. Because they allowed other newspapers to publish their copy righted caroons.

    And looks like history is repeating itself. Prophet Muhammad (PUBH) united warring arab tribes 1400 years ago and now his divided followers again united to protect his name..

  5. Ontario Emperor Avatar

    For the last few weeks, I have made several posts in my (U.S.-based) blog regarding the issues of “what you CAN say” and “what you SHOULD say.” In the United States, there are relatively few limits on what you CAN say – we’ve made joking traffic reports about the Hajj deaths, put a cross in a jar of urine, and done all sorts of things. The harder issue, of course, is “what you SHOULD say.”

    Is it appropriate to make religious humor off-limits? Or is it appropriate to make some religious humor off-limits? If so, where do you draw the line? Should we refrain from “Bill Gates met St. Peter” jokes? Should use of the phrase “Jesus H. Christ” result in a prison sentence?

    I’d like to know the views of the readers here on where such a line should be drawn. I don’t see an easy answer to this.

  6. Asian Wild Rose Avatar

    I respect the real Muslims such as yourself and not the radicals like Al_Queda. However, this small group continues to embarass you. Is there anything that the muslim world can do to stop this? Because doing nothing is preceived in the world as ‘support’.

  7. Ontario Emperor Avatar

    I think (or at least hope) that the Western world can differentiate between “real Muslims” and Al Qaeda, in the same way that I think that the Eastern world can differentiate between Christianity and the Ku Klux Klan (eventually I’m going to blog about the varied reactions to John Lennon’s “Christianity will shrink” statement). But how do we address the issue of differing views on certain matters? Ignore for the moment that the religion is Muslim – let’s just refer to religion R (whether it be Islam, Christianity, Secularism, or what have you). A person outside of religion R does something that is extremely heretical, and then does it again, even though it is not heretical at all to that person. How can we bridge the gap between the two differing views? Or can we?

  8. Ontario Emperor Avatar

    By way of illustration, let me take an example from my own city of Ontario, California, USA. Every December nativity scenes are erected up and down the main city of our town, along with a few scenes representative of non-Christian religions. This is especially abhorrent to adherents of the Secularist religion (which, like it or not, is a religion with doctrines and sins). How is this situation best reconciled?

  9. Saad Avatar
    Saad

    Punishment for cursing a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh):
    Saad bin Abi Waqas (may Allah be pleased with him) one day heard a man grumpling; when he listened closely to what he was saying he realized he was abusing Ali’, Talhah and Zubair (may Allah be pleased with them). He told him to stop, but he would not listen and continued. Finally, Saad bin Abi Waqas (may Allah be pleased with him) lost his temper, and said if he did not control his tongue he would put a curse on him. Arrogantly the man told him that he was arrogating powers to himself and he asked him if he thought he was a Prophet..

    Listening to the man’s bitter words, he merely turned away. He went, made his ablutions for prayer and offered two supererogatory units of prayer. Then he entreated Allah Almighty:

    “Oh Allah you know that this man is abusing men of purity, with whom You Yourself are Pleased because of their goodness. Surely You will not approve of theses abuses. May this man be a lesson for such other men.”

    He had barely done with his supplications when people saw that a raging she-camel had broken away from the rope which tethered her, and leaving her home had entered in the midst of a crowd of people. It seemed as if she was looking for a particular person. In seconds she had the head of a person in her bloodthirsty jaws and was shaking it violently from side to side. Finally his neck broke and in no time he had become the prey of death. People were stunned in silence. The dead man was non other than the one who had been abusing the noble companion a few minutes earlier, and against whom Saad bin Abi Waqas (may Allah be pleased with him) appeared. He had indeed become a lesson for people.

    RELEVANCE TO TODAY’S WORLD: Instead of burning down embassies and destroying and burning places, muslims only need true prayers. It is true that muslims have turned out against themselves destroying their own faith. Islam teaches patience not outrage. If only a prayer by Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqas (RA) was enough to destroy a man who was abusing the companions of the prophet (pbuh). Then imagine those who abuse our beloved prophet Muhammad (pbuh). We need to become good muslims. More than ever!

  10. Raza Avatar

    Agree with every word Saad!

    What happened today in Lahore is fucking embarassing … makes me drop my head in shame! 🙁

  11. Absar Avatar

    I think that this entire event was meant to pinch the Muslim ego. A test to see how low we can dip. When the British took over India, they tested Muslim ego by asking women in the royal harem to dance for them – I don’t think this is any different!

  12. sara Avatar
    sara

    teeth maestro,i completely agree with u that Al qaeeeda are simply preaching their own version of Islam,Which is not Islam to even the slightest.Islam doesnt allow a muslim to hurt anybody.its is not in islam to even force any non muslim to accept islam.Holy prophet (pbuh)neva forced anybody.It was his honesty,truthfullness,peace loving nature,his great character that attracted people to accept Islam..Well i condemn the horrible act of the danish newspaper.they definetely have hurted our feelings.Freedom of speech ends where it starts hurting the people. but we shud be at this point be calm and patient.And avoid violence because the Western World is getting a wrong picture of Islam.We should try to prove them wrong by clearing their misunderstandings about Islam and i dont think violence is a way to do that.
    Lets be a bit more practical ,by burning up our own country we are doing no favor to our own people but only making them more and more miserable.Lets try to tackle this situation in a more reasonable manner.
    And i very well agree with u SAAD.

  13. Yasir Salam Avatar
    Yasir Salam

    Well these cartoons were reaction of Iran president couple of statements that Holocaust was the ‘myth’ and Israel should wipe out the map of the world statements.well they should’ve to published Ahmadinejad cartoon or sum1 else shia clergy but they ought to go ahead and straightforward published our religious role-model cartoons which clearly shows that they are lacking in Prophecy believes, How can they restrain from it once they had had killed their own Prophets in an ancient times.
    As for Osama bin laden let me tell ya that in Arabic Osama means ‘lion’ 2nd if sum1 wanna know ’bout him s/he should read Imperial Hubris by Michael Scheuer a 22 year CIA veteran who ran the counterterrorist center’s bin laden station from 1996 to 1999.
    As for Taliban whether be they radical, fundamentalist, fanatic or terrorist then why there were 3 govts in the world which earlier recongnized Taliban as a Islamic ruler those countries were Saudia, UAE and Pakistan.?