So, now we have images aired by CBS of alleged art depicting an upside down Christ intentionally designed to look like Osama bin Laden. No, I don't like it a bit. But I'm not going to go out and attack an embassy over it. Or schedule a march through London.
What I really want to know is why CBS hasn't shown images of cartoons much more newsworthy ... the ones of Mohammed causing such a stir. Even Spain's largest newspaper has published one on its front page. And Le Monde in France started the whole thing. Is America's MSM actually more cowardly than that of France?
Seems that way to me. And they want to tell the Bush administration how to fight a war, when they don't even have the courage to stand up for an interest so vital to them - a free press. That's what I find most offensive in this whole fiasco.
Part of the reason just might be George Bush's reitteration of his campaign to give federal money to "faith based" organizations in Tuesday's state of the union show.
This version tragets the aids epidemic in the black community
in athinly veiled effort to force the Democrats to adopt this policy of giving federal tax dollars to black faith based to combat the aids epidemic.
Yesterday he included the Moslems as a proposed recipient of those dollars in the prayer breakfast show with Bono.
It is not the first time Bush has proposed this outrage.
Posted by: beel | Friday, February 03, 2006 at 11:59 AM
I think the problem with pointing out the absurdity of denying a cartoon representation of an imaginary Muslim god or prophet is that it brings up the absurdity of an imaginary Christian god. Which leads to the utter absurdity of a species fighting itself over which faction's imaginary god is the real god.
Posted by: CitizenDick | Friday, February 03, 2006 at 12:57 PM
How utterly bizarre that this - of ALL things, should put these Muslims into such a frenzy! They sure as hell didn't utter squat when their countrymen beheaded innocent people working in thier country for their own benefits now did they?
They're really showing thier arses over this.
Why not hold a rally and blow themselves up all together in protest?
Posted by: Nancy | Friday, February 03, 2006 at 02:31 PM
Nope. Why would the MSM show these cartoons? Allah is their friend. Bush is bad.
Worse. They see themselves as oh-so-noble in not showing these cartoons.
That's all right, though. The sphere is showing them and getting 100 times the attention. Hah. It's just another brick in the wall for the bloggers.
Posted by: Phoenix | Friday, February 03, 2006 at 10:03 PM
I'm not a muslim, and I don't understand their way of life. But it does seem like the images are quite offensive to them. Shouldn't we respect that?
Posted by: moldy | Saturday, February 04, 2006 at 01:55 AM
Gee, Moldy,
That's a good point.
I'm wondering, though. Watching Muslim terrorists cut off heads of innocent people is kind of offensive to us. But they think it's cool. Should we respect that and shut up our outrage about beheadings? I know it's a hard call what with images being just that - images on paper, and beheadings being of live people screaming as their heads are sawed off.
Hmmmm. What to do.....what to do....
Posted by: Phoenix | Saturday, February 04, 2006 at 12:44 PM
Do you think if you show respect for the muslim culture you are also condoning terrorism and beheadings?
Posted by: moldy | Saturday, February 04, 2006 at 09:07 PM
Moldy,
Do you think you could at least give the Muslims the respect they deserve by capitalizing 'Muslim'?
Now: You answer one of your questions: Do you think if you show respect for the Muslim culture, you are also condoning terrorism and beheadings? I'm interested to know what you think, Moldy.
Posted by: Phoenix | Saturday, February 04, 2006 at 11:35 PM
Today I have ordered a fatwa against that raggedy band of demonstraters who keep showing up on tv and in newspapers warning of beheadings and death to people who don't bow to their diety. They dress like street bums, have an addiction to masks and , probably, collectively have fourth grade educations. My fatwa would not be death, however, It would simply allow us to take them into custody long enough to give them baths.
Posted by: fred | Sunday, February 05, 2006 at 12:21 PM
Today I have ordered a fatwa against that raggedy band of demonstraters who keep showing up on tv and in newspapers warning of beheadings and death to people who don't bow to their diety. They dress like street bums, have an addiction to masks and , probably, collectively have fourth grade educations. My fatwa would not be death, however, It would simply allow us to take them into custody long enough to give them baths.
Posted by: fred | Sunday, February 05, 2006 at 12:23 PM
Hi Phoenix,
I think it is possible to show respect to the Muslim culture and still show outrage towards terrorism.
Obviously, there is a violent and fanatical group within this culture that should not be tolerated, but I don't believe this is enough to justify showing disrespect for an entire culture.
Do you think showing respect for the Muslim culture condones terrorism?
Posted by: moldy | Sunday, February 05, 2006 at 02:40 PM
Moldy,
Respect is an incorporeal thing. Showing respect by, say, having peaceful demonstrations is one thing. Understanding intellectually that 1.5 billion Muslims cannot feel the same way as the radical sect is another. - This is the incorporeal aspect of it. I argued long and hard at one time that you cannot 'despise' an entire culture because of the actions of the few. However, it is time for the non-radical segment of Islam to rise up. At this point, I wouldn't argue too hard on the side of the non-radical Muslims. An analogy would be if a group of radical Christians did the things that have been done by the terrorists, I fully believe the whole of Christianity would rise up to put a stop to the actions of that few.
Showing respect for the historical good that Islam has had on the history of civilization would in no way condone today's current terrorism. What I do, however, does not matter. It is what they do that matters. The Muslim world's lack of respect and passivity for those of us who are not of their faith does, indeed, condone terrorism.
Posted by: Phoenix | Sunday, February 05, 2006 at 09:53 PM
Hi Phoenix,
I agree with your point that the general Muslim population has a responsibility to curb the extremist movement within their society.
My original question on this thread was "Shouldn't we respect the fact that the cartoons are offensive to the Muslim culture?" Your post above suggests that you don't think we should because they haven't done enough to prevent extremist movements and they don't respect non-islamic society. Is this a fair representation of your position? If not, how would you answer?
Posted by: moldy | Monday, February 06, 2006 at 01:59 AM
I'm calling every one of you to know about Islam
http://www.islamonline.net/english
Posted by: Yousef | Saturday, October 07, 2006 at 04:45 AM
Hi! Please consider posting the best Mohammad's cartoon ever. See it here http://samsonblinded.org/blog/a-cartoon-for-a-cartoon.htm
Posted by: Alex | Tuesday, July 03, 2007 at 11:38 AM