Cartoon Crisis-A humble request
In September,Jyllands-Posten,one of the largest newspaper in denmark published a series of 12 caricatures of Prophet Muhammad(SAW) which has given birth a new crisis in the world ,specially in muslim world and many arab countries including Saudi arab has started boycotting Danish products,specially Arla foods in middle east.Due to this boycott Arla has been suffering a lot and they have been planning for 140 job cuts.
“We are losing around 10 million crowns per day at the moment,” a spokeswoman said.
But things don’t end here,after Denmark,a norwegian paper reprinted cartoons few days back and tonight i watched on BBC that after these two EU countries, France Soir,French conservative newspaper also has republished those cartoons in the name of Freedom of expression.
Enough lessons from these reactionary bigots! There is nothing in these incriminated cartoons that intends to be racist or denigrate any community as such,” he wrote in a commentary.
“Some are funny, others less so. That’s it. That is why we have decided to publish them.” (Serge Faubert, UnapologeticEditor France Soir)
They call it freedom of expression rather blasphemy,you visit any forum about this issue,you would find majority to say words that muslims have no sense of humor,I am not surprised at all after reading all such comments,there is a history of christians and jews to make fun of religious celebrities like Marry(AS),Jesus(AS) ,God etc.Some christian replied me that they have even made fun of jesus and they dont mind it,how can they mind when they don’t hesitate to offend Mary,making verses in bible to permit incest in their religion then why would they hurt to publish such cartoons.
i have a question from every non-muslim reader of the post who thinks that muslims dont have sense of humor.
Suppose if someone makes a vulgar sketch of your mother/sister/daugther and publish it in a paper,how would you feel?will you take it as a joke?let me tell you,if you have some respect,you would retaliate,won’t you?why shouldn’t enjoy like others after seeing those cartoons in papers?Oh well,will it not be consider freedom of expresion?If you don’t have balls,you will really enjoy it but if you love them,you would certainly get hurt and react.Thats the main point,but..wait a minute,how did i forget about Yo-Momma jokes..so i think most of you won’t hurt at all.
and i have a request from all muslims,do protest but dont bring flavor of violence in it,we muslims are very emotional..its not bad but we should use our brains as well,the way EU countries republishing those cartoon series,what i figure out that they are just playing with emotions of millions of muslims,making them more restless ,so calm down and protest without bringing any violence in middle.There are other ways to demonstrate your rage other than comming on roads,like:
1)Start concentrating on your education.
2)Start following the religion properly
3)instead of wasting time over useless entertainment,do utilize your time in R&D and Science and technology
5)Bring tolerance for others.
Japs didn’t start demonstrating on roads after World war,they focused on their economy,they screwed US with the help of their skills and made americans and others dependant on their products. Can’t you guys do same?is it necessary to come out on roads and burn flags or all stuff.Please open your eyes and try to figure out things,you can’t make them to listen you by this attitude.
Bookmark at:
February 2nd, 2006 at 4:06 pm
Dear Adnan,
I myself is danish, and I too think that most of the drawings were bad tast…and I understand if you and other muslims can get upset about them. Upset is one thing… offended is an other.
You got a question to all non-muslims about humor.
Offcause it would upset me if you makes a vulgar sketch of my wife and publish it in a paper…but I wouldn’t ask Pakistan’s goverment to apologize on your behalf!!! and I sure wouldn’t start threatend all pakistans with bombs!! or burn your flag or what ever.
Thats what this is also about, if someone pissed on a muslim its really bad and its sooo hard being a muslims - we are all after you all the time…and so on and so on… and if some muslims blow up a hotel killing 100’s of people well then we have to understand them, its allso hard for them who have to blow up hotels!!
Please stop allways feeling sorry for yourself….
February 2nd, 2006 at 5:44 pm
I just read about people in Pakistan burning the danish flag and the picture of prime minister of denmark…its ok with you???
February 3rd, 2006 at 3:52 am
The west (or at least, most of it) does NOT disrespect the right of muslims to feel hurt. In fact, when the cartoons was first published in september, I didn’t particulary like them, especially since the reason for publishing them was rather “thin”. However, the present crisis (the boycot and so on) leaves me little choice but to defend them:
The thought up situation you describe (vulgar scetch of my mother etc.) actually illustrates this rather well: Ofcause I’d feel hurt - deeply so, in fact. But to demand that the maker should be fined for making the scetch would earnestly not cross my mind: his freedom of speech is far more important than mine, or anybody elses, feelings, however strong these may be: That is the point of free speech! I WOULD however, protest wildly, using this same free speech, and would have won through in the following debate, unless they had some compelling reason to make this scetch.
Which brings me to my point: the vast majority of the danish muslims (who, after all, have better access to the actual background for this crisis than most), does not support the boycot - instead, they have taken to the media and tried to explain that they were deeply hurt by these drawings - a fact almost certaintly came as a suprise to the newspaper that released the cartoons. With all due respect, the rest of the muslim world should try the same - THAT would have created respect and, quite likely, support for a demand that jyllands posten (who published the cartoons) apologise to the muslim community. All the boycot has managed to do, is to unify the muslim world against the west and vice versa (for the umpteenth time and counting), and from the point of view of most westerns, it only exposes the muslim world as childish when it comes to politics (NB: I don’t agree with this attitude - we simply have different cultural standarts, but it IS the signal the boycot is sending).
With the hope of greater mutual understanding,
Frederik (non-muslim dane)
February 3rd, 2006 at 9:49 am
@Anon#1:
i gave example of mother/wife because it hurts individuals,what if someone says something nasty to mothers of all communities,say Mothers of chiristian community,how would they react?will they get pleased? offcourse not,they will certainly go to their cheif and would demand to bring that culprit infront of them.why would those danish chrisitians react?I am seriously not sure how much jesus(as) is credible for christians but for muslims,Muhammad is even most important than parents so you can figureout the reaction yourself.
Why christians protest if some chiristian in muslim state suffer,you can’t deny that several times US or UK or other govt protest for the right of christians minority(without knownig the facts).
Regarding sucide killings etc,Israel is root of devil,I iirmly believe that israel is a bastard state,its not legal either politically or religiously.If someone sits at your homes without your persmission,you wouldn’t read Biblic verses to find out ways to kick them out,you would just take action,Palestinians are at War,world don’t provide them weapons so they use their own bodies to kill enemies,there is all misconception that they do it for getting place in paradise,Sucide is not allowed in any form in Islam and they also know it but,they have no other option as well. Give them conventional weapons then see how they fight with zions.
February 3rd, 2006 at 9:54 am
@Ann#2
if you would have read my post then you never brought up the issue,i already said that such violence won’t lead to nowhere.
One can boycott by several ways and I already mentioned them
February 3rd, 2006 at 9:57 am
Dear Frederik Treue!
The point Europeans have been rising up that its all “Freedom of expression” is utter nonsense,where on earth is written that you can call name of others in the name of Freedom of expression?The west consider itself most cultured and educated,what kinda education have they earned that they don’t the basics of ethics?West is twisting the meaning of freedom and terrorism and there is no doubt about it. Being secular doesn’t mean that you don’t respect others.
February 3rd, 2006 at 11:03 am
adnan i’ll side u in each and every bit of what u said.U r right that west is using the term “freedom of expression” in a very wrong way.With these kind of things they are not helping them out. They are giving the muslims a thing to react and if they think they’ll spare themselves,its not going to happen. Keep talking against Islam without any reason may be fine but When u treat Muslims in this way and by making portraits of that person whom we love more then our lives, this thing is not bearable.
@anonymous
when u don’t have any reason to talk u always try to hide urself.
February 3rd, 2006 at 5:18 pm
Dear Adnan Siddiqi,
In your reply to my earlier post, you ask where it is written that freedom of speech implies the right to namecalling. The answer: in the danish (and all other western countries that I’m aware of) constitution. Try to think of the implications if we were to “moderate” that: where should it stop? Shouldn’t we be able to make fun of politicians eather? Or of radical christians? Or communists? Nazis? It’s never fun to be the object of ridicule, but the point is, that noone can offer an “ethic”, as you call it, that everyone agrees upon, and therefore, there can be no restrictions to freedom of speech. Even if it hurts you and, believe me, me as well, sometimes.
Yours sincerily,
Frederik Treue
February 3rd, 2006 at 5:57 pm
Dear Frederik!
hope you would have read all of my replies as well as main post. To answer your question that you make fun of politicians etc, tell me one thing how would you feel as a chiristian(I assume you areone) if someone make fun of Jesus? or how would jews feel if someone make fun of David,Jacob,Solomon etc?if its acceptable in your RELIGION then i’m sorry,i must say that such religion is pathetic which don’t give respect to its religious celebrities.
regarding taking it as humor..well if some region on earth doesn’t consider child abuse bad or incest relation is bad,do you expect people from other part ACCEPT it as Good too?