Depictions of Mohammed

[OBonio]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4672642.stm

Is it wrong of the western press to intentionally inflame an already fragile situation by reproducing the Danish cartoons?

Or is it a valid response to those wishing to impose their religion on the rest of the world? If so, should the British press find a backbone and do the same?

[neathgirl]

Im just watching the news now and its talking about this particular issue... a little off point - but i want to know how come all these hard men with their big guns firing shots and surrounding the UN office have to cover their faces..... very hard men indeed i think not. If they are really up in arms about this then for the love of god... or allah in this case have the balls to show your face! It just really gets on my goat.

[El D]

Supernick - the newspaper does not have to make a valid point. Nor should it apologise if the cartoons are tasteless. It is free to say what it likes, if enough people buy it the paper will remain in circulation as a vessel of opinion that people appreciate.

If, on the other hand, we should accept that treading on eggshells merely because some people have decided to adopt a worldview which does not allow for criticism of its beliefs then we should surely try and and avoid offending everyone - ad initinitum. In which case I am sure something somewhere offends someone and we might as well forego personal expression. Variety is the spice of life, and I for one do not wish anyone to curtail their opinions through fear of force.

[stevie_c2it]

Supernick if one newspaper has offended the faith of Islam, thats one thing, but for a large number of Islamic nations to attack the companies and citizens of the country in which it was published, well, that's another thing altogether.

[Ward-Minter]

I can not even bear to read the posts incase somebody has gone over the top.

The Islamic faith is probably the most peace loving religion on Earth, spreading harmony and love throughout the western world. How dare the Danish insult such an institution. I would hope that the current Ayatollah will issue a fatwa against the said journalists.

My heart and grace goes out to any Muslim offended.

[bill barlow]

Supernick better make sure that when your wife goes out tomorrow her face is covered. Don,t want her offending any Muslims. You really are very naive.

[noxlumos]

I don't wish to offend Muslim people and we have some very good Muslim friends, however my wife is Jewish and the very people who are jumping up and down bewailing the fact that they have been offended are precisely the sort of fundamentalists that call for all Jews to be killed which I find offensive. I'll do them a deal, if they never say that again then I'll never look at the cartoons.

[Buenchico]

As an atheist, I see that much of the problem arises from people expecting others to 'respect their religion'.

I'm happy to respect people's right to believe in a religion. I can go along with respecting people's right to practice their religion (as long as those practices don't interfere with the rights of others). What I can never do, however, is to respect any religion, per se. (To an atheist, all religions are equally laughable).

I also think that there seems to be some sort of idea that it's always wrong to cause offence. Sometimes, in order to make a point, it's necessary to cause offence. In the past, I've stood outside churches, on Sunday mornings, with a placard proclaiming 'There is no God'. I've also displayed a car sticker showing an inverted cross stuck in a pile of steaming dog dirt. People have pointed out that these actions can cause offence. My response has been that this is exactly what I've intended to do.

As a campaigning atheist, I regard it as my duty to mock, vilify and display utter contempt for all religions (and in doing so, to seek to cause maximum offence to those poor deluded idiots who actually believe in all this rubbish). We live in a free society. Everyone who believes in genuine freedom should support my right to freedom of expression and, equally, support those newspapers who've published these cartoons.

Chris

[Ward-Minter]

beunchico, it doesn't matter if you do not believe in God because God believes in you my son. Bless your heart.

[soapbox]

Religion - the source of all evil.

[SteveD]

It's not so long ago that Christians would tolerate no criticism of their religion.

[Lonnie]

I go along with W-M, Islam being the most peaceful religion on earth, take this from the sayings of Mohamed, 'On the day of judgement, all the rocks and trees will shout, there's a Jew behind me, come and kill him'. thats just one very peaceful statement out of many, as far as the cartoon of Mohamed is concerned, they don't care who they upset and kill, because its in the name of 'him who spreads peace', if they don't like it, tough, 'they are going to take over the world using any means possible',

Islam

[Lonnie]

must have pressed the wrong button, still, i'll stop there.

[Oneeyedvic]

Anyone remember Christian Voice's outrage at Jerry Springer teh Opera?

Muslims aren't the only people offended by the media.

[Supernick]

Lets get one thing straight. The people who are using these cartoons to whip up hatred of the West in Middle Eastern and African countries are scum, and the call to arms for something like this is deplorable. Also, the double standards we see is astonishing with many of these people. The attacks on our lives and values, are frequent, yet we manage to not to rush out onto the streets with AK47s and burning effiges. (I know some people will say that we just get our governments to do the dirty work instead). We do not celebrate widescale death of Muslim people as we saw some factions within Eastern Countries do with our losses at 9/11.

I despair at ill-advised councillors trying to ban the word Christmas for fear of offending people, and will defend to the hilt our rights to open, free speech. But with that freedom comes a degree of responsibility, and we're talking about national newspapers who have the ability to influence hundreds of thousdands of people. Allying the whole of muslim faith with terrorist activities is offensive, dangerous and is only going to whip up anti-muslim feeling. Again I'll say, surely someone must have thought that this was a stupid thing to print?

[jake-the-peg]

People do not have the right to not be offended

Not Fundamentalist Christians, Islamists, Jews Christians, Athiests, English, Irish....

But they have the right not to have race hate stirred up - the joke about heaven running out of virgins is funny (IMHO) but the turban/bomb one is a little too close to stirring race hate. Bit like some of those cartoons of Germans in the first world war

[newtron]

"The offices of Jyllands-Posten had to be evacuated on Tuesday because of a bomb threat."

They get offended by a depiction of Muhammed with a bomb for a turban, and then some retaliate by making a bomb threat. Hmm...

[sp1814]

Anyone remember the cartoons German newspapers used to publish in the 30's and their depiction of Jews as being money-grabbers and moral corrupters.

At what point do we have to say 'you've gone too far'?

Of course freedom of speech should not be negotiated, but c'mon - everyone self censors. Do you swear in front of your grandmother? Do you talk about your sex life with your boss? Would you make Holocaust jokes in a synagogue?

No you wouldn't - because you have consideration for the sensibilites and beliefs of others.

[dicky113]

Heres a link to the set:

http://cryptome.org/muhammad.htm

[Supernick]

And Jack Straw has now entered the debate, praiing the British Press. How often do you see that?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4676524.stm

[lightoftruth]

To Ward-Minter

I have to say that the actions of the arab world and your point on islam loving peace are at odds. I know that Islam is a peace loving religion so why their threats of so much violence. the answer is this.

the extremists factions of the islamic world are peeved because they haven't scared us enought to stop us ridiculing them. so it it they who are adding to the flames.