A Mountain Out of a Molehill
Remember the Danish cartoon flap from October? It's still going on. Does it really make sense, when someone portrays Islam as violent, to threaten to kill them?? Ok, I know, they are also portraying Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) when doing so is forbidden in Islam. But we as MUSLIMS are forbidden to portray him as a reminder that he is not divine and that he should not be worshipped. Here is the reason the Danish newspaper did it, according to this blog (WARNING --> the cartoons in question are reprinted there, so please don't go there if that's gonna bother you):
“Jyllands-Posten called for and printed the cartoons by various Danish illustrators, after reports that artists were refusing to illustrate works about Islam, out of fear of fundamendalist retribution. The newspaper said it printed the cartoons as a test of whether Muslim fundamentalists had begun affecting the freedom of expression in Denmark.”
Firstly, I would question why Danish illustrators are interested in illustrating works about Islam with images of the Prophet in the first place, and why they worry more about fundamentalist retribution rather than simple respect for the religion about which they are teaching. It really makes you wonder about the real motivations behind these "works about Islam". However, I do find it interesting--and as a Muslim, saddening--how religious fundamentalists have played right into their hands.
This reminds me of the Salman Rushdie fatwa. Muslims made that guy rich and famous! Looks like some people in our community need to read Farenheit 451. (not the Michael Moore movie)
Mona Eltahawy makes a good point in her article:
"Not only does Hizb-ut-Tahrir, an organization banned in many Muslim countries, have a branch in Denmark, but Abdullatif has a history of calling for violence that he then justifies by referring to freedom of speech - the very notion the Danish newspaper made use of to publish the cartoons. In October 2002, Abdullatif was found guilty of distributing racist propaganda after Hizb-ut-Tahrir handed out leaflets that made threats against Jews by citing verses from the Koran. He was given a 60-day suspended sentence.
Abdullatif used the Koran to justify incitement to violence! And we still wonder why people associate Islam with violence?
Muslims must honestly examine why there is such a huge gap between the way we imagine Islam and our prophet, and the way both are seen by others. Our offended sensibilities must not be limited to the Danish newspaper or the cartoonist, but to those like Fadi Abdullatif whose actions should be regarded as just as offensive to Islam and to our reverence for the prophet. Otherwise, we are all responsible for those Danish cartoons."
“Jyllands-Posten called for and printed the cartoons by various Danish illustrators, after reports that artists were refusing to illustrate works about Islam, out of fear of fundamendalist retribution. The newspaper said it printed the cartoons as a test of whether Muslim fundamentalists had begun affecting the freedom of expression in Denmark.”
Firstly, I would question why Danish illustrators are interested in illustrating works about Islam with images of the Prophet in the first place, and why they worry more about fundamentalist retribution rather than simple respect for the religion about which they are teaching. It really makes you wonder about the real motivations behind these "works about Islam". However, I do find it interesting--and as a Muslim, saddening--how religious fundamentalists have played right into their hands.
This reminds me of the Salman Rushdie fatwa. Muslims made that guy rich and famous! Looks like some people in our community need to read Farenheit 451. (not the Michael Moore movie)
Mona Eltahawy makes a good point in her article:
"Not only does Hizb-ut-Tahrir, an organization banned in many Muslim countries, have a branch in Denmark, but Abdullatif has a history of calling for violence that he then justifies by referring to freedom of speech - the very notion the Danish newspaper made use of to publish the cartoons. In October 2002, Abdullatif was found guilty of distributing racist propaganda after Hizb-ut-Tahrir handed out leaflets that made threats against Jews by citing verses from the Koran. He was given a 60-day suspended sentence.
Abdullatif used the Koran to justify incitement to violence! And we still wonder why people associate Islam with violence?
Muslims must honestly examine why there is such a huge gap between the way we imagine Islam and our prophet, and the way both are seen by others. Our offended sensibilities must not be limited to the Danish newspaper or the cartoonist, but to those like Fadi Abdullatif whose actions should be regarded as just as offensive to Islam and to our reverence for the prophet. Otherwise, we are all responsible for those Danish cartoons."
posted by purvis at 11:20 AM
1 Comments:
Thanks for your input. But... I'd like to clarify that although I 100% believe in free speech, I am NOT a fan of these cartoons. They are in poor taste, regardless of the intention behind them. My point is to question the way the Muslim community is handling its (understandable) opposition of the illustrations. Not to mention the hypocrisy that some extremists exude when they make hateful religious or racial statments, protect themselves by citing the right to free speech, and then complain when others who do the same. Violence, or threatening violence, does not solve anything. I DO, however, feel that it is also an expression of free speech to convey one's opinion when something offensive is published. Writing letters to the editor, boycotting the newspaper that printed them, or educating people (via aricles, lectures, etc) to become more culturally aware would all be acceptable ways of doing this.
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