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kiknkorea

Joined: 16 May 2008
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 7:58 am Post subject: 'Everybody Draw Mohammed Day' Unleashes Facebook Fracas |
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What started out as a cartoonist's call to action against censorship -- an open invitation to submit caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad -- has led to death threats, a court order to temporarily block parts of the website in Pakistan and a call for a boycott of Facebook to protest what Muslims believe is blasphemy.
"Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!" began last month as the brainchild of a Seattle-based cartoonist named Molly Norris, who was appalled by Comedy Central's decision to censor an episode of "South Park" that depicted Muhammad in a bear costume.
As a way to protest the network's decision -- which came after an Islamic extremist website warned of retaliation against the show's creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker -- Norris created a poster with likenesses of Muhammad as a domino, a teacup and a box of pasta.
She declared May 20 "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!" -- and her efforts quickly went viral, spawning several Facebook pages with thousands of followers dedicated to the event.
They also prompted a "protest" movement by thousands of other Facebook users opposed to it.
Now the day is almost upon us, and Norris herself has withdrawn from the cause -- but she says she's glad her efforts encouraged others to speak out. |
While I agree with what she's saying, you would think she'd know this would get ugly pretty fast.
Full story-
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/05/19/facebook-fracas-breaks-everybody-draw-mohammad-day/ |
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travel zen
Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Location: Good old Toronto, Canada
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 10:14 am Post subject: |
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Freedom of speech for the world has arrived  |
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dumpring
Joined: 06 Apr 2010 Location: Auckland, NZ
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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poor gal's gunna get buggered by quran bashers  |
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NovaKart
Joined: 18 Nov 2009 Location: Iraq
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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Lots of fascist groups on facebook. I've seen this in Turkey. Anti-kurdish and nationalist groups. I wonder if an anti-ataturk page would cause a facebook ban here. Facebook is so popular here, I wonder if that's what it would take to finally get free-speech in this country. Of course people could just use a proxy like what they do with youtube now. Anyway, I didn't mean to take over this thread. Just saying how facebook makes a platform for all kinds of groups, whatever your prejudices. I don't mean to suggest the cartoonist was prejudiced though. |
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Steelrails

Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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Ahhhh yes, West-Muslim relations: We're allowed to mock your religious figures, but if you choose to wear a Burqa in public that is an insult to our culture and will not be permitted.
Mock Mohammed fine, but don't whine about some Iranian newspaper printing some anti-semitic cartoon. If you want to dish it out, be prepared to take it.
I dunno, silly me, I was always raised with the idea that you don't insult things held dear to other people like their religion, their country, or their mother. But I guess in today's society all three are fair game. |
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Leslie Cheswyck

Joined: 31 May 2003 Location: University of Western Chile
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 4:16 pm Post subject: |
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Well, if all they did was mock back, then it wouldn't be so much of a problem.
But that's not exactly the case, is it? |
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Fox

Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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I wonder if Muslims realize that, in showing such fanaticism with regards to this topic, they violate the very spirit of the prohibition in question. The reason their prophet is forbidden from being drawn is for fear of idolatry, nothing more; the focus of their religion is supposed to be on God, not on Mohammed. However, by showing such fanatical opposition to Mohammed being drawn by non-believers (who simply aren't at risk of worshipping Mohammed), they've elevated him into a sacred position above simply being God's messenger (after all, Muslims acknowledge previous prophets were also the messengers of God, but they don't forbid drawing them, nor do they protest it). Making Mohammed into "He Who Must Not Be Drawn," is just as blasphemous as drawing Mohammed and worshipping the picture; both put the focus of religious activity on the Prophet instead of on God.
I think these people can expect a taste of the Fire after they die, if their religion is correct. |
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Fox

Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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Steelrails wrote: |
Mock Mohammed fine, but don't whine about some Iranian newspaper printing some anti-semitic cartoon. If you want to dish it out, be prepared to take it. |
Steelrails, believe me, I'm totally ready for that stand-off. Muslims vs. Jews in an all out comedy battle? Who do you think is going to win that one? Hell, Iran can have a 10 comic head start.
Steelrails wrote: |
I dunno, silly me, I was always raised with the idea that you don't insult things held dear to other people like their religion, their country, or their mother. But I guess in today's society all three are fair game. |
I would say the rules of politeness went out the window when Muslims started threatening death over pictures. Muslim extremists have tried to use fear to supress Western values. I'm proud that Westerners are standing up to it, not with violence, but with expression. We need more of it; Muslim extremists need to understand that our values of free expression will not be infringed by their petty, threatened thuggery.
Our society thrives on mockery. We mock everything, most of all ourselves, but others as well. The Islamic World needs to grow up and accept that, and that's not going to happen if we meekly comply with their ultimatums. |
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bigverne

Joined: 12 May 2004
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 8:19 pm Post subject: |
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Ahhhh yes, West-Muslim relations: We're allowed to mock your religious figures, but if you choose to wear a Burqa in public that is an insult to our culture and will not be permitted. |
Yes, we enforce our laws in accordance with our values and social mores, and Muslims may do the same in their countries. |
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Italy37612
Joined: 25 Jan 2010 Location: Somewhere
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, we enforce our laws in accordance with our values and social mores, and Muslims may do the same in their countries. |
+1 |
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Steelrails

Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 9:10 pm Post subject: |
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For a society that thrives on mockery we seem to have a pretty hard time taking it when Muslims mock us by wearing their veils and whatnot.
Look I get it that Muslims are just as guilty of the hypocrisy, but does anyone else think that banning burqas and veils while screaming about freedom of expression is seriously hypocritical?
And since when is the "They started it" defense a good one?
Let them have their veils. Let's take the high road and not mock that stuff. Debate it yes, mock it no.
As I said before, mocking someones religion is like mocking their mother. You just don't do it.
And since when are all Muslims extremists? What about the majority of Muslims that aren't extremists yet are getting their religious icon mocked?
Have some class.
To the person who said Muslims may do the same in their country, I wish it worked that way, but time and time again we try to enforce our way of life upon them.
Let them have their draconian sharia law. Let us have total freedom of expression. Just be consistent and respectful about it.
None of this you have to respect us, but we don't have to respect you. And again, don't say they started it. That doesn't make it right for us to do it to them. |
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ED209
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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Steelrails wrote: |
For a society that thrives on mockery we seem to have a pretty hard time taking it when Muslims mock us by wearing their veils and whatnot. |
Is that the way it is?
Steelrails wrote: |
Look I get it that Muslims are just as guilty of the hypocrisy, but does anyone else think that banning burqas and veils while screaming about freedom of expression is seriously hypocritical? |
Whose banning what now?
Quote: |
And since when is the "They started it" defense a good one?
Let them have their veils. Let's take the high road and not mock that stuff. Debate it yes, mock it no. |
The debate fails when one side starts issuing death threats.
Steelrails wrote: |
As I said before, mocking someones religion is like mocking their mother. You just don't do it. |
You'd have to really do more than stick my mum's face on a dog to make me want to stab you though.
Steelrails wrote: |
And since when are all Muslims extremists? What about the majority of Muslims that aren't extremists yet are getting their religious icon mocked?
Have some class. |
Though it is important to make this distinction, going back to your 'mocking mother' analogy, I would be upset, but if my brother picked up a knife and started waving it in your face I'd at least try to calm him down. Right now many Muslims sit back and allow the extremists to express themselves unchallenged.
Steelrails wrote: |
Let them have their draconian sharia law. Let us have total freedom of expression. Just be consistent and respectful about it.
None of this you have to respect us, but we don't have to respect you. And again, don't say they started it. That doesn't make it right for us to do it to them. |
Live and let die, maybe. Sharia law shouldn't have anything to do with facebook or Dutch cartoonists. |
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young_clinton
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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Steelrails wrote: |
I dunno, silly me, I was always raised with the idea that you don't insult things held dear to other people like their religion, their country, or their mother. But I guess in today's society all three are fair game. |
Go over to the countries that these people live in and say "I'm not really sure if there is a God" or in the case of the Taliban controlled areas of Afghanistan if you're a woman "I don't really want to wear a full veal over my face". Blessings be to the prophet. See what kind of a decent response you get. These people want to bring there kind of stuff over here and I think they should be kept out. Blessings be to the prophet. |
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Fox

Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 10:34 pm Post subject: |
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Steelrails wrote: |
For a society that thrives on mockery we seem to have a pretty hard time taking it when Muslims mock us by wearing their veils and whatnot. |
I don't think Muslims wear veils to mock us. I also don't think most Westerners care about those veils. The attack on the burqa is an anti-Muslim political position (in the case of the government) or an attack on the perceived oppression of women (in the case of activist groups), which is quite distinct from the anger Muslims express towards drawings of their prophet; most Muslims would take at least some offense at Mohammed being drawn, while very few Westerners actually take offense at a veil freely worn, and you could probably count the number of Westerners who threaten those who wear veils with death on one hand, if the number isn't zero.
Steelrails wrote: |
Look I get it that Muslims are just as guilty of the hypocrisy, but does anyone else think that banning burqas and veils while screaming about freedom of expression is seriously hypocritical? |
I do oppose banning the burqa, and I do think banning the burqa is somewhat hypocritical. I think it would be hypocritical entirely independent of the issue of Mohammed cartoons, though.
Steelrails wrote: |
As I said before, mocking someones religion is like mocking their mother. You just don't do it. |
Why? I do it, and I don't complain if people do it to me.
Steelrails wrote: |
And since when are all Muslims extremists? What about the majority of Muslims that aren't extremists yet are getting their religious icon mocked? |
Anyone who expects non-believers to comply with their religious beliefs has taken their religion to an unreasonable extreme. No moderate expects outsiders to follow their religious tenets. That's doubly true when outsiders drawing Mohammed doesn't even violate the spirit of the prohibition.
Steelrails wrote: |
Let them have their draconian sharia law. Let us have total freedom of expression. Just be consistent and respectful about it. |
But a lot of us don't respect Islam or the culture of various Arabic nations. When a group of people are glueing men's anus shut and torturing them to death, or stoning women to death, or so on, the time for polite respect has simply ended. Further, Islam (like many religions) is inherently non-respectful towards non-believers. The Qur'an is filled with mockery, insults, and scorn towards non-believers. According to the Qur'an I'm a "loser" who is evil and will suffer in "the Fire" forever in a most humiliating fashion. That's not the language of respect, and if you're a Muslim, you believe that it's all true.
I don't care if Muslims respect us, and to be frank, I don't respect anyone who expects non-believers to comply with their religion's code of conduct. |
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BoholDiver
Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Location: Canada
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 5:25 am Post subject: |
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Key words. 'In their countries.'
Italy37612 wrote: |
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Yes, we enforce our laws in accordance with our values and social mores, and Muslims may do the same in their countries. |
+1 |
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