Dave Lucas' Archives: Cartoon Carnival

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Cartoon Carnival

The Danish anti-Muslim cartoon controversey has gone way over the top!

Dozens of newspapers in Europe and elsewhere have reproduced the Jyllands-Posten Mohammad cartoons with a free-speech justification. Representations of Mohammed are considered blasphemous by many Muslims. Iran's best-selling newspaper said this week that it had launched a competition to find the best cartoon about the Holocaust to test Western free-speech tolerance.

While freedom of speech is important, one of the cartoons depicted Mohammed in a bomb-shaped turban. How does this make any kind of useful contribution to public debate? It clearly offends Muslims. Freedom of expression is an important value, but its value rests in the fact that it provides a forum for open public debate about significant issues. These cartoons are not about freedom of expression: they're hate literature designed to sell newspapers.

One of the Capital Region's local daily newspapers has taken a stand (sort-of) on the so-called "Muhammad Cartoons."

Two faces of Denmark Press: Three years ago cartoons of Jesus Christ were rejected by Denmark's mass-circulation daily Jyllands-Posten, which recently commissioned and published insulting drawings of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). "My cartoon, which certainly did not offend any Christians I showed it to, was rejected because the editor felt it would be considered offensive to readers -- readers in general, not necessarily Christians," cartoonist Christoffer Zieler said in an e-mail to Reuters on Wednesday, February 9. In April 2003, Zieler submitted five unsolicited cartoons portraying Jesus jumping out of holes in floors and walls during his resurrection. In one of the drawings, gnomes rated Jesus for style, another entitled "Saviour-cam" showed Jesus with a camera on his head staring at his feet. Muslims believe that Jesus, known the Noble Qur'an as 'Isa, was a prophet who received revelation from God and preached monotheism, and they afford him great respect. [Reuters]

Canadian Students angered by a Halifax university professor's decision to post cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad on his office door plan to march on Saint Mary's University. Organizers have condemned the actions of Dr. Peter March saying they show a lack of respect for the Islamic faith and are designed to be provocative and create a hatred of Muslims. [canada.com]

Here in the states, Condoleeza Rice says SYRIA and IRAN are behind the cartoon capers![the Age]

In an article yesterday on the New York Observer’s Web site, an editor, Harry Siegel, said that he and three colleagues on the editorial board of The New York Press resigned after being ordered not to print the cartoons in an issue dedicated to the controversy. [New York Times]