What Were the Danish Cartoons for Anyway?
February 8, 2006, 11:21 am |
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By Donnel Jones
The fact is, the Danish cartoons do reflect the truth about Islam. It is their intent to be offensive in response to the beyond offensive reality of a religion that is off-its-rails deranged and headed for oblivion if it doesn’t rein in its fanaticism and seething hatred of the “other.”
Satire may be unfair precisely because “the truth hurts.” No one wants to face their own ugliness. A well placed observation or caricature can make the difference between ignoring what one wants to ignore about oneself and a shocking bolt of self-recognition that you are not, at last, all that you believe you are.
The cartoons were meant to offend or, at least, to impart to its Danish, non-Muslim, viewers the truth of the condition of Islam today. Sometimes the joke really is on “them” if “they” do not get it, so the next recourse is a collective recognition among the audience that the present condition—in this case, Islam—is a mess.
Satire has a salubrious if painful effect only upon those who are conditioned to face the truth when all options at evasion are exhausted and one is handed, in their place, the pitiful reality that is pitilessly offered through instructive ridicule. But if you are not so conditioned, since satire as it is explained here is a Western cultural construct, then you are left with loathing only, without any compensating dividend in self-awareness.
That is why satire is properly moral and that the best satirists from Aristophanes to Swift to Twain were so hell-bent on making their audiences aware of the awful truth, even if it means to laugh at ourselves. It is a moot point to speak of the Danish cartoons as anything but amateurish (Cox and Forkum could have done so much better), but the larger point is the edifying nature of satire in the right hands and with the right intent.
Such an understanding of satire is lost on fanatics who, above all, lack a sense of humor the most important ingredient for which is a deep, if denied, sense of one’s true self, however ugly, however flawed.
Special Report: Danish Cartoons
Related: Arab/Muslim World, Political Correctness
February 8th, 2006 at 9:11 pm
It might be true that most muslims are radicals, and that they do hate the “others”, but the reason why muslims are furious at the cartoonists and outraged is because the cartoon is disrepecting our religion. We’re not supposed to draw pictures of the Prophet ( Peace Be Upon Him). People might take things to far. People might to much on the Prophet ( PBUH) and not Allah. Just how the Hindus did and even how Christians did. Why would you need to draw a picture of Jesus, I’ll never understand, inaccurately at that. It just leads to controversy, and doubting the religion, as is shown in some religions.
So the problem here isn’t the label of being violent foreigners full of hate, but how it has disrespected our religion. It would be like a Muslim cartoonist drawing a vulgar drawing og Jesus. Oh, but then it would be okay for Christians to go crazy. Like good old George Bush and of course Pat Robertson. In my opinion this wasn’t a harmless cartoon, but rather a stragetical way to make the Muslims look bad. This whole thing is just disgusting. Why couldn’t the cartoonist use Osama, our some other well known Muslim? That’s was a pretty low-blow.
February 9th, 2006 at 2:49 am
No one has made Muslims “look bad” except Muslims themselves. You can’t even take responsibility for your own actions, and you are paranoid. It is all an evil (”stragetical”) plot? You are proof that it is self-induced, demonstrating your intolerance here. You do not understand freedom of expression at all.
The Arab/Muslim world spews hatred of non-Muslim religions constantly. But you can’t take what you dish out:
http://netwmd.com/blog/2006/02/07/365
I have no sympathy for you. If you truly believed in your religion, you wouldn’t be so touchy about cartoons of Mohammed, because you would have true faith. Ye of little faith.
The problem here IS people full of hate, but it is Muslims, not Westerners, in this case.
Americans have created “vulgar drawing[s] of Jesus.” There is one posted on this site:
http://netwmd.com/blog/2006/02/04/351
We have also posted the Danish caricature of Mohammed:
http://netwmd.com/blog/2006/02/04/350
But we don’t go on violent rampages because of cartoons.
February 11th, 2006 at 7:08 am
People who dont respect themselves , how would they respect others. Tell me somthing if you really love your “freedom”. When was the last time you practiced ” your religion”. I believe its been a long time. Now dont get upset…. calm down and listen what i am saying here. My dear, doesn’t matter what religion you practice, every religion teaches you to respect others. Does your religion sermonizes you to point your finger at other religions (in our case is islam) and say ” Islam is a mess”? I really dont think so. I am not trying to proof that Islam is a better religion and yours is not. All i am trying to say is practice the word ” RESPECT”.
February 11th, 2006 at 11:35 am
Noreen: You make rather grandiose assumptions.
Right now, it is not Christians, Jews, and Buddhists who are burning embassies, killing, and rampaging because of a cartoon. It is Muslims. Islamists have murdered 30,000 Muslim innocents in Iraq. 9/11. The Cole. Madrid 3/11. London. Bali. These atrocities were all carried out in the name of Mohammed. It is Islam that is now issuing fatwas inciting murder and hate. Take a hard look at your own society.
I practice “my religion” every day. 70% of Americans regularly attend mosque, synagogue, temple, and church. Your assumptions are false.
I respect peaceful, law-abiding Muslims, not ones who want to slit my throat because I believe in free speech.
Have you ever read the U.S. Constitution, our Bill of Rights, or the Federalist Papers? If you did, you would see that our definition of “free speech” is much different from yours.
We will defend our freedom with our lives.