Cartoons Cause Death Among Muslims (America, fanaticism, islam, Article)

[dan]

What are your feelings on the recent riots and protests, as well as the responsibility of cartoonists when handling religious issues? Over twelve people have died so far in protests.

I do an editorial cartoon for the BYU newspaper and am interested in people's opinions. There are several bounties being offered for the heads of the cartoonists, including 100 kilograms of gold, $1,000,000 and a car. The cartoonists are living under 24 hour police surveillance right now and two European countries have just passed laws making blasphemy of any kind illegal. In case you're not keenly aware of the issue, here's some info:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4669360.stm

http://cagle.com/news/blog/

http://www.islam-online.net/English/...rticle04.shtml

http://www.islamonline.net/English/V...rticle03.shtml

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...EAskTheScholar

[MidnightBlue]

Cartoons don't kill people; religious fanatics kill people.

[dawny0826]

Originally Posted by MidnightBlue

Cartoons don't kill people; religious fanatics kill people.

You're right.

[dan]

Originally Posted by MidnightBlue

Cartoons don't kill people; religious fanatics kill people.

Actually the only people who intentionally killed anyone in this issue is a security guard in an American bank in Pakistan. It's remarkably easy to boil this down to blaming religious fanaticism, but look at the actual facts, not just an anecdotal quip that you feel encapsulates the struggles of millions of people over thousands of years. I'd like to hear some actual thoughts.

[Judgement Day]

Another thread ?

[dan]

My thread has a lot more information than any of the others.

[Ody]

Originally Posted by Judgement Day

Another thread ?

It is a major problem, fanatacism in the middle east.

[MidnightBlue]

Originally Posted by dan

Actually the only people who intentionally killed anyone in this issue is a security guard in an American bank in Pakistan. It's remarkably easy to boil this down to blaming religious fanaticism, but look at the actual facts, not just an anecdotal quip that you feel encapsulates the struggles of millions of people over thousands of years.

You mean something like, "Cartoons Cause Death Among Muslims"?

Religious fundamentalism really is a dangerous and destructive force, not just Muslim fanaticism, but all religious fundamentalism. And I'd expect anybody involved in any kind of newspaper to have figured that out.

[YmirGF]

It's not just Muhammad cartoons making the Middle East angry - the Iranian embassy in Berlin demanded an apology for a cartoon in a German newspaper that insulted the Iranian football (soccer) team. To quote from iransportsnews.com:

In a statement addressed to chief editor of the daily Der Tagesspiegel, the embassy demanded a "written apology and measures aimed at rectifying this immoral act". The communiqué added the offensive caricature had caused "outrage among the Iranian people".

This subject is not going to go away. The whole thing is going to get crazier and crazier. What disturbs me is how the ignorant, often illiterate, masses are being played like a fiddle. It might prove interesting to survey the attendees of these violent protests to see how many could even read their Holy Qu'ran.

[sojourner]

I think it's easy for people to justify fanaticism, caustic remarks, judgmentalism, or any of a number of other atrocities (like bombing, war and terrorism) on the basis of religion. Jimmy Swaggert was excused because he was religious. For years, Catholic priests were excused, because they were religious. Rioting Muslims are excused, because they're rioting for a religious cause. People do these things and, rather than hold them accountable, we tend to say, "Oh, they're religious...it must be OK somehow."

I have to ask, due to my own ignorance...doesn't Mohammed teach the same thing? Doesn't the word "Islam" mean something akin to "peace?"