No, nor do I think that Catholics and Muslims have similar values on their Priests and Mohammad, respectively. If Muslims hold something more sacred, and get offended, but don't react violently, I'm not all that concerned. However, it's arrogant for people to tell others what they believe is stupid, and act like going out of the way to offend them is somehow protecting free speech.
No, but there is (among other things) another outcome: The craziness of the rulers in an Islamic country such as Pakistan was once again exposed when they blocked the whole of Facebook (and other sites) because of one small Facebook group with a few cartoons.
Hey, me too. I actually feel safer now that my rights have been protected by patriotic cartoonists across the country. I haven't read any stories about it, but I'm sure many, many violent Muslim extremists have been successfully rooted out and captured because of this hugely important movement. Thanks for poking fun at Islam, guys. Your patriotism and dedication to the American Way goes wholly unappreciated by these flowers-and-rainbow types. They don't realize that you have to insult a religion that has a few extremists in order to protect freedom. So once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I was just watching Anthony Bourdain, and he was talking with David Johansen from the NY Dolls (who somehow mutated into Buster Poindexter in the early '90's). Bourdain was talking with Johansen about how important the Dolls were in the 1970's in NYC and said, "I knew so many people who came back from a Dolls show back in the day, and they were totally traumatized... but in a good way." That pretty succinctly describes what I personally hoped the day would achieve. Anyway, this was the best one I saw yesterday, via Reddit: also: If those offend you, then you need to be offended.
Since none of the freedom-fighters will say it, I will: I'm extremely happy that there was no violence. If the extend of it was Pakistan blocking facebook and the maniacs holding up hateful posters in their own neighborhood, I'm very very happy.
or maybe it's the two obvious things: 1) When the intentions are good and communicated, people are less infuriated. 2) There's a difference between a spaghetti box and a terrorist with a bomb in his turban. But let's put that aside. It must be the desensitizing.
Have you actually seen the cartoons people uploaded? Some of them are quite funny, but a lot of them are a lot more offensive than the Danish guy's cartoon.
I doubt it, but my guess, and this is purely an educated guess here, is that most Muslims fully realized that the very people upholding a "draw mohammad day" were ruing for a fight, hoping to use the occasion to do nothing but unleash a torrent of hate-filled statements of expressions regarding Islam and Muslims. I am really glad that of the nearly 1.5 billion Muslims on this earth, there were no reported deaths or large scale acts of violence to protest these childish actions. At some point, Muslims will have to realize that children will be children, and that bigots will be bigots, and that there are millions of people in the West (still a very small minority, I might add) whom espouse specific anti-Islam and anti-Muslim agendas that can only be furthered through widespread campaigns designed to discredit Islam, and that all they need is a handful of Muslims in a very far off land to look angry or pissed and carry some threatening signs or chants and it would be immediately used to further the stereotype of the 'angry Muslim' in the Western media. The knee-jerk reactionary aspect of human nature is well-documented, but it does take a stronger and smarter person to realize that dismissal is, some times, the best form of resistance. I am a big proponent of telling my fellow Muslims to grow up, and not to expect others to respect us as Muslims nor to seek that respect or validation, and believe me most Muslims get that. It is still an inescapable fact that a vast, vast, vast minority of Muslims in the world today have engaged in violent protests of the cartoons, or even protested AT ALL in the first place, peaceful or otherwise. I myself have no problem with any non-Muslim saying or drawing the prophet in any way he or she pleases, but I will also exercise my freedom of expression to point out the clear hypocrisy and bigotry whenever and wherever it takes place, in this case or otherwise (as exemplified by ATW's stance on freedom of expression, for instance).
Your apparent hypocrisy on the topic which many, many posters have called you out on. I think it has been beaten to death at this point, so no point in engaging in any of that again, I certainly won't. You obviously don't see yourself the way we see you through your writing, and I certainly would not expect you to.
This is proof that these people are crooks. The Quran teaches of one God but these crooks bring Mohamed to his level and then act stop ****ing holy. Disgusting.
Btw, I am a Pakistani American. I think the whole draw Mohamed thing was ridiculous and the only intent was to start a riot. BUT it wasn't anything worth getting riled up over. Pakistan bit and proved that they (the people who are representing them here) are truly idiots.
The Koran teaching is "YOU shall not draw Mohammed". Not "everyone shall not draw Mohammed, even non-believers". Are you also offended at everyone who eats pork, since it also clearly stated that "You shall not eat pork"? Trying to forcefully impose your beliefs on others = fail
I'm not Muslim. The point is that I don't care why people get offended. There is nothing wrong with getting offended. There is something wrong with trying to do something just offend people. That being said sometimes it's perfectly fine to do something that does offend people. Just not for the reason of offending a bunch of folks, most of whom don't react violently. I applaud the discussion between Muslims who feel they should be offended and feel they shouldn't. That should happen, and I hope that nobody gets offended. I think it's silly to get offended. But I will respect the way others worship. If others find it offensive, I won't go out of my way to offend them for no reason. If I have reason to offend them, I won't think twice about doing so. roll eyes? Go right and ahead let them roll. I guess you stupidly offended by my post.
