Everyone Draw Mohammed Day!

[Crazed Rabbit]

From Wikipedia:

Everybody Draw Mohammed Day is a protest against Islamists who threaten violence against individuals that attempt to depict Muhammad. It originally began as a protest against censorship of South Park episode "201" by Comedy Central in response to death threats from radical Islamists. It started with a drawing posted on the Internet on April 20, 2010, the suggestion in it that everybody create a drawing representing Muhammad, a prophet of Islam, on May 20, 2010, as a protest against efforts to limit freedom of speech, and the movement in support of that protest.

U.S. cartoonist Molly Norris of Seattle, Washington, created the artwork in reaction to Internet death threats that had been made against cartoonists Trey Parker and Matt Stone for depicting Muhammad in an episode of South Park. Depictions of Muhammad are explicitly forbidden by a few hadith (Islamic texts), though not by the Qur'an.[1] Postings on RevolutionMuslim.com had said that Parker and Stone could wind up like Theo van Gogh, a Dutch filmmaker who was brutally murdered and mutilated by a Muslim extremist. The individuals running the website later denied that the postings were actual threats, although they were widely perceived as such.

Norris said that if millions of people draw pictures of Muhammad, Islamist terrorists would not be able to murder them all, and threats to do so would become unrealistic. Within a week, Norris' idea became popular on Facebook, was supported by numerous bloggers, and generated coverage on the blog websites of major U.S. newspapers. As the publicity mounted, Norris and the man who created the first Facebook page promoting the May 20 event disassociated themselves from it. Nonetheless, planning for the protest continued with others taking "up the cause".[2]

The almost 100,000 supporters facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Everyb...21369914543425

My own image of Mohammed:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I think this is a great chance to stand up for freedom of expression against those who would use intimidation and force to silence speech.

CR

[Kadagar_AV]

Pakistan and Turkey is banning Facebook and Youtube as of now, reason: you can access pics of muhammed there.

Muhammed Cartoon

One of the worst pictures I have seen. A clear provocation - making fun of Muhammed and his (was it third?) wife. They got married when we was six, but consumated the marriage when she was 9 (yuck!!). Reminding muslims that their prophet was a pedo is a sure way to set them off.

The fact that her teddy is a piglet just adds extra fuel to the fire I assume.



I am not overly impressed by the people who go out of their way to insult Islam, but it is their right to do so, and that I support.

[Beskar]

[Lemur]

This is a nice way to give a collective middle finger to the Salafist/Wahhabist jerks. Has a nice Anonymous-style feel to it.

I still can't believe that the only group stupid and crazy enough to threaten South Park was a couple of Brooklynites.

I'm tempted to post a completely meaningless piece of abstract art and declare that it represents the "idea" of Mohammed.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Oh Beskar, Beskar, Beskar. I like how I look like Black Rabbit of Inlé, and I love how there's a bag of money next to my ghostly figure.

The point of this is not to insult Islam. It's to stand up for free expression, to show that threats of violence cannot silence people. Will some people be offended? It would seem so; but it needs to be clear that violence is not the answer to being offended.

CR

[Kadagar_AV]

Muslims are not the problem...

[Beskar]

Oh Beskar, Beskar, Beskar. I like how I look like Black Rabbit of Inlé, and I love how there's a bag of money next to my ghostly figure.

I am proud of that black rabbit.

[Fragony]

I tried. My pencil, it just vanished. It's gone.

[Vladimir]

I am proud of that black rabbit.

Agreed.

This is a great idea!

[Louis VI the Fat]

The image is from a French school textbook. The face of Mohammed has been pixelled out of it in 2005, so as not to offend schoolchildren. The picture is seven centuries old, rather telling of the glory of Mediaeval Islamic civilisation.
Thirteenth century Persian schoolschildren could watch it. 21st century French schoolchildren can not. Some progress.

Also, without wanting to derail the threat with pet peeves, what disgrace the world's most secular education, the French, should suddenly bend over backwards to suit some private cult. I demand education stops discriminating Islam and gives it equal treatment to Christianity!


A picture of Hitler was chosen because that offends less Islam, but is considered the gravest insult by the people behind the blotting out: the self-censoring lefty multicultural tralalalists (thanks, Fragony, for providing me with the proper terminology)

~~o~~o~~<<oOo>>~~o~~o~~

You are genuinely talented, CR!

[Komutan]

Pakistan and Turkey is banning Facebook and Youtube as of now, reason: you can access pics of muhammed there.

Turkey is not banning Facebook as far as I know. Youtube is indeed banned, but not because of Muhammed.

[Rhyfelwyr]

IMO this is unecessary, it will offend the 99.9999% of Muslims that didn't threaten anybody. Though of course I very much defend your right to do it.

But what if we had a crap all over the American flag day? Or indeed the French flag, since someone in another thread said such symbols should not be allowed to be disrespected.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Who has been threatened with death for defacing the american or french flags?

[Lemur]

IMO this is unecessary, it will offend the 99.9999% of Muslims that didn't threaten anybody.

I question the assumption behind this statement. The prohibition on graven images of Mohammed is meant to prevent worshipping him. Parody, satire and free speech were not the targets, and the vast majority of Musilms understand this. It's only a small, humorless, pathetic fundamentalist subculture that gets worked up about these drawings. I don't see why anyone should modify their behavior to accomodate this fringe.

[Louis VI the Fat]

IMO this is unecessary, it will offend the 99.9999% of Muslims that didn't threaten anybody. Though of course I very much defend your right to do it.

But what if we had a crap all over the American flag day? Or indeed the French flag, since someone in another thread said such symbols should not be allowed to be disrespected.

I'm fairly certain the overwhelming amount of Catholics are not involved in some papist plot to ensure global domination for the whore of Babylon.


As for myself - I'm an equal treatment guy. Considering even what yours truly alone has written about Catholicism in recent months, I am not sure this thread qualifies as the most painful to religious feelings.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Funny? Nah. Insulting? 200.000 men died fighting in June 1940, while the world stood by as the last democratic bastion in Europe fell.

Will I issue death threats and demand you censor your school books? Nope. I'll rather post it myself.

(A few guys who burned a French flag had to appear before court though, two months ago. With which I disagree. I think you get a fine for it or some such nonsense.)

[drone]

When this disappears or is defaced, we are truly in trouble.

[Kadagar_AV]

When this disappears or is defaced, we are truly in trouble.

Care to elaborate?

[Meneldil]

The image is from a French school textbook. The face of Mohammed has been pixelled out of it in 2005, so as not to offend schoolchildren. The picture is seven centuries old, rather telling of the glory of Mediaeval Islamic civilisation.
Thirteenth century Persian schoolschildren could watch it. 21st century French schoolchildren can not. Some progress.

Thanks for finaly proving that Muhammad has been represented countless times during the Middle Ages. I was pretty sure I saw his face in high school, and some of my muslim friends would go "ZOMG no way in hell dude, that's blasphemy" when I told them. Bollox.

[PanzerJaeger]

This is great! Freedom of expression is a core Western value that they should adapt to, not the other way around.


May I ask if our moderating staff agrees, as I have created my own Muhammad artwork?

[CountArach]

May I ask if our moderating staff agrees, as I have created my own Muhammad artwork?

If you PM it to me first that would be much appreciated.

EDIT: I completely forgot about this... I really did intend to go through with it.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Who has been threatened with death for defacing the american or french flags?

Some people want to lock them up for it. Same principle, different degree.

I question the assumption behind this statement. The prohibition on graven images of Mohammed is meant to prevent worshipping him. Parody, satire and free speech were not the targets, and the vast majority of Musilms understand this. It's only a small, humorless, pathetic fundamentalist subculture that gets worked up about these drawings. I don't see why anyone should modify their behavior to accomodate this fringe.

For the bolded bit, that is, ironically, exactly what they are doing. Would you be drawing Muhammad if it wasn't because this whole issue had arisen?

I'm fairly certain the overwhelming amount of Catholics are not involved in some papist plot to ensure global domination for the whore of Babylon.

As for myself - I'm an equal treatment guy. Considering even what yours truly alone has written about Catholicism in recent months, I am not sure this thread qualifies as the most painful to religious feelings.

Well the difference is I was trying to discuss the matter, and it's not like my beliefs haven't been similarly attacked by Catholics or atheists/whoever. But that's what its all about, being able to talk about things even when it will offend people, if it means hearing the different views etc...

On the other hand, people seem to be drawing Muhammad purely to annoy people.

[Fragony]

people seem to be drawing Muhammad purely to annoy people.

Act rediculously and people will make fun of you.

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

I'm for this. If they can mock Jesus Chirst on TV, then Mohammed should be no different.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Some people want to lock them up for it. Same principle, different degree.

Yes. Just like "desecrating" the flag once in a while, and having a day dedicated to it is the same principle, different degree.

[al Roumi]

I would like to ask you guys whether you think that your societies or beliefs truely allow you complete freedom of expression. I would encourage you to check the laws of your country too, you may be surprised...

I know, for example, that the UK has legislation to ban "incitement of hatred and violence", which is clearly a gag or limit to the freedom of expression. Certain other European states include holocaust denial as an illegal matter for public discussion. This kind of legislation clearly denotes a belief that some things cannot or should not be said because they undermine social values or are potentialy harmful. I am aware that this kind of legislation is itself contentious, but it represents a rational decision made to limit free speech in order to preserve respect.

Muslims would add improper discussion of Mohamed, Jesus, Abraham and Moses to these existing items which western coutnries deem improper or nurgatory, because they believe in respect for these religious figures -as the laws of Germany and Austria respect the victims of the holocaust.

President Ahmadinejad's public statements and international congresses of Holocaust denial (edit: as Iraeli/Jewish & western baiting) could be considered an equivalent of the kind of Muslim baiting this thread represents. There are plenty of other ways to celebrate free speech than insulting people.

How people react to deliberate provocation through the debasement of things they hold dear is another matter.

[Kadagar_AV]

Yes. Just like "desecrating" the flag once in a while, and having a day dedicated to it is the same principle, different degree.

I like the US flag and what it represents!

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I would like to ask you guys whether you think that your societies or beliefs truely allow you complete freedom of expression. I would encourage you to check the laws of your country too, you may be surprised...

Yes, the underlying assumption is that this is a form of expression that should not be illegal. It's underlying because we've had previous threads on the subject.

Certain other European states include holocaust denial as an illegal matter for public discussion.

And they are wrong to do so.

President Ahmadinejad's public statements and international congresses of Holocaust denial could be considered an equivalent of the kind of Muslim baiting this thread represents. There are plenty of other ways to celebrate free speech than insulting people.

Posting drawings of mohammed is the equivalent of Holocaust denial?

I can't even recall the philosophical arguments for free speech exactly...but isn't the "incitement to violence" limitation about people urging violence on someone else that very same day or something like that?

[Tellos Athenaios]

I think a major point with the cartoons of Mohammed is: it is beyond belief that a narrow, fringe opinion comes to dominate the entire public discourse on Islam. Especially since the narrow, fringe opinion is wholly incompatible with a major body of literature, culture, and art produced by Muslims of the past. We do not accept a similar status quo to appease Catholics, Jews or Buddhists or Protestants, why should we do so for Muslims? The big difference with Holocaust denial, is, as I see it: that we have proof of the Holocaust happening; just like we have proof of the depictions of Mohammed before any Muslim today was even thought of.

Of course this is aside from the content of the cartoon, or the motivation. But a cartoon such as the one made by Zapiro (Mohammed lies on a couch at the psychiatrist complaining that other prophets do have followers with a sense of humour) is not merely needlessly offensive. It has a real substance; and it doesn't even seek to pour scorn on Mohammed or his teachings.

[al Roumi]

Well, ultimately you can be offended by people saying millions of people weren't gassed and you can be offended by people dissing Mohamed. I'm not sure there is very much rational about either: they are both things that some people respect greatley and get upset about others taking the out of them.

I personaly am up for a discussion about anything, i don't think there is anything I personally believe shouldn't be debated. However, I also respect the fact that some people don't like everything to be questioned, lampooned or cross-referenced because it is important to them.

Muslim society tends to be more conservative than liberal western society, exactly as some christian societies can be (hello bible belt, hello catholic Italy).


I have to admit I don't actually know what it feels like to be Muslim and see Mohamed satirised, but I should imagine it's like telling you that your mother prefers to lay with dogs and horses than your father or something.

I don't have a problem with anyone drawing mohamed, it doesn't upset me in the slightest, i just think its a bit childish to pointedly goad someone with something you know will insult them.

[al Roumi]

Certain other European states include holocaust denial as an illegal matter for public discussion.

And they are wrong to do so.

In your liberal opinion.

Posting drawings of mohammed is the equivalent of Holocaust denial?

In the sense of being upsetting to a large group of people, yes it is.


Tell me, what do you hold sacred? What do you respect and revere above all else? Be it a person, family member or deed done, how would you feel if it was insulted, grossely caricatured or besmirched?