poetry in commotion...

So I'm sure you've all heard of the furor regarding certain caricatures of the prophet Mohammed, and the widespread outrage of the Muslim world from it. From what I gather the first danish newspaper to publish it was the Danish daily 'Jyllands-Posten' on 30 September last year, for the reason, and I quote, "The editor of the conservative daily had asked Danish cartoonists to draw Mohammed with the intention of "testing" what kind of reactions this would provoke. He wanted to find out whether the rather large number of Muslim immigrants to Denmark were influencing the limits of freedom of expression in the Nordic kingdom" (afrol News). There was a huge outcry over it, complete with death threats etc, and demonstrated the divide between Danish liberal values and conservative immigrant beliefs. However, what caused all this commotion is that the Christian fundamentalist weekly 'Magazinet' of Norway recently decided to publish the same cartoons "in support of" 'Jyllands-Posten'. Hence all the outcry.

What makes Mohammed so inviolate? We laugh when politicians and celebrities are parodied and mocked, but because some guy about 1400 years ago said he talked to God and people believed him, he's suddenly untouchable now? Isn't he human, and thus, imperfect? We're talking about a guy who, at 57, forcibly married a young 17 year old Jewish girl and possibly raped her on the same day her entirely family was killed by his men*? Why, bless his immaculate soul, I'm sure he's with God right now.

We all know religion is a touchy subject for many people, but nothing should be above criticism, should the subject or person warrant it. Freedom of speech and the right to choose are two beliefs I hold sacred and inviolate, even though by the same token there are retards out there who, sometimes, I wish didn't have that right. While we should try to display a measure of tact when expressing our beliefs, we can't tiptoe through life completely terrified of offending someone. Freedom of speech is an expression of opinions, an agreement that we don't all think the same way, and that really, we agree to disagree. And just because you choose to believe something that is contrary to what I believe in doesn't give me the right to sway your opinion forcibly.

So personally, I'd say a big fuck you to all the Muslims who can't tolerate even the slightest criticism about their religion, just as I'd say a big fuck you to the Christians who can't handle criticisms about the Vatican and Our Lord and Saviour According to Some People. Mohammed butchered whole towns to the last woman and child on his holy war, and in the name of Jesus the pious shining white knights of Christendom (at the behest of the Pope) went into Jerusalem and also slaughtered every Muslim and Jew man, woman and child in what is arguably, if numbers of believers are anything to go by, the holiest place on Earth.


Nothing is above criticism, if the facts warrant it. And that is a right I will continue to defend.




*This is also officially accounted in the Koran, though the implication of rape has been removed

posted by jaseypoo! @ 12:56 AM