General Discussion

Ken Burch

(50,254 posts)

45. Of all the fights to engage in, the fight to draw Mohammed is the least important. Let it go.

Sun Jan 11, 2015, 04:10 AM

Jan 2015

It's not an important battle, there are no points about anything that require the Prophet to be depicted, and besides, many of the cartoons were stupidly unfair...such as the ones that seemed to hold the Prophet responsible for Pakistan having nuclear weapons(does anybody hold the early figures in the growth of Hinduism responsible for India having the bomb? Or Moses for Israel possessing it? Or St. Paul for any Christian country having nuclear capacity?

There's just nothing that freaking crucial about having the right to depict the Prophet. It serves no purpose and can lead to no great advance in human consciousness. No one is freed by depicting the Prophet and nothing is ever going to be made better.

Besides which, everyone forgets the REASON Muslims don't want the Prophet depicted...the point has always been to avoid idolatry, to avoid people becoming confused and starting to worship the Prophet. The Prophet isn't God.

The killings were wrong, unconditionally wrong, but reducing this to a fight to reprint bad and questionably motivated drawings of Muhammad is a complete waste of time and does nothing at all to stop extremist violence.

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Highlight:

Political cartoonist Joe Sacco NAILs moral questions surrounding Charlie Hebdo attacks [View all] kpete Jan 2015 OP

Profound. Dont call me Shirley Jan 2015 #1

k&r Starry Messenger Jan 2015 #2

Political cartoons can be powerful. This proves it. Bagsgroove Jan 2015 #3

Nice cartoon, four-eyes gratuitous Jan 2015 #4

Except that in some important respects, he really, really doesn't. Spider Jerusalem Jan 2015 #5

Yes, but there's a larger point being made and it isn't the sophomoric provocation just for the sake KittyWampus Jan 2015 #8

So, the following is "sophomoric provocation"? Spider Jerusalem Jan 2015 #11

No, he really doesn't. Donald Ian Rankin Jan 2015 #6

No, he really doesn't. Satire is about PROVOCATION. And it usually involves challenging the powerful KittyWampus Jan 2015 #7

Well, insulting Mohammed is challenging the powerful in spades. Donald Ian Rankin Jan 2015 #9

Yeah, Mohammed and his 1.7 billion followers geek tragedy Jan 2015 #12

Uh, Muslims are a minority in Western countries n/t Violet_Crumble Jan 2015 #24

Yet their faith is the only one geek tragedy Jan 2015 #25

How is that the fault of the Muslim population in Europe? n/t Violet_Crumble Jan 2015 #27

It's not. European Muslims are not a threat. geek tragedy Jan 2015 #29

Then I agree with you on that... Violet_Crumble Jan 2015 #32

The terrorists here were hoping to provoke such a response. geek tragedy Jan 2015 #33

Douthat and Chait have written some dumb stuff in their not so notable careers. His last sentence sabrina 1 Jan 2015 #35

So his ultimate reaction is that we should learn why the fact that geek tragedy Jan 2015 #10

Maybe It'll Be Easier To Accept Their Barbarity wellst0nev0ter Jan 2015 #14

Whatever you tell yourself to avoid blaming the killers. nt geek tragedy Jan 2015 #17

No, Just Putting It In A Different Perspective wellst0nev0ter Jan 2015 #42

Limiting Satire to Nuance is limiting speech n2doc Jan 2015 #13

************* ~~~~~~~~~~ People won't read it but THIS PART: RIGHT HERE: NYC_SKP Jan 2015 #15

Satire is not a weapon. This is where those who can't bring themselves to geek tragedy Jan 2015 #16

satire is absolutely a weapon. Stop minimizing what satire is and its effect. Satire has a long KittyWampus Jan 2015 #18

So in your view the killings were a response in kind to a weaponized geek tragedy Jan 2015 #23

"a response in kind"? WTF? To ask that question or imply I said anything remotely like it KittyWampus Jan 2015 #26

You're arguing that satire is both a weapon and a provocation. geek tragedy Jan 2015 #28

Oh for fuck's sake, you, and the idiots who are offended smirkymonkey Jan 2015 #36

Tell it to targets of brutal homophobia and sexism in written and cartoon form, geek tragedy. NYC_SKP Jan 2015 #19

Lines on a paper depicting an historical figure geek tragedy Jan 2015 #21

Of all the fights to engage in, the fight to draw Mohammed is the least important. Let it go. Ken Burch Jan 2015 #45

Tell it to the preachers and priests, mullahs and imams who spit venomous language against gay Bluenorthwest Jan 2015 #37

It's not nuance. It's faux sophistication. Prism Jan 2015 #20

The old joke about a liberal not being willing to take geek tragedy Jan 2015 #22

This guy draws like R. Crumb. panader0 Jan 2015 #30

I thought so too kpete Jan 2015 #41

He absolutely does not oberliner Jan 2015 #31

He absolutely does ellenrr Jan 2015 #34

Any chest beating DU free-speechers got a problem with this? whatchamacallit Jan 2015 #38

Disagreeing with the message is not the same thing... Spider Jerusalem Jan 2015 #39

Thanks Master of the Obvious! whatchamacallit Jan 2015 #40

Kick :) whatchamacallit Jan 2015 #43

Very thought-provoking, kpete. Tellingly, it is not a knee-jerk reaction, it's not simple.... Hekate Jan 2015 #44

I've been rather vocal in my disgust at equating bad satire with mass murder. nomorenomore08 Jan 2015 #46

Sacco's books on Palestine, Gaza and Bosnia nilesobek Jan 2015 #47

True cultural alchemy isn't permissable to an average American, let alone religious fundamentalists. greyl Jan 2015 #48