May 20th is Everyone Draw Mohammad Day

[Rifleman]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...d=sec-religion

Political cartoonists split on usefulness of 'Everybody Draw Muhammad Day'

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 20, 2010

"Shock for shock's sake." "Choreographed punditry." And "wrong, childish and needlessly provocative."

That's what some critics think of Thursday's Facebook-ignited campaign titled "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day." But those aren't Islamic extremists speaking. Those are the words of pro-free-speech political cartoonists.

Some people might draw Muhammad on Thursday as part of a socially networked protest to caricature the Islamic prophet. Just don't expect most professional political cartoonists to join in.

What do you guys think? Is it an excuse to stir up controversy, or do the cartoonists have a point that in a free country, you should be able to freely draw whatever you want?

[DropIt]

Its a rediculous idea, and if it follows through ill be burying my head in sand all day

[flylock shox]

Just because you're able to say/express something doesn't mean you necessarily should do it.

There was a time (during the Danish cartoon controversy) that the social value of this campaign would have probably outweighed its potentially inflammatory nature. I'm not aware of anything to suggest that's still the case, and would agree with those who describe the campaign as "needlessly provocative."

Just because you can say something doesn't mean it's a good idea to say it. Just ask my ex.

[Sluggo]

A strong secular society should not pander to a faction within a religion that uses means diametrically opposed to the principals that founded that society. If we capitulate to those demands our society is weakened and only encourages the extreme and unacceptable behavior. It bothers me that one of our founding values is tolerance and in order to deal with this situation we have to break it in such a fashion that it protects many of our other values in exchange.

[Matata]

images of muhammed put us all at risk and should never be created or displayed

get it?

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by Sluggo

It bothers me that one of our founding values is tolerance and in order to deal with this situation we have to protect it in such a fashion that it breaks many of our other values in exchange.

Did I just fyp?

As for the Mohammad controversy, is society lessened by not drawing him? Can anyone really claim that they're harmed by not being able to draw Mohammad?

Should we refuse to tolerate religious beliefs for the sole reason that they seem silly to us?

[worth]

[llama64]

Originally Posted by Sluggo

A strong secular society should not pander to a faction within a religion that uses means diametrically opposed to the principals that founded that society. If we capitulate to those demands our society is weakened and only encourages the extreme and unacceptable behavior. It bothers me that one of our founding values is tolerance and in order to deal with this situation we have to break it in such a fashion that it protects many of our other values in exchange.

Our founding values run along the lines of "Peace, Order and Good Government". The tolerance part is fairly recent to Canadian society especially considering the Metis and the Japanese (not to mention the First Nations...).

But tolerance is fundamental to the Canadian national identity now.

What I don't understand is why people who disagree with something Muslims are insitant on feel the need to be jack asses about it. There is no need to taunt people here.

Wouldn't you be upset if some group, say, pissed all over the Canadian flag and lit it on fire?

[firebug]

Muslims find fornication and masturbation offensive.

If 30 members of this board pledge to give those two things up I will not draw Muhammad, otherwise I plan on doing all three.

~albug ahkbar

[icarus]

Originally Posted by Sluggo

A strong secular society should not pander to a faction within a religion that uses means diametrically opposed to the principals that founded that society. If we capitulate to those demands our society is weakened and only encourages the extreme and unacceptable behavior. It bothers me that one of our founding values is tolerance and in order to deal with this situation we have to break it in such a fashion that it protects many of our other values in exchange.

In my opinion, a strong secular society should not pander to some Facebook attention-seekers that insist on going out of its way just to inflame a faction within a religion.

[firebug]

Originally Posted by llama64

Wouldn't you be upset if some group, say, pissed all over the Canadian flag and lit it on fire?

Certainly I might be upset. Since when were Canadians granted the right to not be upset?

However, I wouldn't have that group arrested or killed.

~firebug

[WilsonFourTwo]

I don't see the value in this, other than to say "Guess what Muslims....up yours!"

What exactly is the expected benefit? Just because I can draw your mother getting humped by a goat (or some other highly offensive image) doesn't make it a worthy venture.

The ONLY positive thing I could see coming from this.....there's a 1 in a trillion chance it leads to the end of Facebook. That would be (imo) of much more social value than drawing a picture of the Prophet.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by icarus

In my opinion, a strong secular society should not pander to some Facebook attention-seekers that insist on going out of its way just to inflame a faction within a religion.

. . . . . . or insist on pandering to an intolerant society so we might demonstrate our tolerance.

Cowperson

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by icarus

In my opinion, a strong secular society should not pander to some Facebook attention-seekers that insist on going out of its way just to inflame a faction within a religion.

As Cowperson noted, a strong secular society should not pander to an intolerant religion either.

Let the idiots and the intolerant one fight each other and leave the rest of us be.

[firebug]

The Friendly Atheist's mohammad gallery.

My favourite:

[mykalberta]

Countdown till when death threats shut down this thread.

Countdown begins now....

I also think this thing matters more in the US than in Canada which is why I didnt make a thread about it a few days ago. Canada has never been a champion of the type of freedom of speech that the US believes in.

I think this has to do more with "if southpark can draw a cartoon of Jesus being humped by a horse, why cant they draw one of Mohammed?"

[Ducay]

I think the whole movement is not to try and anger islams in general, it more has to do with a show of solidarity against all these extremists who vow to jihad any and everyone.

Gah, I lost count of the number of times 'jihad' was mentioned in the facebook page about this event, and that was on page 1.

[CaptainCrunch]

I don't see the point of this, beyond it being incredibly stupid. We know its going to piss off the extreme elements, but why the frack are these idiots going to pi$$ in the face of the moderate muslims. You're basically telling them that what you believe is irrelevant.

Stupidity is as stupidity does.

[Redliner]

In a free country, you should be able to draw whatever you want. That doesn't mean it's a good idea.

While I don't adhere to Islam and it really doesn't matter to me one way or the other whether people are drawing cartoons of Mohammed, I don't see the need to deliberately try and provoke a response by going out of one's way to ridicule a sacred figure in their religion.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Redliner

In a free country, you should be able to draw whatever you want. That doesn't mean it's a good idea.

While I don't adhere to Islam and it really doesn't matter to me one way or the other whether people are drawing cartoons of Mohammed, I don't see the need to deliberately try and provoke a response by going out of one's way to ridicule a sacred figure in their religion.

This is an awsome answer.