Muhammad Cartoons Roundup

Those Danish Muhammad Cartoons continue to make news: the Danish consulate in Beirut has been burned down. Wikipedia has a preliminary overview (with references), and there’s continuing coverage on BBC News and NPR. Right-wing blogger Michelle Malkin also has some commentary about many outlets’ choice not to show the strip in question. Have any librarians received requests for help finding the cartoon?

February 6, 2006 by John Uncategorized 9

Daniel says:

February 6, 2006 at 11:07 am

It’s the opposite of multiculturalism to blame
I found myself agreeing with about 80% of what Ms. Malkin had to say. First time I’ve been agreement with her since Katrina.

But she seems to blame multiculturism for the rioting, and I think that’s a mistake. Considering that the worst acts of violence have occured in strict Muslim societies, one could argue that LACK of multiculturism is at least partly to blame here. People who can’t possibly conceive of any possible purpose of drawing the prophet except to humilate Muslims. And feel that death is an appropriate penalty for those who do so. Kind of like people who want flag-burners shot or at least imprisoned.

Two points where I think that she is spot on:

1) Not showing the cartoons seems to be more out of fear than sensitivity, considering the American media’s use of Christian imagery and characters.

2) Not showing the original cartoons allows the fake cartoons drawn by persons unknown to be the subject of discussion, rather than what actually happened.

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kmccook says:

February 6, 2006 at 6:18 pm

Malkin has the photos up
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004440.htm

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GregS* says:

February 6, 2006 at 8:36 pm

Re:It’s the opposite of multiculturalism to blame
1. I don’t see where she’s blaming multiculturlism for the riots other then the quote she lists way down near the bottom.

2. The worst of the rioting may be in single-culture societies but there have been a number of riots and even murders in European countries due to Muslism extremism. And the problem is that many of these countries have growing Muslim populations that are not being integrated into their society. I think the point here is that multiculturalism is not exactly the same as “the melting pot” and that the political correctness mentioned alongside the multiculturalism is preventing the various cultures from meshing.

There would still be riots (aren’t there always) in the 3rd world countries but don’t forget that this all started because an artist couldn’t be found in a European country who was willing to risk their life in order to illustrate a *children’s book*. That’s where multiculturalism has gotten them.

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Anonymous Patron says:

February 6, 2006 at 9:34 pm

Two Points
From Mark Steyn:

NBC is celebrating Easter this year with a special edition of the gay sitcom “Will & Grace,” in which a Christian conservative cooking-show host, played by the popular singing slattern Britney Spears, offers seasonal recipes — “Cruci-fixin’s.” On the other hand, the same network, in its coverage of the global riots over the Danish cartoons, has declined to show any of the offending artwork out of “respect” for the Muslim faith.

Interesting.

Second, I think rioting Muslims need to pull themselves out of the 14th century.

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Anonymous Patron says:

February 6, 2006 at 9:39 pm

Labels
This is a small point but I’d like to make it. If the poster labels Miss Malkin “right-wing”, I’d like have them include the label to the BBC and/or NPR as “left-wing”. Miss Malkin cheerfully admits she is right-wing, NPR and the BBC live in denial.

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Anonymous Patron says:

February 7, 2006 at 2:47 am

Hey
It is a religion of peace until you draw pictures. Then they might kill you.

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leeb says:

February 7, 2006 at 6:42 am

Legitimate reason, inappropriate response
I haven’t seen the drawings myself. But Muslims probably have a legitimate reason to be offended and upset by the drawings. But this does not mean they can go on a rampage and destruction, which I think they have become undisputed world champions of. Maybe this was the intention, to trigger this kind of violent and uncivilised response. I mean the way women are treated in much of the Muslim world is offensive to the Western world. But this does not mean that the embassies of the Muslim countries are burnt to the ground.

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Lee Hadden says:

February 7, 2006 at 8:41 pm

Censorship, not culture
Actually, this is just plain old censorship. Some people want to be protected from anything that might offend them, or make them change their minds, or acknowledge that other people don’t think like them.
It is the same premise where Confederate flags are pulled down at historic sites because they might offend someone. It is the same thing as when books are pulled from libraries because they speak about sex. or religion. or politics. It is the same thing as when people want filters on computers to keep them from seeing anything the don’t want to see, and think it is the fault of someone else when they do. Don’t defend this censorship demand with religion anymore than you would toss out Harry Potter because other religious people are offended by witches. It has nothing to do with religion, and everything to do with trying to control other people. That is called censorship. This is called tyranny.
The deaths, the embassey trashing, the rioting, they only differ in intensity, but not in philosophy, from other people who want to censor different ideas. The fear of violence the Moslems demonstrate is no different from the fear of firing librarians who stand up for freedom to read by local politicians and other self-ordained defenders of groupthink. They differ only in degree. Both are extortion.
The decision, by public and school librarians, as well as by nations, is to decide whether to defend our freedom of expression, or to cave in to this extortion.
So, how many libraries show people who want to know the basis for the riots how to find the sites with the original cartoons? Or do they keep from using the library computers for this research, “out of respect”?
Which will it be, the lady or the tiger?

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Fang-Face says:

February 8, 2006 at 3:53 am

Re:Hey

It is a religion of peace until you draw pictures. Then they might kill you.

Sounds like Christianity; except replace “draw pictures” with “get an abortion”. Or with “be homosexual”.

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