Washington Post Writers Group
From The American Muslim, by Sheila Musaji
This past Sunday’s Berkeley Breathed “Opus” Cartoon was not run in The Washington Post and several other newspapers around the country.
Coming just a few weeks after an “Opus” cartoon strip poking fun at Jerry Falwell was printed, many are seeing this as a sign that there is a double standard and poking fun at Muslims is treated differently than poking fun at Christians for example.
Making fun of Islam (or any religion) is offensive, making fun of Muslims, there is no problem, and there are plenty of Muslim comedians and comic strip artists who do just that all the time. This cartoon is funny, and most Muslims would also laugh. We might not agree with everything it insinuates, but so what!
This is a non-incident, non-issue, but I am certain that over the next few days it will take on a life of its own and Muslims will be blamed for getting the strip pulled.
I’m aware that I occasionally offend religionists – especially if their credo is linked to populist anti-intellectualism, opposing science and progress.
The stereotypical American Liberal can be as useless as a Falwell. Spineless, timorous, their “political correctness” is no less absurd than the several Conservative flavors – and just as frustrating to dialogue and understanding.
At least for the time being…
Not all muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are muslims.
>>all terrorists are muslims
Hmmm. I was unaware that Timothy McVeigh, the Weather Underground, the Army of God, the Jewish Defense League, and the Irish Republican Army had all converted.
Islam is getting to be a very popular religion!
Why should religious beliefs qualify for some special kind of respect above and beyong that given to other beliefs?
Joe, you’re wrong. Mr. Mustard is right.
Much of the political correctness hype sillyness is actually created by far right wing media like Bush Limbaugh. Many real Christians (which most of the country still is) are thinking liberal people who find the correctness of which you complain just as stupid as you do.
Make fun of people – it’s satire and protected speech. Make fun of religion – it is also protected speech. Make fun of censorship and fight it in any form.
Unfortunately he is correct. If Christians decided to become violent (no, they are not violent now Uncle Dave) they could have the same media buffer that the Islamic world now enjoys.
>>If Christians decided to become violent (no, they are not
>>violent now Uncle Dave)
Hmm. Well __I__ am not violent.
I’m not so sure about Eric Robert Rudolph, Clayton Waagner, David McMenemy or the other Christian abortion clinic bombers/ shooters/ killers and homophobic kooks. Or the Lord’s Resistance Army, the Irish Republican Army, the Freedomites, or any of the others who slaughter those whom they consider infidels.
They also censored The Boondocks, strips about can a nigga get a job?.
“Making fun of Islam (or any religion) is offensive, making fun of Muslims, there is no problem, and there are plenty of Muslim comedians and comic strip artists who do just that all the time.”
I wonder why so many journalists and editors have so much trouble with this political correctness and outright fear and the Canadians can get away with a comedy sitcom called “Little Mosque on the Prairie”, as shown in the following link:
http://tinyurl.com/2gqxmc
It is wildly popular and heading into its’ second season. I guess it’s just a different way of dealing with the same subject – perhaps a more sane way.
I don’t think this cartoon even pokes fun at Muslims. I interpret it as a tongue in cheek jibe at Western perceptions.
“The stereotypical American Liberal can be as useless as a Falwell.”
Indeed.
“Making fun of Islam (or any religion) is offensive, ”
No.
OK, well, it can be offensive, but it should be done.
Interject your religion into the political sphere, whether it be Sharia-pushing Islamists or the Religious Right in the GOUSA, and you, and your beliefs, are a fair target.
After all, people can make fun of secular political beliefs, and immunizing religious ones creates an unfair playing field.
#1. The Tamil Tigers will be SO disappointed (not to mention enraged) to hear themselves referred to as Muslims. the Basque ETA may or may not be, but those guys dont have much of a sense of humor.
“many are seeing this as a sign that there is a double standard and poking fun at Muslims is treated differently than poking fun at Christians for example.”
That’s because the only places where Christians use bombs are usually at abortion clinics and Oklahoma. The rest of the time they are smart enough to know that the best way to kill an oponent’s idea is through voting against it, which is something the muslims have failed to understand.
— Respect —-
When one group in a society cannot accept and coexist with others that share a different mindset and opinions, the society is at a loss. When the muslims extremists and all other a-holes that use religion as a soapbox for their cause, the world will be a better place.
Here’s what I don’t get about religion in general. Okay here goes…..God is all powerful, therefore he doesn’t need followers, nor does he need their love because he’s all powerful in any case. People kill in his name to defend god’s name, but god is all powerful so there’s nothing a human could ever do to weaken god. Supposedly god “offers” love to you, but if your refuse people kill you for not taking it. People don’t threaten to kill others if another refuses their love (normal people anyway), so why does god insist with threats of eternal damnation?
#14 SS – Well….lets say God exists so by default so does Satan. Now by your comment about religion in general, could this the work of God or Satan? Satan???? Ahhh, now what you said about religions makes sense. Funny people don’t get that one. : /
Cheers
Why not poke fun at religion. You can poke fun at fear of black cats and other silly superstitions.
WHO IN THE F CARES ABOUT THIS TRUMPED-UP “INSULT” CRAP?
JUST LIKE THOSE NAPPY-HAIRED “HOS”…ATTENTION-SEEKING “OUTRAGE.”
WHAT A BUNCH OF SODS, GIVING *ANY* AIR TIME TO THIS BALONEY!
16) ‘fear of black cats’. now you’re gonna get the wiccas upset.
17) Bernie MacJerk, glad to see you found something to keep yourself busy after WFAN fired your butt….
Mr. Mustard,
Nice list of non Moslem terrorists you have there from the last century. Care to come into this century and argue that there are no dots to connect between WTC ’93, USS Cole, 9/11, Madrid, 7/7, Glasgow, Richard Reid, etc, etc, etc? Did you read the first line of what Joe said, namely, “At least for now…all terrorists are Muslims.” If you insist on finding the exception to the rule at least find some that are at least not from a different millenium.