Everybody Draw Mohammed Day

Hit the nail on the head. Just like the Romans did

 

Oh, and in case anybody missed it just a few days ago:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...66763F07E0DECC4386257725000A6B15?OpenDocument

 

Well, I'm all for bashing religion as a whole. But, again, that isn't the issue. The issue is whether or not the board owner should be posting bigotted threads, which this is, whether people want to make excuses for it or not.

My issue is that while I personally think that religion is absurd, I don't think that I have anymore right to force my opinions on others any more than religious people have the right to force it on me. So when I see a great be "fuck you" to all muslims, not just fanatics, it frustrates me.

Ecky mentions the Jewish issue above. My grandfather and his faily were Jews who got out of Poland just before the Nazis decided to show up. What did we have there Christians with bigotted attitudes towards Jews. Muslims are unquestionably closer in traditions and religion with Jews than Jews and Christians are, so when I see this sort of shit I am acutely aware of how people so easily forget history and how easily people are willing to accept biggotry as harmless.

 

And one that would never have occurred had the more fruitcakey parts of Islam not decided that anyone, anywhere drawing Mohammed would be a target.

It boils down to that if you make yourself a target, people will take potshots.

 

Fuck off with that "free speech" shit. It is just as much free speech for me to criticise as it is for someone to be a bigot.

 

So what?

A crucifix submerged in piss won awards in 1987.

That was a much bigger "fuck you" than a sketch of Mohammed.

Point being, having freedom of speech includes the right to goof on everything. That anyone would suggest that Islam is off-limits is offensive, more than that it lends credence to the idea that Islam is the one true religion. And I think we all agree that the state has no business promoting or suppressing any religious belief.

 

So the 99% muslim majority who did not promote death to the infidel made themselves targets did they?

 

Again, the issue here is not free speech, its whether the board owner should be going out of his way to offend his own members?

As for Piss Christ, is that not more self-deprecating than bigotted?

 

It's not bigotry. Oh I'm sure bigots will revel in it, but the concept of it isn't.

It's where western freedoms and religious controls collide, and that has always been a rich vein for fun-poking.

From Bill Hicks tweaking the nose of the bible belt to Frankie Boyle ripping the piss out of anything and everything.

If it wasn't for Mel Brooks being able to mock his own religion he'd never have had a career.

 

I do believe we've ragged on Jesus, Jews, Christians, and just about every other religion and cult on this board. Not seeing why some are getting butt hurt over it.

Edit: Can't remember which Brit it was so I'll just take the joke about the girl from Iran out.....

 

Nazism is not equivalent with Christianity. Much like terrorism isn't equivalent with Islam.

If anything you should assign Islam the role of "Nazis" in your scenario. "Draw a picture of Mohammed and we'll kill you." But of course, Muslims aren't Nazis either.

 

I am in no way, shape or form seeing Lanzman as a bigot here. He's pointing out how ridiculous this particular form of censorship is, and did it in a way that wasn't inherently offensive at all - his pic doesn't mock Muhammed, only the distortion of the religion that says you can't depict him in any way.

Of course, later posters did intentionally offend. But then, that's OK, they have that right.

People are being physically attacked by this even now, it just happened again a few days ago.

Mocking this belief is as appropriate a usage of satire as any I can think of.

Muslims should be offended at those befouling their religion, not the ones pointing out their hypocrisy.

--“The most protean aspect of comedy is its potentiality for transcending itself, for responding to the conditions of tragedy by laughing in the darkness.” - Harry Levin

 

They're not the target. That the message may offend them? Well tough - life is filled with lots of things that offend each and every one us, we have the choice to disregard and ignore them though.

 

What you had to do. What you always do: turn a topic into a whine fest. Wanker.

 

Fair enough, I'll respond to this question. First off I don't think Lanzman is going out of his way, second I doubt any member is offended, third, being Wordforge's owner shouldn't limit his ability to participate. We're all members, some members volunteer to sort threads, others provide technical assistance, offer artwork, pay the bills ...

Those members who do so shouldn't have their posting freedom hampered in exchange.

 

When I was a mod I was told I couldn't act like other members. Why the double standard?

 

Because you're British.

 

And blame America!!

 

If I remember correctly (which is often not the case) you were expected (just like every other member) to not break the few rules on Wordforge.

Personally, I've never considered myself anything more than a member who volunteered to sort threads, ban spambots, remind other members of forum guidelines and answer questions.

 

Not bad, but shouldn't Mohammad be boinking a 12 year old boy instead?

 

Yes. Yes he should.

So should everyone else. And keep it up until those repressive assbags finally recognize the fact that not everyone is or ever will be constrained in any way by their superstitions.

 

I got a dump for you right here.

'

Sure, why not? Everyone deserves to be ruthlessly mocked. EVERYONE.

 

http://www.thepaincomics.com/weekly071205a.htm

 

This is not a bigoted thread. Quit acting like a simpering PC douchenozzle.

This is not "forcing" anything on anyone. Any oversensitive pissants are perfecly free to ignore this thread and any cartoons released for public viewing. Being "visible" does not equal "forced on someone".

This is not bigotry. This is assholes mocked for being assholes, and there should be no protected classes who are immune to it.

 

Chup, I bounced you out of being a mod because you wouldn't/couldn't control yourself in the non-Red/Gray rooms - you were flaming people in the friggin' Help Desk, for fuck's sake.

That said, this isn't about offending Muslims. This is about being offended by the segment of Muslims who have taken it upon themselves to threaten death upon anyone who doesn't obey their edicts. Believer and infidel alike. Wordforge is about free speech if it's about anything . . . that's why we have the Red Room and why it's the most trafficked forum on the board. Their belief system does not trump my right to freedom of expression, and their attempt to censor any and all things that they deem "an insult" goes against one of the central tenets of western liberal democracy. Had they not made an issue of it, neither would have I. You start down the road of censoring everything someone finds offensive as a blanket policy, you wind up limited to black text on a white background with a newspeak dictionary listing acceptable words.

Fuck that. Fuck them. I don't subscribe to their faith, tho I have no more issue with it than I do any other faith. The islamist lunatics threw down the gauntlet by attempting to declare their narrow interpretation of the Koran as the only permissible one and their intent to visit death upon anyone who disagreed. Well, they can take a flying leap. Shari'a does not hold sway in America, and it damn sure does not hold sway on Wordforge.

 

Oh, and any Muslim who objects to my drawing of Mohammed is more than welcome to come into the Red Room, this very thread, and tell me what a fuckwit I am.

 

The majority of Muslims who have not committed any crimes should only be offended if they choose to be.

If one alleged prophet is to be held sacrosanct, that is a forcible imposition of religious beliefs and should be resisted.

I myself attempted to participate in this by drawing a picture of Mohammed on the face of the moon. However, my artistic skills are limited so I erased it.

 

Such a childish prohibition that can so easily be abused...

It's like standing in the middle of a crowd and loudly demanding that none of them use swear words.

 

Here's my take on this: if the Dutch cartoonist went into a majority Muslim nation and drew "offensive" cartoon, you could pretty much expect the people to go jihad on his ass.
Deportation/jail time/etc. would be no surprise, because the guy is breaking the laws of their nation.

But if a Muslim who chooses to live in a free country gets offended to the point of violence, he needs to catch the first thing smoking out of Dodge, because his beliefs are conflicting with free speech/laws of the nation in which he currently abides.