Mohammad Cartoon Protests Aren't Unique to Islam

[Ian David]

Mohammad Cartoon Protests Aren't Unique to Islam
By Michael Conlon

Reuters

(Feb. 12) - The violence linked to cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad is not
unique to Islam, experts say, and the protests reflect political and
cultural passions more than the faith's core values.

Looking for distinct features that would make Islam liable for the
cartoon-related violence around the world does little to explain it, said
the Rev. Patrick Gaffney, an anthropologist and expert on Islam at the
University of Notre Dame.

"There are parallel behaviors in every tradition," he said. "Buddhism has a
violent strain despite its pacifism ... You think about Hinduism and
nonviolence but (Mohandas) Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu."

Other examples of religious violence involving various faiths abound in
recent and past history. But attention has focused on Muslims this year as
at least 11 people have been killed in protests in the Middle East, Asia and
Africa after the publication of cartoons featuring the Prophet Mohammad in
newspapers in Denmark and elsewhere.

<snip>

COLONIAL SCARS
"Indeed, the same themes of Aryan superiority and Semitic backwardness in
the European 'scientific racism' of the 19th and early 20th centuries ...
led to the Holocaust against the Jews. ... A caricature of a Semitic prophet
like Mohammad with a bomb in his turban replicates these racist themes ...
"Semites were depicted as violent and irrational and therefore as needing a
firm white colonial master for their own good," Cole wrote.

More:
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N08102241.htm

[applegrove]

1. And the Anne Frank & Hitler Cartoon was actually quite sophisticated.

And really - it hurt. But because it said some truth (notably that Hitler was such a narcissist that he insisted on being reflected in her diary) it really was telling.

For sure there was a bait in that cartoon. But you know - it did punch through to a truth. Not that little girls persecuted slept with Hitler - but that he was an asshole so pathetic - he only existed as a human in the ways he could or could imagine being reflected.

So it was a sophisticated cartoon.

And a horrible one.

[Ian David]

2. Here's my idea for a cartoon...

There's a line of Jews being led to the gas chambers while Muhammad is giving The Pope head. The caption reads, "You would have made a great altar boy, Muhammad."

[applegrove]

3. Exactly. Why does Iran insist on throwing Jewish people & history

into every hatefull thing he does.

Because he is deranged and like the neocons - knows he needs a constant enemy so he can whip his followers into hatred - all the time. To keep his followers primed. And hatefull, and not looking at him and is theocratic governing party as the enemy. As with neocons - tribal is preferred over a democratic populus - so a particular elite can maintain control. Bush has Gays to whip up his supporters. Iranian PM has jews.

Like the Daily Show said: Iran is going after Danish Jews?... both of them.

Discusting. But nobody will die because Iran published these cartoons. And many have died in the muslim community because of the anger.

[Ian David]

4. Just like the Christian Taliban tries to make everything about the gays...

The middle-eastern Taliban tries to make everything about the Jews.

[applegrove]

5. Exactly. Many a "gay" life is in danger. Forcing parents to hate

their teenagers... just because they grew into their own sexuality... well that ruins and kills lives. And that is anti-family.