Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Here we go again…

A new Cartoon crisis has erupted in Denmark and this time its not just pictures but a video insulting Prophet Muhammed (PBUH).

The best way for muslims to deal with this problem is just to ignore it. If Muslims react and react violently, it will only make things worse.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061010/wl_nm/religion_cartoons_iran_dc

By Kim McLaughlin 1 hour, 38 minutes ago

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark said on Tuesday a new cartoon crisis with the Muslim world could erupt after Danish television stations broadcast footage last week deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammad.
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In Tehran, dozens of Iranian protesters pelted the Danish embassy with stones and petrol bombs, witnesses said. Riot police guarded the embassy.

Muslims were angered when Danish television stations aired footage on Friday of members of the youth wing of the anti-immigrant Danish People’s Party (DPP) drawing cartoons in August mocking the Prophet.
Iran condemned the broadcast.

In September last year the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten published cartoons that Muslim clerics denounced as blasphemous, sparking protests early this year in which more than 50 people were killed in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

“(The latest cartoon issue is) smoldering around in the Muslim world. We hope it will die out but we don’t know if it will pass,” Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moller told the Danish national broadcaster DR.

Most Muslims regard any depiction of the Prophet as offensive.

“Don’t forget that the (last) cartoon crisis broke out four months after the drawings were first published, so I can’t guarantee anything,” said Moller.

CONDEMNATION

This time Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen acted quickly and condemned the behavior of the DPP members. He was criticized earlier this year for refusing to apologize for the previous cartoons of the Prophet.

The DPP is not a member of the ruling coalition but supports the government in parliament.

Moller said he had talked to Iranian and Syrian leaders and that he hoped the government’s efforts to calm anger in the Muslim world would bear fruit.

“The question is what the religious leaders will say at Friday prayers,” he said.

Witnesses said the protesters outside the Danish embassy in Tehran chanted “Down with Zionists” and “God praise the party of God.”

The protesters set fire to a tire next to the embassy compound wall but firefighters put it out.

Denmark’s ambassador to Tehran was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Monday about the television footage.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has condemned those involved in the footage as “low life.”

More than 230 legislators in Iran’s 290-seat parliament urged Ahmadinejad on Tuesday to cut Iran’s trade ties with Denmark, the semi-official Mehr News Agency reported.

“The past attempts of the Danish government regarding this insult (to the Prophet) have been repeated, this time by the visual media,” said Mehr.

Danish industry praised the government on Tuesday for taking swift action to calm Muslim anger and said a Muslim consumer boycott of Danish goods, like the one that occurred earlier this year, had been largely avoided.

“This unfortunate matter has been handled competently by the government and so far we’ve only had two companies in Saudi Arabia report that they were affected,” said Peter Thagesen, a senior adviser at the Confederation of Danish Industry.

Total Danish yearly exports to Muslim countries are about 10 billion crowns ($1.81 billion), or roughly 2 percent of all exports.

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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

The fact is there are idiots in the world (like these guys) and things like art (ie: the Idomeneo Opera) that some will find offensive but any violent reaction is unacceptable. Those that can't deal with such things should throw away their T.V.'s, computers, radio's, ect.

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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

one can launch protests but in a responsible manner. There are many ways to show your displeasure. spme ppl are not buying gas from companies that buy petroleum from venezuela because they dont like what Hugo Chavez has to say. Muslims can do the same, stop buying products of this company and companies that advertise in this newspaper. others may have joined in had this been handled properly from the get go.

In the end idiots would say crap, why make them relevant....dont give em free publicity and they become inconsequential again.

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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

now they r just trying to provoke muslims, these people r the plague on mankind, yes muslim reaction is a bit overboard, but people who want these kinda reactions to occur, and sole purpose is to have these kinda reactions shows that they are indeed one of the lowest kinds of people on this planet. it also doesn't hellp that when people do these kind of things, the media is quick to cover it, and show more muslims yah they r doing this and that.

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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

I think some mulims need to see south park and realize its only normal. And if they get offended then dont watch it... God... grow up!

LP
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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

one dunnneed to watch southpark to kow what is normal and what is not :)
people have a right to be offended, its just how they show it.
I mean some ppl are sacred to ppl..someone depicting your parents in a bad lught may upset you too, its how you react to it that is important..

LP
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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

Hahaha, We're the only ones left on this earth that care about religion, thats why we get offended. But these people need to understand that we still take offense to things said about our religion, I mean u don't see the networks showing nutjobs being all anti-semitic do ya? No, cuz its doesn't belong on tv, cuz it is bad taste, and wrong, but with muslims, o ya do it, its not freedom of speech, its freedom to insult/provoke under the guise of freedom of speech.

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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

I think its only fair when they make fun of almost all the religions I know about...come on Jesus has been on south park and that should tell u a lo.. I believe moses is a pretty lengthy part of many stand up comedies.. So what if they make fun of Islam as well.. If its a joke it should be treated like one and over reacting to it only helps the material to get more publicity then it deserves..
for instance.. I wouldnt have known about it if it wasnt posted it. If it isnt a big deal just drop it!

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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

You can't compare it man, you know who write those Jesus skits and stuff? Christians do, so when God forbid, we ever start doing it than all others can feel free to do it as well, and I still don't think Jews insult Jesus, or Christains insulting Jews is done, its still taboo.

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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

totally - dont like it dont watch it! otherwise you are just making things worse by making a big fuss out of cartoon when there are bigger stinky fishes like US invasion and occupation of Iraq or Israeli invasion and occupation of palestine and lebanon!
or the anti-immigrant and racist new laws in europe! and notice how ppl who are killed are killed in asia mid-east and africa! so we are just hurtin ourselves. I say ignore obviously when a bully says things to incite you - with the intention that you will respond and get yourself in trouble - then the smartest way to respond is by walking away!

We need to learn to pick our battles! i feel we are picking all the wrong ones!

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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

yar muje samj nai aati
muslims iss bat ka jawab kyu nai dete
ya to muslims bohat zeyada masoom hai
ya hmaray hukmaran america k pithu hai
yaqeen karo dil dukhta hai ye sab soch k
kya itna hi hmaray hath paoo bandhay hai

announcement
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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

I dont see the analogy with South park here as in Denmark's case it seems to be deliberate provocation after the heated worldwide protests muslims staged against them. Looks like they're deliberately stiring the pot.

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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

And they will keep doing it. Leme ask u who gets picked on the most in school...? Ans: the one who reacts to the comments in an absurd way and makes people laugh. Why do u think muslims are being picked? Ans: Cuz they know that these are the only people stupid enough to respond to something like this. By making this a big deal, muslims will only accommodate with their plans

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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

these morons are faithless losers & have nothing better to do. that is why they are called mischievers in the hold scriptures. no amount of embarrasment will do any good to them. there is nothing sacred to them. hideous, abnoxious people - devil incarnated basically.

they will die their own death, in time.

we should not waste ourselves on their petty self-agg*****zements of demeaning what is sacred to other faiths and their followers, specifically Islam and Muslims.

best is to ignore them. & become like them.

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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

I wonder how anyone might react to the same issue if ones Mother was insulted, and portraying a Mother in bad sense. I dont understand, people want to us to keep quiet, well we Muslims should raise our voice.

Well there is Ayah in the Quran, they are not reviling the Messenger but inturn revile to Allaah.

Ishq Junoon Dewangi
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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

you know i have heard this one a lot! but your mother is very personal to you! religion on the other hand you have to understand is personal to you but applies to all people differently!whatever you personally believ you have no right to impose on another!!! if everything we cared about became as personal as our mothers then their really would be no room fro dissent..therefore i disgree with that analogy. Its like me saying if you have a conservative perspective and if you say something mean about some democratic candidate that i really reallly really care about, i would take it as an insult to me..it would be like you were insulting my mother!!!so if everyone keeps using that analogy we would never be able to have a conversation.

now how absurd would it be if i walked around saying to non-muslims that they should eat halal b/c that is the right thing to do in my religion! if i said that .... even you would all laugh at me and think i am being retarded! asking non-muslims to not eat ham/ eat halal!

why..b/c its absurd to impose our values on another...so similarly i have never understood why we have to run around imposing our beliefs via no drawing of the prophet on another person!!! its ridiculous! you wouldnt tell that artist to not eat ham!!! or say his 5 times prayers, then where do we get off telling that person to follow islamic rules when he is drawing the prophet (PBUH)!!!
If the prophet alllowed this little old woman to quite literally throw garbage on him...and did not say anything to her infact asking after her well being when she was sick, then where do we get off, given our sunnah being any less nicer then him, and being vicious instead.

it is radically different when people simply draw the prophet - its not thier religious belief why should they have to follow islamic rules when thy are not muslim! tell me whats the difference b/t us telling them not to eat ham! and b/t us telling them you should not draw the prophet! both are absurd! and if we had any sense in the first place this would not even be such a big deal! now any little tom dick and harry looking to get instant fame ..all he has to do is draw a pic of the prophet and suddenly he is THE artist of the year al over every magazine! seriously...

ofcourse there is also a difference b/t that and some guy drawing the prophet with a bomb on his head...that is akin to a swastika! that is laden with discrimination and other ugliness... that is racist inciteful and hate mongering..so that we should do something about. but not in a manner that would actually give the stupid racist artist what he wants..but more wisely take him to court, in a not so highly publicised case...dont give him the atttention he wants!

i think a response to this would be foolhardy...so let see which fool responds to it first!

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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

^Foolhardy...lol...u kno ur opinion isnt the end all 100% declared truth.

When they make a offensive picture, one depicting our prophet as a suicide bomber, I think we have the right to get upset. And these new cartoons r made to mock us and our prophet, that also gives us the right to get upset. If sum1 doesnt know that it is offensive, than if they retract it or apologize like any decent person would do, nothing would get out of control. I mean if you did sumthing offensive to others beliefs/religion, I'm sure you would apologize, that is the point, these people do sumthing that is offensive and justify it in the whole freedom of speech thing. However I do think we as a people should ignore these people, issue a statement about how offensive it is, and move on. It doesn't help when the media reports about everyone of these nutjobs and gives it more coverage than it deserves...u dont see them reporting anti-jews anti-blacks on air, do you?

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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

people it does not make you a good muslim to all be warriors suddenly when someone says something bad about the prophet!!

what makes you a good muslim is not the values you are able to impose on others, but the values you are able to impose on yourself!!!
self-discipline is the tenant of this religion. it is my firm belief that b/c its so much harder to discipline oneself and so much esier to just criticize others for our failings, we prefer to do tha latter as muslims! criticize others and that makes us feel like we are being good muslims!

go say your 5 times namaz! on time!!! before you take to criticing others (non-muslims) not following islam! go feed the hungry, give to the needy!!!

how in the world are we not appalled!!!!! appalled, and screaming angry madd!!!! when our very own presidents when other muslims are screwing us! where are our voices and all this anger then!!! why are we not equally mad when are brothers and sisters in muslim countries are not given thier rights, when they are jailed for speakign hte truth, when they are raped, when they are no given proper education to which they should be entitled, why are we not raging mad that our presidents, our political leaders are not standing up for our people!!! instead are making bad investments, and even bad-er friends, at the expense of the riights of our future generations!!!

where is all of your anger then!!! i dont see people here screaming about that!! i dont see you cussing away the evil dictators of our countries! who are butchering away our people, when the arabs are supporting the killing of african muslims! and not allowing anyone to intervene b/c its in thier political interests! when we kill baluchi's for politcal reason! when the saud's treat there muslims brothers like crap b/c they are not royal arabs! or treat women like subordinate citizens, where are our voices then!!
why aren't we screaming then........??? Maybe b/c its much harder to do that...much harder to recognize our flaws and work with them, so much easier to just yell and scream at others!

i think until we heal ourselves, until we learn to criticize ourselves, no one will be able to help us...i think until then even god has forsaken us.
in my opinion, and i will not impose, but i will voice it..i think most muslims do not practice the very faith they are so busy preaching to others.

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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

Saying God has forsaken us is a big no no!

I agree with some of your points, but who tells you this in California. LoL.

What's bad about trying to do all things, both internal & external.

Meet or delete............
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Re: Denmark's new cartoon crisis with Muslims

certainly if you think its deeply offensive to you, take it to court! dont make a big fuss rounding up all the media. then you are only doing what the cartoonist wanted..i.e. bringing attention to his work! I do agree that the danish cartoons are racist! and bigoted, and we should take legal action but this whole ...kill the artist who drew the prophet bussiness i can not get on board with!

we can not impose our values on another! we CAN NOT!! you woud not tellt he artist to not eat ham, would you?
and i think its ridiculous this over sensitivization that suddenly all muslims are afflicited with! its like being offended b/c someone is eating a ham sandwich infront of you during ramadhan! they are not going to apologize for not being muslims and believing what you do! stop trying to constrain other peoples beliefs and making them do what we believe in! if they draw the prophet its their belief and they will answer to god..whatever!

that is if they are just drawing hte prophet peacefully. now if there is racist or discriminatory intent behind it...i.e. its the prophet depicted as a suicide bomber...that is wrong! that should not happen! and its illegal in most countries, we should do something about that legally. not put out some decree putting out heavenly treasures on the man who drew the prophets head! realy that is absurd.

islam is a beautiful religion, if we could just start practicing it like sane literate beings! and if we cant do that...perhaps trying to be opne-minded teaching our children to do the same, and investing in the education of our future generations things will come around.

believe me our destiny is in our own hand! and God is watching over all things and he is just and fair and mightier then all else. trust him and do what he has commanded of you. and what he has commanded of you is not to run around trying to behead anyone who does not follow your religion!