Name: Tess
Home: St. Louis
Cartoon-Incited Riots
The news lately has made me wish I knew more about the Middle East and conservative Islam, so I could better understand the context of major news stories, such as the Hamas victory in Palestine and the increasing nuclear threat from Iran.
The story that has puzzled me the most, though, is the rioting incited by political cartoons in Europe. A Danish newspaper printed a cartoon depicting Mohommed critically, other newspapers reprinted it, and now embassies are being burned and people are being killed. On one hand, it sounds silly; why would people get that upset by a cartoon? But Muslims believe any depiction of the Prophet is blasphemy, which is a hard concept for Christians to understand. Yes, I'm exasperated that Kayne West is wearing a crown of thorns on the cover of Rolling Stone, but I'm used to pictures of Jesus; he looks down at me from the stained glass every time I go to church. At the same time, though, the director of the Islamic Foundation of St. Louis points out in today's Post-Dispatch,"There's no justification for burning property and hurting people."
It's difficult to say whether the newspapers shouldn't have run the cartoons; when does sensitivity become censorship? I prize both religious tolerance and freedom of speech.
From his vantage point in Germany, my friend Christian Left of Lumpenlogocracy offers his perspective here.
I'd be interested to know what my readers think.
The story that has puzzled me the most, though, is the rioting incited by political cartoons in Europe. A Danish newspaper printed a cartoon depicting Mohommed critically, other newspapers reprinted it, and now embassies are being burned and people are being killed. On one hand, it sounds silly; why would people get that upset by a cartoon? But Muslims believe any depiction of the Prophet is blasphemy, which is a hard concept for Christians to understand. Yes, I'm exasperated that Kayne West is wearing a crown of thorns on the cover of Rolling Stone, but I'm used to pictures of Jesus; he looks down at me from the stained glass every time I go to church. At the same time, though, the director of the Islamic Foundation of St. Louis points out in today's Post-Dispatch,"There's no justification for burning property and hurting people."
It's difficult to say whether the newspapers shouldn't have run the cartoons; when does sensitivity become censorship? I prize both religious tolerance and freedom of speech.
From his vantage point in Germany, my friend Christian Left of Lumpenlogocracy offers his perspective here.
I'd be interested to know what my readers think.
posted by Tess | 10:38 AM
2 Comments:
hmmm.... I wish I knew more too.
As a Catholic, I believe that it is blasphemy to use Christ's image in certain ways. Kanye West is a perfect example, as well as Madonna's Like a Prayer video.
That being said, I am not going to abandon my fundamental Catholic/Christian beliefs and go riot in the streets over it.
I am surely oversimplifying this issue. But in my life it seems simple.
Angie
Irony: the only nation that produces Danish flags for export is Denmark. Thus, for every Danish flag that is burned throughout these riots, the Danish economy is increased.
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