Muhammad cartoons: offending religious people

The Press and the Dominion Post has published those infamous Danish cartoons on Islam. Understandably Muslims are offended, just as Catholics were offended during the Virgin in a Condom exhibition at our National Museum, and are equally offended by the C4's decision to screen the May 10 episode of Southpark showing a menstruating Virgin Mary. But why didnt this furore blow up when the cartoons were originally published in September 2005?

They`ve complained now, all right. And have done it in a way that is a lot more offensive than a few cartoons. If Catholics and Christians are serious about their religion, they need to complain properly for anyone to take notice. Not suggesting they burn buildings down, though...

I find it ironic that Catholics are more likely to complain if Mary is the subject of offense than if Jesus is. After all, who are Christians (and Catholics) supposed to worship: Jesus or Mary?

Muslims, on the other hand, worship Allah. I'm sure every month songs are sung, pictures are drawn, TV programmes are made and words are written that offend those of a religious persuasion.

I'm also sure that Muslims do things like crash planes into buildings, and commit terrorist attacks. So its perfectly fine for for Muslims to be terrorists, as long as other Muslims are not the victims. But if you print some cartoons offending Muslims, then those who worship Mohammad think that is a lot worse than Muslims crashing planes into buildings and kiling more than 3000 people.

There is a distinction between freedomn of speech and the medium that free speech is published in. Most ofensive cartoons don't make the MSM or TV and therefore don't offend the religious people. People can compain that such items are offensive, but they should really be complaining on the basis of where these offensive items are displayed. It is more offensive broadcasting a menstruating Virgin Mary on One Network News, or a Catholic TV programme, than on Popetown or South Park, just as it is more offensive running those cartoons in a Muslim country than in NZ.

Meanwhile I heard Ethnic Affairs minister Chris Carter saying that by printing the cartoons this undermines NZ as a tolerant country. OK then, lets see if he is speaks out against C4's annoucement that it will run the May 10 episode of SouthPark. I will wait and post his response online.

Remember Denmark and New Zealand, are not Muslim countries. Neither is the UK, where the Guardian has run an article Does the right to freedom of speech justify printing the Danish Cartoons

I would argue yes. The Times also has an article what price must be paid for free speech?. The Daily Times has Europe’s ill-advised freedom of expression

If you want to read more and compare attacks on Islam to blasphemous libel click here