Posted on 02/10/2006 7:51:16 PM PST by NCjim
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The Muslim Students Association at the University of North Carolina has asked the campus' student newspaper to apologize for publishing an original cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
"The intention of bigotry was clear," the association wrote in a letter to The Daily Tar Heel. "One must question the DTH's ethics in advancing a widely protested issue to cause a riot of their own. The MSA not only found this cartoon derogatory but is also shocked at the editor's allowance of its publication _ one that incites hate in the current political and social context."
Caricatures of Muhammad, including one that shows the prophet with a bomb-shaped turban, were published first in a Danish paper in September, then reprinted in European papers in recent weeks in the name of press freedom. Their publication has sparked violent protests in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Islam is interpreted to forbid any illustrations of Muhammad for fear they could lead to idolatry.
The cartoon published in The Daily Tar Heel was drawn by a cartoonist at the paper, Philip McFee. It shows Muhammad appearing to decry both Denmark's role in the controversy and the violence that has erupted since.
Daily Tar Heel editor Ryan Tuck said the newspaper wanted to challenge fellow students to think about the issue. He said while he has apologized personally to individuals who told him the cartoon offended, the newspaper will not apologize.
"The point of any cartoon in any newspaper is to challenge belief systems," Tuck said. "We knew it would offend, but that doesn't make it the explicit goal of the cartoon."
(Excerpt) Read more at wral.com ...
Ping
Yet, maybe students ought to buy t-shirts with visions of Mohammed? I'm offended that they even try and stiffle freedom of expression!
http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.com/2006/02/visions-of-mohammed-in-3d.html
This should certainly be interesting. It also should shame the chickens at the NYTimes and DCPost.
It's starting. The conflict that has up to now not touched most of the American people where they live has now touched down.
This is a case where the Muslims are demanding that a non-Muslim newspaper bow to THEIR standards.
The more this kind of thing happens, the more we will see that fat jerk from CAIR on the tube bellyaching about "bigotry". And in fact he may be right in some instances, as the bigots get caught up in this.
But it's not bigotry to say "This country as founded stands for everything your philosophy stands against, and we say 'No!' to you. We will publish what we like, and if you riot in response you will be arrested and prosecuted, because that's what happens in a civilized society. You don't like it? Mecca's THAT way."
So if a muslim sees a bit of female flesh, they will be tempted into adultry, and if they see a picture of Muhammad, they will be unable to resist the lure of idolatry.
Has anybody ever thought to show them a picture of soap?
Well, I have a question for WRAL-TV.
Where's the cartoon? Why no picture?
I went to their front page, and every story has a picture but this one.
Hmm. Afraid of being beheaded, I guess.
I really wish that papers in the US would not publish this. I want Europe to take all of the heat on this one. This, combined with several terrorist attacks that they have sustained, the Paris rioting, and a hopefully not too many more such events will finally make them realize that they are not immune from the threat of radical Islam. They need to be the focus of all of the heat on this. We should stay out of it, to ensure they draw sufficient scorn.
Muslims need to apologize for their numerous atrocities against humanity.
All the "hate" I've seen in this regard is coming from rioting Muslims, and most likely "incited" by Iran and Syria.......
If they know what Mohammad looks like then they must have seen his picture before.
If they have seen drawings of Mohammad before, why are they only now getting upset?
If they aren't sure what Mohammad looks like then how do they know that the cartoons are drawings of Mohammad?
If Mohammed has never been allowed to be portrayed as an image, how in the *!%# does anyone know what he looks like, and IF these cartoons are, indeed, HIM? LOL!
Or a razor to shave? Why men don't shave is beyond my wife's wildest questions. Especially the guys that pookey their beards that look like vaginas. She thinks they have to be from Kalifornia, specifically, San Fran.
I grow a beard when working in the woods for several days on end. Felling trees and splitting wood. When I return home. I boil myself in a shower for 45 minutes, and depart clean shaven.
That said, what do these Muslim animals do to cleanse themselves? Kiss the camels and ask them to do a 180?
Ain't we got fun?
I'm concerned and deeply offended that their are members of the mahammedan death cult active in NC.
No, their intention was to thumb their nose at your attempt to squash their freedom of speech, expression, press, etc...
Wasn't it UNC Chapel Hill that was pushing mandatory Koran classes or was it muslim sensitivity training or some such after 9-11-01?
If he says this, offending IS the implicit goal. Sounds like another lib who thinks the "transgressive" and "challenging" is the epitome of art. Sorry son, you need a better reason than that.
Mrs VS
Here is the letter to the Editor:
TO THE EDITOR:
Yesterday's The Daily Tar Heel printed a political cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad, whom Muslims view as the ideal expression of God's message. Muslims believe illustrating him degrades the divine essence of Islam and any personified depictions of the Prophet are strongly prohibited.
The argument is not about the fundamental right to freedom of speech. Had the same message been relayed in a text editorial, the Muslim Students Association would have respected the DTH's right to publish it. This, however, was an admitted attack on Islam as Editor In Chief Ryan Tuck stated Thursday that the image "would incite because it is blasphemy to Muslims."
The intention of bigotry was clear. One must question the DTH's ethics in advancing a widely protested issue to cause a riot of their own.
The editor describes this cartoon as "the newest in a saga of blasphemy that is being accepted into society." Such blatant disrespect is clearly not "accepted," as no other respectable U.S. news agency has published depictions of the Prophet. CNN and BBC chose not to republish the Danish cartoons, understanding the issue's sensitive nature. For the DTH to knowingly draw a cartoon of the Prophet in the midst of all this uproar is sensational yellow journalism. The editorial staff is simply pouring salt into an open wound.
Correlating the Prophet with the extreme responses of a select few equates the core values of Islam to violence, perpetuating stereotypes. As the Prophet represents a guide for Muslims, associating him with the inexcusable actions of a few extremists diverts the blame to the religion of Islam. By publishing this cartoon, the DTH is no longer commenting on a fringe group but is attacking Islam, which preaches peace. The magnitude of the offense is not easily understood by non-Muslims but is the equivalent of using the N-word for African Americans, trivializing the Holocaust for Jews or portraying Jesus as a terrorist for Christians.
The MSA not only found this cartoon derogatory but is also shocked at the editor's allowance of its publication - one that incites hate in the current political and social context. Any hate speech cannot and should not be tolerated by any institution, much less the DTH, which must represent the values of diversity held by the UNC student body and administration. It is a contradiction for members of the student body to stand by in silence in the face of such disrespect and insult.
To rectify the situation, the MSA requests that the DTH issue a formal public apology for publishing degrading and insulting material. We also ask that the DTH exercise a greater measure of responsibility by not repeating such bigoted actions. We also ask the University community to join in signing a petition representing the unified condemnation of these intolerable actions. Again, any depiction of the Prophet is a known violation of Islamic theology, understood and respected throughout the world. To intentionally tag the disgraceful depiction with an implication of terrorism is unacceptable.
It is a basic teaching of our beloved Prophet to extinguish the fire of ignorance with knowledge. We invite everyone to an open forum regarding the nature of this offense and the Islamic principles behind it. Please see www.uncmsa.org.
UNC Muslim Students Assoc.
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