Go to google and type in “Mohammed ‘not about freedom of speech’” and you’ll get, as of right now, 757 web pages on which people write that the Mohammed cartoon controversy is “not about freedom of speech.” I’ve read in multiple places the argument that the right of people to say what they want about different religions is not at issue. Rather, they say, the act of drawing Mohammed is the central offensive act.
I’ve been thinking about this since I drew my own set of four cartoons of Mohammed a while back. What is it that took my own drawings over the line, from not offensive to offensive in the eyes of some Muslims? In my thinking about this, I kept on coming back to the very notion of “Drawings of Mohammed.” What makes a “drawing of Mohammed” actually a drawing of Mohammed?
To tease out an answer to that question, here’s a picture from one of my Mohammed comics:
Now, is that an image of Mohammed? Really? What makes it an image of Mohammed? It certainly isn’t that the picture makes an accurate representation of what the actual person Mohammed looked like in his lifetime. Thanks to the Islamic iconoclasts, there are no surviving pictures of Mohammed to indicate what the man actually looked like. So I ask again, what makes this a picture of Mohammed? My answer: nothing more than me writing the words that tell you it is.
Don’t buy it? OK, watch this incredible transformation:
Poof! In a wink of an eye, Mohammed becomes Carl, the vegetarian restaurant waiter, offering you a nice glass of wheatgrass juice. What is this magic I traffic in, you ask? Well, watch me again:
Poof! It’s Mohammed again! (speaking, by the way, in his very own words from the Qu’ran)
There’s a saying in positivist science circles: “you can’t explain a variable with a constant.” Let me spell out what I think that means for the current situation. Clearly, the second of the three above pictures is not offensive (to Muslims, I mean; it may be offensive to vegetarian restaurant waiters, but they’re a pretty safe bunch to offend. No offense.) However, the third picture clearly fits within the zone of “offensive Mohammed cartoons” defined by offended Muslims. I’d also assert that the first picture qualifies as an image of Mohammed, even though nowhere in the drawing itself is the figure identified as that of Mohammed. I mean, heck, let’s look at this one of the twelve condemned Danish cartoons of Mohammed:
There are no words in the image above identifying it as an image of the prophet Mohammed, and yet it has been roundly condemned around the world. American newspapers won’t publish this image, they deem it so unacceptably offensive. Why? Because in the text that accompanied it in the original Jyllands Posten newspaper publication, it was identified by word as a picture of Mohammed.
“You can’t explain a variable with a constant.” It should be clear by now what this means here. If the drawing I’ve made remains the same but at some times is an offensive drawing of Mohammed while at other times is an inoffensive drawing of Carl the vegetarian restaurant waiter, then it can’t be the drawing itself that is the source of offense. The source of offense, rather, is the written text, text that either is incorporated into the comic itself or accompanies the comic in an attached essay.
Punch line: it’s what is said, not what is drawn, that is causing the recent hub-bub. Attempts by individuals and institutions to prohibit the publication of “Mohammed Comics” are attempts to prohibit offensive words. Them who doth protest too much that “it’s not about freedom of speech” are trotting out that line so stridently because they know that, at base, it is indeed about freedom of speech after all.
الØمد لله على نعمة الاسلام Ùˆ ÙƒÙÙ‰ بها نعمة (( لا أريد من كل المسلمين أن ينساقوا وراء هؤلاء السÙهاء Ùان رسول الله صلى الله عليه Ùˆ سلم ليس هو ما يزعمون )) ما ضر بØر الÙرات يوماً أن خاض بعض الكلاب Ùيه.
“Muslim,” you go right ahead and sue me. You’ll just waste your money on some lawyer who’ll bill you hours for your hopeless case. And, for the record, “911 happened” because some people decided to fly planes into buildings. It’s your choice to align yourself with such people or not.
“Anonymous,” you’re right. The Bible, especially the Old Testament, has loads of incest, including the books of the Old Testament that are revered by Muslims. You go right ahead and do some of your own cartoons. Do tens of ‘em. Have at it! See, it’s your right.
Oh, those nasty Christian people born from “unfertilising sperms”! How DO the zygotes come into being? It must be the idiotic trinity fertilization method.
لا اله الا الله Ù…Øمد رسول الله
allah ye5dak ya rab allah yi7er2a ya rab allah la ywaf2ak bihayetak
amen ya rab il 3alameen
wahad kalb hmar
you think christian is a true religion? you stupid fuck
you cock sucker tabarnak de bin collissss
la illah illa allah mohammad rasoul allah
hasbiya allah wa ne3ma el wakil
allah yi5dak ya rab allah laywaf2ak bihayetak la
dinye wala a5ra wahak kalb
yarab shoufak 3abtehteri2
la illah illa allah mohammad rasoul allah
the only real religion is ISLAMMMM ya kalb
zib zib zib zib akbar zib ya zib
la illah illa allah mohammad rasoul allah
ISLAM WBASS WILBA2E KILO BI TIZEH
ZIB ZIB ZIB ZIB ZIB ZIB ZIB ZIB ZIB ZIB ZIB akbar ZIB bil3alam ya kalb hakeer mal3oon
kafer 3ars
you jim motherfucker
you think your smart?
hell no you stupid as shit just like all other people who insults ISLAM
one day you will die and burn in hell like a shit in a stove
you will be sorry about what you said and you will pay a price a very valuble price
allah is the only god and mohammad (sala allah 3alyh wa salam)is his best prophet
and no matter what you say you cant change anything cuz youre nothing but a stupid motherfucker peace of pig shit stick your head up your ass and tell me what it tast
you motherfucker ya boo5osh
la illah illa allah mohammad rasoul allah
allah wakbar allah wakbar allah wakbar allah wakbar allahhhhhhh wakbarrrrrrrrrr
Ready to experience a little Islamic spirituality? Better be sitting down first…
~post #103: لا اله الا الله – la illa illah Allah- there is no God but Allah
Ù…Øمد رسول الله Mohammed rasool Allah. Mohammed is the prophet of Allah.
This appears to be the last two part of the three part Shahada, or declaration of faith. Why post them here? As far as I can tell, Moslems think they can
get a better spot in heaven, maybe under a tree or something, if they publicly say pious phrases. I know it sounds silly, but I have a book with phrases and how many times you have to say them to get a particular prayer answered. So my take on this guy is that he’s not talking to us, he’s talking to God and trying to get his eternal real estate nailed down.
~post #104: ya rab is O Lord, but the centerpiece of this literary gem is kalb meaning dog, which as you know is the most creative thing Moslems know how to say on this blog, although I believe “hmar” is meant to be “donkey” with the same cultural meaning regarding intelligence we would attach to it here.
~post #105: more dogs interspersed with allah and prophet
~post #106: This appears to be a blasphemy. It has the three parts of the Shahada (declaration of faith), but instead of “Allahu al akbar”–Allah is the greatest”, the word for the male, uh, appendage, is substituted for Allah, no less than six times. I suspect his fly has come undone and he has been momentarily distracted. But then he gets sidetracked even further into “teez” meaning derrière, then signs off with another dog and an infidel (kafir). Perhaps he finds this more intriguing than the thought of marrying his cousin, if indeed any of them will have him.
~post #107 is curious in that it insults Jim’s mother in the American manner instead of his sister in the Middle Eastern manner. Still, I’m going to stick my neck out here and just judging by the maturity level of the general tone I’m going to say you’ll find a Middle Eastern IP, probably going through an Amsterdam server.
So now, after all that, tell me if you feel closer to Allah…
I am not a christian, hindu, or muslim but I respect EVERY religion. I dont think that the picture itself is bad, I think the writing is what is making all this commotion. I understand the reason that this is causing a conflict, I dont think anyone should be insulted though, for any reason. I also think that the maker of the page has their own right to whatever they want to do, and if you dont like it you dont have to read it. I dont agree though. I think this should be settled with out cursing, or insulting. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all are monotheistic religions, that all originate out of one another. We are the same in so many ways. Jews hav bar-bat mitzvahs, muslims have ameens (I learned from a friend please correct me if I am wrong). We all believe in the same prophets as the Muslims, only with different names. Prophet Yacoub, is Jacob in the Torah. The Torah teaches us not to fight, as does the bible and Kuran.
Sorry I relize some of that doesnt make sense, I mean to say, you can be insulted, just no one should be called names. I dont agree with the maker of the page because Muhummed shouldnt be insulted. He is part of Muslims religion, and I respect that.
ايها الا وغاد الكلاب لعنكم الله ادعو الله من كل قلبى ان تصيبكم كارتة ان شاء الله
I am a jew, by the way. But I repect all religions. There is no need for rude comments reguarding by ethnicity tho.
heyy im a muslim and i respect all religions and islam didnt say to insult other religions but to respect it and advice ppl to the ryt path if we can, and then they have the choice either to follow or not . but these drawings insult our religion and i dont think that any1 of you wld like other people from other religions insulting their religion and drawing their prophet. Every1 is free to follow wtever he /she wants and it doesnt matter wt religion u follow at the end we all believe in one thing, that there is GOD ! so y fyt over nothing and cause problems. each one has the ryt to express his or her opinion freely but in a way that wld not hurt others. And we shld all respect each others’ point of view thnkuuu..peAce
all i want to say is tht no1 is telln u nt to express how u feel or thnk towards stuff but it also doesnt mean tht u express them by insulting others beliefs and ideas… you shud express them with respect… and y is it only islam thts giving u such a hard tym tht u thnk by making fun of our prophet ur expressing hw u feel nd ok mayb other religions are giving u trouble too but y are u only expressing hw u feel towards muslims y dnt express hw u feel towards jews or cristians if u said ” I DO question all religions.” . No1 is telln u not to express urself just express it in the right way… bcz in tht way ur causing prblms and trouble btwn religions.ND wtever ur religion is or even if u dnt have one u shud thnk about it logically y r we all created y did god create us all just to hve fun then die? no thts nt the main reason y god created us and y he meant to hve all these different religions. the main reason was for the people to find their way to the right thng. sme ppl are born muslims… and sme ppl convert and sme ppl just die hvn no religion or hvn other religions… but god ddnt say tht ONLY islam is right all the religions shud be respected.
You haven’t read this blog much if you think it “only islam thts giving u such a hard tym.” “No1 is telln u not to express urself just express it in the right way…”. That’s Freedom-of-Speech-so-Long-as-You-Speak-In-The-Manner-Prescribed-By-Others.
What insult?
I don’t see any insult.
Where is the insult?
The insult is that Muhummed is being transformed into different charecters, and it is not at ALL funny. It must insult muslims, and they must care alot which is why they are all commenting. I also saw the cartoon about the holocaust, and it is not funny either. Millions of people died in the holocaust and one of them was my great grandfather.
How can you “transform someone into different charecters”, I don’t understand what that is or why someone would think it an insult. Mohammed is dead I thought, and was supposed to be a real person.
The holocaust cartoons were pretty stupid, but I don’t see a good reason not to publish them. It gives you an idea of what some people are thinking about.
Well, apparently you are disrespecting the muslims by comparing their prophet to, um…Carl the vegetarian server.
And the Holocaust cartoon is indeed VERY insulting to jews, including the words of “Borat”, btu I have to admit, it is funny when Borat says it. But apparently Muslims have gotten over this cartoon, because none of them are commenting anymore. I wonder if its true that Sanni Muslims think Muhummed is more important than all the other prophets
Well, I think then they should be reminded that Mohammed was just as real as the waiter down the street instead of trying to make out like he was a god. I think it’s really offensive how they make such a big fuss about kafir polytheists then turn around and deify Mohamed every chance they get.
I don’t know Borat, but you can see the Muslims keep commenting here every day or so. There was just some news thing where the cartoons got published in Afghanistan again.
Yes, my Sunni friends consider Mohammed to be the most important prophet. They say they like the other prophets too, but their words were changed and corrupted over time. (somehow Mohammed’s words didn’t get corrupted?)It’s one of the many things they all say but none can explain. They only know the names of some prophets but not what they taught. Jesus is mentioned in Koran, also Joseph at the court of the Egyptian pharaoh, also Jesus’ mother Mary, but she is contemporary with Haroon (Aaron) brother of Moses. Anyhow Mohammed was sent especially for them. Because of speaking Arabic I guess. That is in Koran too, that it is their own Book in their own language.
None of the Muslims has ever been able to explain the cartoon insult thing. I don’t think they have any idea. They are just repeating what someone told them.
يارب العلمين كما نصرت بيتك العتيق الكعبه المشرÙÙ‡ من ابره الشرم وارسلت عليهم طير ابابيل يا الله ارسل عليهم جنود من جنودك وذلك لتشÙÙŠ صدور المؤمنين
ÙˆØسبي الله ونعم الوكيل
اللهم صلي على سيدنا Ù…Øمد
Does anyone have any other pictures of this rotten prophet? I’d like to start a collection and post them everywhere I can. I’d draw him myself, but, I don’t know what the cunt looks like. Serious replies only please. Thanks.
Rotten he is indeed, as he has been dead long enough not to smell too good. But in his day the prophet was quite handsome. He was supposed to have a gap between his front teeth and fifty-odd wives. On the day before a battle, his enemies wives’ would dream about their husbands dying in battle so they could get added to his harem. Or so they say. The Persian dynasties made all kinds of pictures of Mohamed before the Muslim world caught icon phobia from the Christians.
As far as your curiosity about female genitalia, you’re on your own with that one.
Why are Muslims not to draw the prophet (Mohammad PBUH ? My understanding was it was not to be done because mohammad being humble did not want people to Idolize him: a mere man. The intention of the prophet was to avoid Prophet worship, because there is but one God and that is who should be worshipped. All religions being passed on by men lose their focus and make mistakes. In attacking people who draw Mohammad PBUH they are actually doing what the prophet was trying to avoid Prophet worship which is a great sin as it is making a man like a God
ولاد العرص دول عبدة الصليب ÙƒÙرة ولاد عرصوعلى Ùكرة اى واØدة مسيØية بتتناك ÙÙ‰ الكنيسة بالذات ÙÙ‰ مصر الكنايس شغالة نيك عى ودنو هههههههههههههد دول ÙƒÙرة ولاد عرص ولاد مرة متناكة انزل مصر وامشى بجوار راجل مسيØÙ‰ هتشم ريØØ© زنخة والله بجد دول ولاد كلب جرابيع دا بيعبدو 3 الهة ههههههههههههههههولاد العرص وبيعبدو الصليب ينعل دين دين دين ابو صليب دين ابوهم ولاد متناتكة كلهم وعلى Ùكرة البابا بتعهم ابن المتناك كان اصلة خول وبيتناك وهو صغير عشان كدة عملو المتناك الكبير بتاعهم
على Ùكرة انا من مصر وتلاقى اقذر ناس هما المسيØيين واوسخ ناس وانا من هذا المنبر انتقد Øكومة Øسنى مبارك لانها سايبة المسيØيينولاد المتناكة وبيمسكو الناس المسلمة اكيد Øكومة معرصة ولو لهل كلمةكانت قاطعت العلاقات الدبلوماسية مع دولة المتناكين الدنماركلاكن اØنا دولة معرصين اخوكم Ù…Øمود Ù…Øمد مواÙÙ‰ مدرس بمدرسة عبد المنعم رياض بشبرا
I fuck you all those takepart in this type of activity.
I never say wrong about ur prophet becouse I know he is also My prophet My prophet Mohammed teach me not to say any thing bad to any relegis or any body.
But u mother fuckrers if ur here in fornt of me i kill u all those involved in it.
I fuck ur doughers also with huge my penis.
Evrything that needs to be sead has been sead. If all Muslims care Mr Jim wont care so there is no reason to swear what so ever.
Allah will give Mr Jim his Punishment when he burns in hell who knows he might just get burnt alive tomoro and die.
I feel sorry for his wife and children if his got any because they have to grow through the pain of seing a devils face 24-7. All Im going to say is ALL muslims stay stron and follow the Prophet Muhammed and Allahs rights.
Ow and by the way Mr Jim Look at how many people go to Hajj evry year and look at how many people have changed to Islam because they know that That all the other religions are not saying the truth. Christians losthte real Bibal and Ower Quran hasent been changed not even one liitle dot. even if you dont care and dont read what I am righting all I know is that I have done my bit and Allah will be sure to gift me in the hear after. Inshallah you will change your rilligion One day.
7sbeya AllAH wn3mho lwakeah
maybe we can’t do anything except replay that ALLAH will certinally show the truth
ALLAH akbar ALLAH akbar ALLAH akbar LA ELAH ELA ALLAH
HSBEYA ALLAH WN3MHO LWAKEAL
3fwn rasoul ALLAH
ALLAHOM sale 3la sayedna mohammed.wnsor elmoslemean
weLL if u think its cool i hope it pleases u 2 death i dont care what u thinkkk cuz its all probably crap !!!! and when u wanna try 2 be funny plz say something that izzz. ur so lameeeeee!!!! have fun in life and burn to death in helllllll!! i thought ur parents and religon taught u to have manners and respect!! i guess no one did insult a cross or a bible !! if ppl think they will get along with it hell not !! if not in life probably when they go 2 hell!!just 2 make things clear god created us not to insult what he created but 2 live among each other who cares if som1 was balck persian american bhuddist christian muslim we are alllll at the same level everyone chose his identity morals and beliefs !!!! peace
Insult?
The Moslems don’t say what insult.
Where is the insult?
سيدنا Ù…Øمد صلي الله عليه واّله وسلم هو سيد الرسل والأنبياء بعث للبشرية كاÙØ© ورسالته الإسلام هي أيضا للبشرية كاÙØ© ومن يعبد الله Øقا ويعر٠الØÙ‚ لابد أن يؤمن به وإن لم يؤمن يكن سلما له Ùما جاء إلا رØمة للعالمين ومن يسئ إليه ما هو إلا بكاÙر سو٠يلقي عقابه بالدنيا Ùˆ الاّخرة لا Ù…Øالة Ùمن اّمن بموسي عليه السلام Øقا أو اّمن بعيسي عليه السلام Øقا لابد أن يؤمن به ونقول اللهم صلي علي Ù…Øمد واّل Ù…Øمد وعجل Ùرجهم وأهلك عدوهم من الإنس والجن من الأوليين والاّخرين 00000000000000اللهم اّمـيـــن
fuck u all danish.
Here is the truth about the portraits issue. Not allowing the face of a man who lived to be drawn or shown has an intrinsic reason to how us human function. We have a natural tendancy to idolatry hence the sculptures of ancient gods. Remember what happened to jesus, a messenger that was turned into son of god, Buddha into the god. The miracle of islam is not the messenger. We believe in the message and thus have shadowed the messenger. We have no urge on putting a face on the messenger and it can only diminish of the power of the message. We have never tried to picture him, why do you have to. I understand your right of doing so and then it also allows anybody to draw your queen or king or jesus or your dead mother just to offend you, to get to you… The message of islam is great and of ultimate humanity, look at the all the discoveries and inventions Muslim minds came up with in our golden ages while europe and the rest of the world were in the dark middle age. What happened to us is another story but believe me Islamic culture is one of progressiveness and well being. What is happening today is world politics and media wars.
If you have time I can tell you about the beauty and greatness of islamic culture.
Peace.
you’re stupid people, there will be a day you will regret.
we’ll see
Are Moslems really stupid enough they don’t know the difference between a god and a newpaper? Are they praying to newspapers over there? If they want to pray to newspapers, why not let them?
Putting a face on the messenger will diminish the power of the message, fadi? But the Prophet really had a face. It is the truth that he had a face. What kind of message can be diminished by the truth?
لكل من ساء الي الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم لعنكم الله
OK OK U ALL SAID ENOUGH DID U GUYS FORGET THAT ITS HARAAAAM THAT WE INSALT JESUS AND THE BIBLE CAUSE WE BELIEVE IN JESUS U THINK GOD ALLAH WILL BE HAPPY IF U INSALT JESUS AND PROTECT ISLAM NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO IF UR A TRUE MUSLIM THEN U SHOULDNT INSALT JESUS CAUSE WE BELIEVE IN JESUS AND 4 ME I’M A MUSLIM AND EVEN THOUGH I DONT I’M MAD CAUSE SOMEONE DREW THAT PIC BUT I STILL DONT INSALT JESUS
AND PLZ DONT SAY “R MUSLIMS STUPID ENOUGH TO BLA BLA BLA” CAUSE MUSLIMS ARENT STUPID IDIOT
Countries should forbid any public demonstration of religion. You wanna pray, do it at your home or temple. No weird clothing or hair. What are these middle-ages people doing among us? Bringing terrorism?
All you ignorant muslims need to stop crying about a simple cartoon picture…. Every single religon and ethnicity on this planet is persecuted to a certain extent ……. stop taking out your frustrations on christians, jews, or anyone else you blame your problems on and realize that the troubles of your people are no ones fault but there own…………. im sorry your countries are such a shithole to live in ,and your leaders are brainless faggots but maybe you should try to solve your own problems instead of crying about them.
You whiny ass Muslims…What is the big deal about drawing this picture? It is a person. He had a face…and that means anyone…ANYONE has the right to put that face on piece of paper or canvas or whatever you like. Stop complaining about it because ANYONE has the right to freedom of speech, just like how some of you say christianity is bull and so is Judism…That is your right. Fine. And my right is to put pictures like this up to piss you off. Jim does this because he can and I back him 100 percent. Stop bitching about it because it is a stupid debate. Yes it may be your belief but It is MY and jims belief in freedom of speech. So why dont YOU shut the fuck up and leave US alone. And the whole bad things are gonna happen to you shit is sad. Fuck off with the threats…By the way..thanks for 9’11….you really showed us where Muslim Beliefs can take you.
you fucken asshole, the 9’11 is from you and the fucken jews like you you fucken basterds…… Islam and Muhammed are clean from what’s happening in this fucken world..you’re fucken world… what’s sort of freedom is that, is freedom to let sister to get fucked from other, is freedom to pray for God only on Sundays “one day a week” yeah bcoz you’re fucken busy drinking beer and fucking girls. Btw, you’re the supporters of the GAYs….aren’t you sick guys..is this freedom?? to walk out butt naked..is this freedom??? tell me about freedom….. did Jesus tell you guys to have sex and affairs “Opps you’re not following what your prophet said” bad fucken boys. if you’re talking about freedom about freedom of speech, why don’t guys publish what Israel doing to the Muslim World? what American doing to the Muslim World???????? isn’t this freedom of speech tooo?????
I think either practice the fucken freedom of speech in the right way or leave it bcoz you’re fucken naive….
Ah, the rancid stench of religious war. How about this little three-step:
1. People should be free to say what they want to say.
2. People should be free to believe what they want to believe.
3. Every society should examine its own history of violence, because every society has one, including mine and including yours.
Plz calm down. The jews didnt do anything. Why are you bringing Israel into this? We DO follow our religion, we go to temple, and do Shabaat. We pray to god, and speak of Moses. We read the Torah, as do Christians and Moslems. And what makes you think Im a man? IM NOT! I honestly think you should all stop cursing, because violence doesnt prevent war. The moslems weren;t responsible for knocking down the twin towers, it was just Sadaam Huwsayne!!! Its not like EVERY SINGLE moslem in the world was in the plane with him handing him stuff, MOSLEMS DONT EVEN SUPPORT SADAAM HUWSAYNE!
Am I right? You guys dont agree with what he is doing? Well…WAS doing.
وجع ان شاءالله
Øسبي الله عليهم
I now that it’s a big deal for allmuslims to be insulted but i think its way overwhelmed to make all this buzz over the islamic regions.
iam a muslime and i have already get the idea that muslimes r violent, so dont blame those who watchs as from outsaide, and if there is any one who has ensulted profet mohammad then it will be us, muslimes with there own hand has destroyed every hope for making a new history, so dont blame someone on the other side of the world -for drawing some pictures- seeking for victory to your selfs which you’ll never get.
if u realy care about profit mohammad then u should act on what he says and stop killing each others, its enough. i have been tired listning to whats on news every day.
If i were u Jim i probably will be afride on my life!!.
what is “thouseest”??
did u mean those east men?!.