'Everybody Draw Mohammed Day'

[faceless]

'Everybody Draw Mohammed Day' Unleashes Facebook Fracas
By Joshua Rhett Miller
- FOXNews.com
What started out as a cartoonist's call to action against censorship -- an open invitation to submit caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad -- has led to death threats, a court order to temporarily block parts of the website in Pakistan and a call for a boycott of Facebook to protest what Muslims believe is blasphemy.

"Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!" began last month as the brainchild of a Seattle-based cartoonist named Molly Norris, who was appalled by Comedy Central's decision to censor an episode of "South Park" that depicted Muhammad in a bear costume. As a way to protest the network's decision -- which came after an Islamic extremist website warned of retaliation against the show's creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker -- Norris created a poster with likenesses of Muhammad as a domino, a teacup and a box of pasta. She declared May 20 "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!" -- and her efforts quickly went viral, spawning several Facebook pages with thousands of followers dedicated to the event. They also prompted a "protest" movement by thousands of other Facebook users opposed to it.

Now the day is almost upon us, and Norris herself has withdrawn from the cause -- but she says she's glad her efforts encouraged others to speak out. "I just thought that Viacom or Comedy Central had overreacted to a veiled threat from a tiny blog or website that not many people even belong to, and I think it just set a precedent for a slippery slope in censorship," Norris told FoxNews.com. "If artists have to be afraid of what they draw, then what’s the point of even living here? That's what really bothered me."

She insists she "never wanted to lead anything," but she acknowledges her brainchild ignited a controversy. "It's turned into something completely different, nothing I could've imagined it morphing into," she said. "I'm happy some people are talking, because obviously this needs to be addressed."

As of Wednesday, more than 41,000 Facebook users associated themselves to one page dedicated to the event, and a similar page was "liked" by at least 4,400 users. More than 56,000 users, meanwhile, joined a Facebook page opposing it.

Mimi Sulpovar created her "Everybody Draw Mohammad" Facebook page on April 22 to protest what she calls the "manifestation of gradual silencing and subjugation" of free speech rights in the name of political correctness. "I and members of my group feel that we, as citizens of the free world, should be able to discuss Islam openly and honestly -- even if it means drawing Muhammad, being very critical of some of the elements of that religion and/or culture," she wrote FoxNews.com in an e-mail. "Our group does not advocate violence or hatred toward Muslims as people -- instead, we talk openly about Islamic practices and, of course, terrorism."

As administrator of the page, Sulpovar said she moderates users' comments and removes any references to violence or bigotry in their posts. She said she and others in the group have received death threats, but she has no plans to stop anytime soon. "Our goal is to demonstrate that it's OK to talk about Islam specifically, and that if we want to draw Muhammad, we will not be intimidated or silenced by those who want to subjugate us simply because they find what we do offensive," Sulpovar wrote.

She said she's received about 200 depictions of Muhammad, and more than 300 caricatures have been uploaded to her page. She said she plans on continuing the campaign well after this week. "Free speech and the rights guaranteed by the Constitution are not limited to just one day -- so as far as we are concerned, every day should be 'Draw Muhammad Day,'" she wrote.

Organizers of the Facebook page protesting the drawing campaign are calling for users to boycott the social networking site on Thursday -- and beyond -- for the company's inaction against the "Everybody Draw Mohammad" pages. Some say the campaign is nothing more than a way to incite Muslims. "Now a days it has became a fashion for the west to irk muslims," one post read. "We never scolded jesus for ur misdeeds. That shows the difference of character."

A Facebook spokesman told FoxNews.com it has no plans to censor any of the pages associated with the campaign or the counter-campaign, though threats will be removed. "Threats of violence and direct statements of hate against particular communities violate our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and are removed when reported to us," reads a company statement to FoxNews.com. "Facebook is highly self-regulating, and users can and do report content that they find questionable or offensive. Groups that express an opinion on a state, institution, or set of beliefs -- even if that opinion is outrageous or offensive to some -- do not by themselves violate our policies. When a group created to express an opinion devolves into threats or hate speech, we will remove the threatening or hateful comments and may even remove the group itself."

Matthew Quigley, a member of the "Everybody Draw Mohammad Day" group, said he joined the cause after Comedy Central censored "South Park," which happened after a message on RevolutionMuslim.com warned that the cartoon's creators "will probably end up" like Theo van Gogh, a Dutch filmmaker who was murdered after releasing a film critical of Islam. "It is a line drawn in the sand," Quigley wrote FoxNews.com. "On one side are those who are unwilling to allow the threat of violence to blunt the edge of Free Speech. It is a vocal and organized and headless movement to deny extremism the power of control."

Quigley, who has already uploaded his depiction of Muhammad, said he's pleased to see the solidarity behind the cause. "My depiction featured Muhammad staring blankly at what I imagine were the open expanses on the road between Medina and Mecca," Quigley wrote. "Above him, in Arabic script are the words that all Muslims speak after saying his name: Sallallahu Alayhi Wasalam ("May God's Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him"). Below, in Arabic, is the phrase, 'I Love Hummus.' I think we can all connect more with a man if he likes our favorite food."

Pakistan court orders blocking of Facebook over Muhammad cartoon
Jeremy Page
timesonline.co.uk

A Pakistani court ordered the Government to block Facebook today because of a page on the site advertising a competition to draw cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, according to lawyers involved in the case. The Government was ordered to block the site from today until May 31 in response to a petition filed with the Lahore High Court by Azhar Siddique, a representative of the Islamic Lawyers Forum.

“The court has also ordered the foreign ministry to investigate why such a competition is being held,” Mr Siddique said as about 20 people demonstrated outside court, carrying banners condemning Facebook and praising the Prophet. The forum filed the petition after thousands of Facebook users launched an online campaign demanding a boycott of the social networking site. The court is due to consider ordering further action after May 31.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, the official industry watchdog, said it had not received the court orders, but had already ordered Internet service providers to block websites showing these caricatures. Muslims – who make up about 97 percent of Pakistan’s 166 million people – consider any representation of the Prophet to be un-Islamic and blasphemous.

The publications of similar cartoons in Danish newspapers in 2005 sparked deadly protests in Muslim countries, which killed about 50 people in total, including five in Pakistan. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on Denmark’s embassy in Islamabad that killed six people in 2008, saying it was in revenge for the Danish cartoons.

The offending Facebook page is called 'Free speech advocates are usually fucking arseholes' (ahem) and invites users to send in their caricatures on May 20. Organisers said it was a “snarky” response to Muslim bloggers who had warned creators of the television show South Park over a recent depiction of the Prophet in a bear suit. “We are not trying to slander the average Muslim,” the creators wrote on the Facebook page. “We simply want to show the extremists that threaten to harm people because of their Mohammad depictions that we’re not afraid of them. That they can’t take away our right to freedom of speech by trying to scare us into silence.”

Representatives of Facebook were not immediately available for comment.

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The only intention in this is to insult people - because they can. The fact that the woman who started it has now pulled out says it all about her smalltime attitude. Did she think it was all just going to be something neat and tidy that she could make a few extra e-friends out of? Can anyone be so painfully unaware and actually be an artist?

Still, she'll have the backing of loads of ignorant twats snorting their approval in her direction... what an honour!

[pirtybirdy]

I approve. If people can shit and piss on drawings of Jesus and Mary and call it "art", why not drawing Mohammad? I understand that her point was to piss people off and not do it for art, but I think that's what a lot of twats are doing when they deface Jesus. I just can't stand all this false outrage. What's good for one religion, is good for the other. Everyone's "God" is open for ridicule and whatnot.

[faceless]

But one insult doesn't justify the other. And I can't remember any instance of Islamic people being blasphemous about Jesus or Mary in a global way like this. They wouldn't anyway, as he's considered one of the great prophets - there may be some odd instances of course.

Also, if Christians aren't going to defend their religion with the same passion, then that's not really a reason to say that other people can't defend theirs.

[SpursFan1902]

I understand why the Seattle cartoonist says she did what she did, but, c'mon, can you see ANY other outcome other than pissing off the entire Muslim population and getting the knee-jerk reaction that she got? And to be honest, why would you want to? What purpose does it serve? The entire Muslim population is no more all extremists than the Christian population is. Extremists get more noticed, but in no way reflect the entire population of either religion. I think the whole idea of "my way or the highway" is ridiculous. I don't understand why people can't just agree to disagree about things such as religion and move on. Such a waste...

I agree with you Face, I can't ever remember the reverse of this situation ever happening, but of course that doesn't mean that it hasn't, I just don't know about it.

[faceless]

After doing a search for related pictures, I found this...


http://ebelcreativedesign.com

[Ash]

No Muslim is a Muslim if (s)he insults/rejects any of the Prophets. That's why you'll never hear any Muslim the way unfortunately some non-Muslim goes on to insulting Jesus (PBUH) and other Prophets (AS) under the guise of freedom of speech. Perhaps I should start a Facebook page titled "Send Mandela, the AIDS suffering terrorist and a hidden Jew, who's partly responsible for the 9-11 Massacre, to Bagram Airbase"!

[Skylace]

Not the same but haven't heard too much about this just yet.

[faceless]

Years ago I wrote an email to a company which was selling Catholic paraphernalia. I asked whether they gave the profits to charitable causes, or just profitted from it themselves. They seemed puzzled that I'd ask such a question - of course they didn't give the money to charitable causes!

The point being, there's always someone who'll profit from other people's beliefs - no matter what they are. In the case of the sex shop, they profit by the publicity...

One important thing about this whole situation is that in this Moslem case, it's almost all been atheists who've been pushing for their 'right' to insult who they like. The irony being that they are absolutely depending on faith to hitch this campaign to - it doesn't improve society in any way, there's no humane element to it, it's just plain, old-fashioned, cuntishness.

As Spurs said earlier, why would anyone want to just insult so many people? Is it because they're idiots who believe the right-wing media hype that the Big Bad Moslems are coming to get them and make them wear bhurkas?

[faceless]

Cartoonist slams Islam ahead of Merkel speech
8 Sep 10
thelocal.de/national/20100908-29699.html

A Danish cartoonist who sparked protests around the world with a satire of Muslim violence has branded Islam a “reactionary” religion, just hours before Chancellor Angela Merkel presented him with an award defending freedom of speech.

Kurt Westergaard, who was in Germany to receive the M100 Media Prize 2010, made his remarks to the Thursday edition of the daily Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, according to an advanced publication. “In my opinion you can’t compare Islam with Christianity. It isn’t a likeable religion, rather in all sorts of regards, a reactionary religion,” he said.

Westergaard, 75, has received death threats and even escaped a murder attempt because of a 2005 cartoon he drew for Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, portraying the Muslim prophet Muhammad with a bomb in his turban. In his interview with the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, Westergaard cited the persecution of homosexuals in Islamic countries, which he branded “barbaric.” He said, however, that he would “always argue that people have the right to practice this religion.”

And Merkel wasn't deterred from making a speech defending press freedom and Westergaard on Wednesday night in Potsdam. "[We] are talking here about the freedom of opinion and of the press. It's about whether in a Western society with its values, he is allowed to publish his Muhammad cartoons in a newspaper or not," Merkel said. "It is irrelevant whether his caricatures are tasteless or not, whether he thinks they are necessary or helpful, or not. Is he allowed to do that? Yes, he can."

At the same time Merkel slammed as "abhorrent" plans by US pastor Terry Jones's Dove World Outreach Center in Florida to mark the ninth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks by burning Korans. The remarks come at a time of sharp focus on Islam and the integration of Muslim communities in Germany in the wake of Bundesbank board member Thilo Sarrazin’s controversial remarks about immigration last week. Politicians including Merkel have condemned Sarrazin’s provocative comments about Muslims but also raised the importance of having a frank debate about integration.

Westergaard's cartoon and 11 others like it sparked protests in Muslim countries around the world. In January a Somali man allegedly broke into Westergaard's home and threatened to kill him with an axe and a knife. In 2009 two men were arrested in Chicago allegedly with plans to attack the Jyllands-Posten newspaper.

Westergaard told reporters that his cartoon, depicting Muhammad with a turban with a lit fuse, would live on even if he was killed. "Maybe they will try to kill me and maybe they will have success, but they cannot kill the cartoon," Westergaard said before being awarded the prize.

Merkel meanwhile was criticised by Germany's Central Muslim Council (ZMD) for attending the event. The chancellor was honouring someone "who in our eyes kicked our Prophet, and therefore kicked all Muslims," ZMD head Aiman Mazyek told the radio station Deutschlandradio Kultur. He said giving Westergaard a prize in this "highly charged and heated time" was "highly problematic."

But Merkel's spokesman earlier Wednesday defended her decision to give the keynote speech. "The chancellor is sending out to all people in Germany, Muslims or not, the message that press freedom, which will be the focus of her speech, is a precious commodity," spokesman Steffen Seibert told a regular briefing.

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Giving an award to a bigot. That's a real societal advancement for the Germans...

Who's benefitted from the freedom of speech that he has abused though? No one except him and other bigotted arseholes in the media and the BNP type scum who revel in using the cartoons to antagonise people. It's caused nothing but unnecessary turmoil - all for the idiotic concept of 'freedom of speech'.

Real 'Freedom of Speech' doesn't exist. Anyone who thinks it does wants to try planning a 'crime' online.