Maryam Namazie

Maryam Namazie is a political activist, campaigner and blogger

A cartoon is offensive?

Have you heard about the two young Tunisians, Jabeur Mejri and Ghazi Beji, who have been sentenced to seven years in prison for posting cartoons of Mohammad, Islam’s prophet, on Facebook?

Seven years…

And yet we keep hearing how cartoons are offensive!?! Oh boo hoo.

For those of you who keep worrying about how cartoons offend ‘Muslim’ sensitivities’, remember this. It is Islamist sensibilities that are offended and that you are defending.

And it’s not just at the expense of Rhys Morgan or the students at Queen Mary, LSE or ULU who can still carry on with their lives despite absurd accusations of ‘Islamophobia’ after posting a (shock, horror) Jesus and Mo cartoon.

Also it’s at the expense of innumerable young lives facing imprisonment, torture and even execution for cartoons and Tweets across the Middle East and North Africa. Here are a few of them.

Now that is offensive.

Comments

13 responses to “A cartoon is offensive?”

  1. lol mahmood Avatar
    lol mahmood

    Signed. Every time I hear someone bleating about offence to their superstition of preference, I feel the urge to offer greater offence in a similar vein.

    Reply
  2. Simon Avatar
    Simon

    Haitham Al-Haddad is a PhD candidate at SOAS. But in an article titled “Standing up against Homosexuality and LGBT” on islam21c.com he favourably says that Allah informs us: “… We rained down on them a rain (of stones). See how came about the end of the criminals!”. He is very clear “they initiated an evil never committed before them and as a result of their transgression Allah destroyed them”.
    But UCL get upset over a cartoon? Here is actual hate speech – calling for violence. Will he be kicked out? No of course not.

    Reply
  3. Ghazi beji Avatar
    Ghazi beji

    it is me Ghazi beji i’m now in Paris, i discover that no humain rights in all the word they refuse to give me asylum because DABLIN rules.

    Reply
  4. Ayn Fidel Avatar
    Ayn Fidel

    Why is the MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE so weak HE needs minions to defend him? Perhaps it is because these people who claim to speak for HIM are actually part of the other team.

    Reply
  5. Ophelia Benson Avatar
    Ophelia Benson

    The only good news is that one of them was sentenced in absentia. He’s somewhere in Europe (I forget where), seeking asylum.

    Not much in the way of good news.

    Reply
    1. Maryam Namazie Avatar
      Maryam Namazie

      I didn’t realise he had fled already. Good to know…

      Reply
  6. Paulo Alves Reis Avatar
    Paulo Alves Reis

    It’s my first time making a comment here, thanks for your blog.

    In a sense I woke up … and I come here daily.
    It makes me sad, sometimes anger but it wakes me up and it makes me feel being together with those who are persecuted because of what they think and say.

    As you say “… any belief system cannot be off-limits. It must be open to criticism and offense. Anything worth expressing will cause offense.”

    Reply
    1. Maryam Namazie Avatar
      Maryam Namazie

      Thanks for reading and your first comment!

      Reply
  7. Andrew Hall Avatar
    Andrew Hall

    At least Tunisia is heading in a more tolerant direction than Egypt: http://www.economist.com/node/21551543

    Yeah, I know that may not be saying much.

    Reply
  8. lordshipmayhem Avatar
    lordshipmayhem

    I keep hoping we can convince the religious that there is no such human right as “to not be offended”. If you are offended by a picture, or a speech, or a book, or a blog post, grow up and ignore it, or laugh it off.

    If an action offends you, but there is no physical harm inflicted upon another, grow up and ignore it, or laugh it off.

    The imprisonments, the death threats, the violence only add disrepute to the very religion that the offended wish to honour and protect, and show the followers to be little better than the emotional equivalent of petulant spoiled toddlers. When will they learn that?

    Reply
  9. Martyn N Hughes Avatar
    Martyn N Hughes

    Seven years in prison for publishing a cartoon. It’s almost hard to believe we are in the second decade of the 21st century!

    And as this continues, the UN says nothing.

    Reply
    1. barhooma113 Avatar
      barhooma113

      Jesus & Mohamed are messengers of god, they should be respected.

      Better to do, i think you have to Ask UN to say something regarding what’s hapening to palestinian children.

      Reply
  10. A_Free_American Avatar
    A_Free_American

    A political view of the cartoon from one of Jewish and Mormon upbringing who is now a Buddhist and universalist interested in ancient, spiritual rituals and metaphysical, occult practices with a sexual connotation! Those of you with virgin eyes can now look away!
    Mohammad talks Jesus into getting naked with him for an interfaith prayer but then blames Jesus for corrupting him. When Jesus isn’t looking, Mohammad screws Jesus beating him as he penetrates him, blaming him for being so indecent just like a menstruating woman!
    Jesus feels guilty and forgives Mohammad! Mohammad demands Jesus immediately pay him a tax for being a Dhimmi so he doesn’t feel he needs to stone Jesus for causing him to have gay sex with him!
    Mohammad writes a poem about riding Jesus while he masturbates!
    Mohammad then slaps Jesus and sentences him to 7 years for watching him masturbate! Jesus turns the other cheek and Mohammad kisses him goodbye!

    Reply

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