Darned Euro islamophobes. Oh, wait. Bangladesh? Dude, I thought we already owned that place. No kidding. Anyway, it's not "insulting muslim(s)", but challenging stupid laws that exist only to cement the primacy and supremacy of a particular religion. Gee. I wonder if there was some kind of instigation at services. Maybe someone could ask the imam if he saw something. Kind of a bit over the top? Come on. And why would someone burn an effigy of the newspaper? Wouldn't they just buy one, and, y'know... Yes. I've seen it. It goes: Adult: Boy, what is your name? Boy: My name is Babu. Adult: It is customary to mention Muhammed before the name. Adult: What is your father’s name? Boy: Muhammed Abu Adult: What’s this in your lap? Boy: Muhammed cat Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Oooooh, a real pinnacle of mockery, that was. No wonder people are pissed. Hum. I wonder if it would have been ok to insult atheists (if they acknowledged their existence) or other religions. I'm betting: probably. Well, stupid, as I've said before. Failure of distinction between religion and state = protected status on that religion, and open season on any other, and on any dissenters. This is political religion in general, and political islam in particular. I hear quite a bit about how islamic political systems vary across the islamic world; a swathe of diversity, I'm told. Yet, political reactions to criticism (which, by the way, the above cartoon does not even qualify as) are the same throughout its entire length: arrest. Persecution. This is supremacism; this is the method of Nazi Germany, of the Soviet Union, of Pinochet's Chile, of Cuba, of Pol Pot's Cambodia, of China. Is this following Mohammed's example? Some people would say yes. Some would say no. We only hear from the former. Anyway, this dead horse has been beaten even deader. Which jackal now shall defend the corpse?
Partly maybe, but scaring people about how they are going to suffer in hell for eternity unless they live a certain way is more about controlling people.
And let me re-re-re-reiterate: I am not opposed to any religion itself (except maybe Satanism, because of the human sacrifice and evil thingies). It's when it starts to get used as a reason to justify the persecution of others that I start to take offense.
Yeah: not everybody, but definitely a few. The really disturbing thing (aside from the actual extremists/literalists who would be only too happy to behead the cartoonist) is that this kind of nonsense is law in Bangladesh. Presumed religious insult = time in the pogy. That is fucked up.
Yeah, it just goes to show how far behind nations like Pakistan, Bang it all, Iran, Iraq, India, etc, etc are in comparison to the western nations of the world. You say 600 years behind, I think perhaps more like 1,000. Baron Max
Not necessarily, because they are not behind socially, economically, or technologically. Perhaps behind religiously? Certainly, but there is no religion in the West. Geoff: Yes, extremists do suck...alot...and give us a bad name.
Did the cops taser the cartoonist for drawing out of turn? The government establish a Gitmo for the suspects? Standards of extreme reaction are higher these days.
