Flags burned and protesters chanted as outrage spread over the Middle East, with Denmark being the brunt of the storm. Trouble started brewing when Frederik Anders, a 12 year old boy from Copenhagen, posted a photo on his blog of the Egyptian pyramid he built from materials created by the Denmark-based company LEGO.
His blog, "I Love LEGO" was bombarded with messages threatening him with death. Islamic leaders demanded an apology from the Danish government, or predicted more violence.
At a demonstration organized by Hamas, tens of thousands of protesters marched in the streets, some of them chanting: "Those responsible should have their hands cut off."
"We are a religion of peace," said a cleric.
Oops, wrong story. Oh, yes, the satirical cartoons published in the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten. One of the cartoons shows Muhammad as a jihad warrior wearing a turban shaped like a bomb.
I wouldn’t dare publish the cartoons here, in fear of my life. But as a newly self-actualized Jewish blogger, I can publish this lovely "satirical" cartoon from today’s Bahrain’s newspaper, Akhbar al-Khalij, explaining how this Danish situation was really caused BY THE JEWS!
The text reads "The Penetration of Zionism to Denmark." Notice the "Star of David"- shaped cheese and the worms.
That’s it! — this weekend I am boycotting all shish-kabobs!
Update: You can see the "offensive" Danish cartoons here, here, and here.
Update #2: The burning of the Danish Embassy in Syria.
Update #3: Burning the Danish Consulate in Beirut — all because of cartoons…
UPDATE 4: I’ve decided to "publish" the photos as well, in support of the Danish publisher.
Oh that is funny, yeah buddy please do boycotting all shishkabab loool
As an amateur cartoonist, that Danish guy is my new hero! I mean, to think, a silly little doodle enraging millions of morons — I mean, fanatical muslims, sorry… Take that, Doonesbury! Did Charles Schultz ever have to take down Peanuts and hide inside the doghouse, instead of sleeping atop it like Snoopy? Good grief!
(if Mohammed had a bomb in his turban, did it make him look like a blockhead?)
Given the uproar about the Muslim cartoons, I wanted to invite you to see “Ugly” Jesus… he’s not “Pretty” or “GQ”… http://www.uglyjesus.com Does Jesus care how he was depicted, or even that he was depicted in art?
Sincerely,
Ray Charles Istre
http://www.uglyjesus.com
Michael — Charles Schultz made a mint mocking psychiatry with the way that that two-faced Lucy would charge for her shitty psychiatric advice. Lucy was also an insult to women by the way she was portrayed as a “feminist bitch” (taking football away from Charlie Brown), a “slut and ho” (throwing herself repeatedly at Schroeder, almost ruining his classical music career), and “emotionally unstable with PMS” (constantly breaking Schroeder’s bust of Beethoven). Why was there no protest by women in the media?
What about your “Family Circus” post? That was insulting to families everywhere.
That Frederick fucking Anders. Again? Tuh.
Oh yeah, let the cartoons freeeeee!
This whole situation is downright scary. Mohammed was truly a great man. And Islam is one of the most misunderstood religions in the world.
If nothing else, let this issue be a reason for at least ONE PERSON to read about Islam and to understand what it really means. It’s a lovely philosophy in its true form. But, as with anything that has been pushed to its extreme, it has become wildly disfigured by politics.
I was raised Catholic but identify more with Buddhism than anything. A while back I decided to read on the World’s major religions and realize that we are essentially the same.
What a shame not more people realize this. Bloggers…. your assignment should you choose to accept it: Read about the origins of three religions this weekend. Let’s make the world a better place one person at a time.
Namaste.
~HDJ
I would say I am surprised but come on, are any of us surprised by what the Muslims do while chanting the whole while “we are peaceful people”. There now, I thought not.
Daisy Mae — I really don’t think either of us should include the entire Muslim world in one swoop. Now that I think about it, my title was probably inflammatory, and I apologize for it.
That said, let me turn to my friend, HDJ.
HDJ, this is what you said –
“If nothing else, let this issue be a reason for at least ONE PERSON to read about Islam and to understand what it really means. ”
HDJ, I know you’re a peace-loving person and we need more of you in this world. I really do mean that, especially in a world where there is so much hate. But the first question that comes to my mind in response to your comment is, “Why?” What does that have to do with the situation? We’re not really talking about Mohammed, are we? We’re talking about some members of a group threatening violence for nonsensical reasons in the year 2006. If you were a teacher in the second grade and there was a bratty kid in the room throwing things at others and going into tantrums when he didn’t get his way, making racist and false accusations at the boy in front of him, and threatening others with violence, what would be your response? Would you give a homework assignment to the REST OF THE CLASS requiring them to go home and do a paper on this kid’s family heritage so they can understand him better? Or would you send him to detention?
I applaud the surprising existence of an intelligent political post. here i was wasting time, reading mostly stupid blogs, when i wandered across a post that made me smile while introducing, if not addressing, some pressing points.
the part detailing my two cents was deleted. to sum it up, the moslem point would appear more valid were jews, rabbis and other religious figures not depicted so despicably in their media…
yes, depicting the prophet is extremely offensive to moslems. however, it’s impossible to eliminate all offences without eliminating the freedoms of speech and press that we so value in western society.
today a qassam rocket hit a home in kibbutz karmiya, injuring an infant.
the hamas charter calls for the death of israel and all of the jewish people.
and their most pressing concern is a cartoon?
Aviva, I don’t think we need to turn this discussion into an Israel vs. Palestinian one. For once, Israel really has nothing to do with this, despite what the Bahrainian cartoon says to rev up the hatred (if you really want to see some offensive politcial cartoons, it’s absolutely scary the ones that the Arab media publish about the Jews).
The main issue here is repressive Middle Eastern countries that keep their populace living with religious and political ideologies that are 500 years behind the times. The “Western world” is not perfect. It is a society that created Mozart, but also the Nazis. But many in the Muslim world could learn from the West. The West is not all McDonald’s and pornography. There are some great accomplishments to be proud of, such as democracy, religious freedom, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press.
Hi thanks for the cartoons and an interesting website.
As far as I know not one Muslim has actually left Denmark even though they hate this country so much.
I wonder why?
Could it have something with Denmark’s generosity – social help, free education and health care to everybody?
Neil, I’m afraid after reading this you’ll stop eating altogether.
HDJ, why don’t you go hug a tree?
What the heck is a “shish-kabob” asks this Southerner.
Hey Neil, when I saw that you linked to the cartoons on my site, I posted all twelve. Maybe we (along with many others) can show how utterly ridiculous this whole thing is.
Tatyana — I’m sure HDJ doesn’t advocate hatred of anybody. I’m certain she is hoping that the Muslim world would be as understanding of us, as we should be of them. Like I said before, we need people like HDJ and John Lennon and Ganhdi in this world, to remind us of idealism.
(By the way, I know other women find it very sexy when a man defends a woman’s honor — so please take note of this, female bloggers)
To be honest, I feel very similar to HDJ myself. But the last thing I want is for people like us actually making public policy. Since I hear stories from teacher-bloggers all the time, I thought I used a pretty good analogy before. A lot of teachers go into the field very idealistic, but they quickly learn that rules need to be established before there is chaos, like what happens when a substitute teacher comes in. Do we really want a large group of people in this world threatening to kill and blow things up because of a stupid CARTOON? I’m not sure you want to “cave in” to that.
TWM — Do you seriously not know what a shish-kabob is? You must be joking. And by the way, just for my own understanding, if I were categorizing you geographically, would I consider Tennessee as being in the same “South” as Georgia and Virginia? As for shish-kabob — here’s someplace to take the wife out to tonight:
Morroco Cafe
786 Echles St
Memphis, TN 38111
Here’s a review:
http://tinyurl.com/cax3e
Check out these “Jew-Loving” Muslim cartoons:
http://tinyurl.com/7wfls
and this:
http://tinyurl.com/8eh4s
or this:
http://www.jcpa.org/phas/phas-21.htm
Here’s where I’m always torn between traditional progressive and conservative values:
Progressives rightly want to “to understand the ‘anger’ of the masses.” There’s a lot of truth to that, but also a bit of condescension. Shouldn’t the ACLU be 100% behind the right of the Danish publisher? They’re always behind the right of Nazis to march through towns? Do we really expect less of the Arab world in terms of social responsibility because they are Muslim? It almost sounds insulting.
Conservative like to emphasize personal responsibility and equal “moral standards.” But we live in very different countries. And we are partly responsible for turning our eyes away from repressive regimes because of oil. Most of those crazy people in the street are being used by religious and political leaders to keep themselves in power. It is a distorted way of thinking that is involved, not a specific people. Look how different most Germans are 60 years after World War 2. But they had to be pushed into changing. And we should be pushing the Arab religious leaders into joining the 21st Century.
Until the Muslim world cleans up the cartoons that their newspapers publish they have no credibility.
This behavior is shameful. I don’t that all Muslims are bad or terrorists, but I also think that they have been way too quiet.
Nonviolent protests are legitimate, but threats of violence over a cartoon are nothing more than infantile actions that should be denounced.
Oh, all I know is it is meat and veggies on a stick? LOL But is a “real” one a special kind of meat with special seasoning? These things I need to know.
While we are all Southerners the people of the various states in the South can be almost as different as they are the same. Heck, the people in north Georgia or Atlanta are different from the ones in south Georgia. What I mean is I can’t really say if I am like the people in Georgia or Virginia. I am probably like some and unlike others.
Not sure I can explain it better than that.
TWM –
I just give up with categorizing anyone. It’s just too complicated.
By the way, TWM, I guess I should thank you for the tolerance you’ve shown me and your good humor, despite the fact that I’ve repeatedly made fun of JESUS — here and here and here and here and here.
Isn’t that what makes America great? Persecuted for a thousand years, Jews have finally found a home where they can make Jesus jokes and get Christians to put up with it.
Just don’t make any gefilte fish jokes, Christians. Hands off. That’s for Jews alone.
Tonight I’m eating some apple pie.
Tatyana — I’m not sure “hating” is a term I feel comfortable with, but I fear you are right.
Neil, “doesn’t advocate hatred of anybody” is exactly what pisses me off.
Hating someone who wants to eliminate your entire nation is not only rightful, it’s mandatory if you want to call yourself a moral person. If you don’t know whom to hate, you’re not even considered mentally sound in the court of law since you’re unable to differentiate between Right and Wrong.
I think the current situation reminds us of idealism (how it is the root and cause of it, to be specific) enough, w/o new Gandhi or Lennon surfacing in the near future. Toothless idealists (not in literal sense, I’m sure they use all achievements of Western dentistry to keep their molars in good repair) can go sit on the most fashionable Yoga rug of the moment and keep omming their aria of universal love until them, not someone unknown and his kid in Israel will be blown to pieces by peace-loving muslim.
Great post Neil. I really like what you have to say. Thanks for writing it.
Great post Neil. I’m delighted to see you dip a toe in political waters.
Thank you, Dr. Bean. But it was my left toe.
Wow, Neil, this whole post just proves one thing…not only are you Jewish and sexy, you’re smart too. (can you cook?)
I can make shish-kabobs.
I love Danish cookies…. but they are made in Indonesia.
Good post.
There’s one thing everyone can agree on. Those Danish make excellent cookies! And are danishes Danish?
No, they are not.
“Danish pastry is in its origin an Austrian (Viennese) bread type which was brought to Denmark by Danish backers who had worked in Vienna…”
http://www.schulstadusa.com/rdp/storyadp/index.php
you wish this didn’t have anything to do with israel…
“political organization posted anti-Jewish cartoons on its website in response to the cartoons of the prophet Mohammed that appeared in Danish papers last year and offended many Muslims.
The cartoons were posted on the Arab European League’s site on Saturday. It was not working Sunday morning because of exceeded bandwidth. (AP)”
israel shouldn’t be pulled into this but unfortunately we don’t live in a normal world.
and my comment pertained to the priorities of a morality-based moslem world.
they’re rioting over cartoons. perhaps they should worry about many other, more sizable problems before focusing on something of this size.
that’s my opinion and i’m sticking to it. ciao
What’s a gefilte fish? I know catfish, but I don’t know from gefilte fish.
I don’t mind when people make fun of Jesus or Christianity or Catholicism. Heck, sometimes they beg to be made fun of. It’s when they put baby Jesus in piss that I get annoyed. But the thing is, annoyed is all I get. I don’t break out the AK, make a bomb and start storming embassies.
Oh, and Neil, I appreciate your open-mindedness too, since I am pretty sure you don’t agree with my conservative views much of the time. Of course, if I understand correctly, I got Sophia on my conservative side – he he.
TWM — Once you go out for that Morrocan shish-kabob, the next week you can go to:
Nosh-A-Rye Kosher Deli
36 Bazeberry Rd
Cordova, TN 38018-7754
After that, you’ll be ready to personally solve all problems between Israel and the Arab countries.
Cruising, how strange: I’m Jewish, sexy and can cook (oh definitely can cook) – but nobody finds the combination unusual or rare…you’re first!
Neil, one of my LJournal friends, living in London, posted a roundup in her journal this morning – and she says (translation from Russian)
…”Kipling is a poet contemporary England is ashamed of. But nobody said it better” .
Here’s the link.
One of the commenters rightfully notes that only one person from Times’ interviewees, A.C. Grayling, has the stones to say it as it is:
“Free speech is the fundamental civil liberty. Without it none of the others is possible. I applaud the newspapers in Europe that have shown solidarity with Denmark’s Jyllands-Posten newspaper by reprinting the cartoons, and regard our own Foreign Secretary as pusillanimous in buckling to the artificially inflated hysteria of those who think that feeling offended gives them a licence to censor other people’s freedom to criticise and satirise whomever they wish.”
Neil, our kitchen is open to your culinary, cultural self.
You and my hubby can have a cook-off and a bake-off. And I have to tell you, he makes a mean shish-ka-bob, which has more of a Thai flavoring, mixed in with the Middle-Eastern spices.
And may the better man…clean up the kitchen after himself!
Shish-kabob in the urban kitchen is an abomination. After night of marinating the meat on skewers should be barbequed over hot coals (not flame!) in the outdoors, preferably in the a href=”wood clearing somewhere in the mountains, accompanied in the process by fresh air, lively conversation and lots and lots of red wine.
Speaking of Thai: Pearl, I was just getting my battery of ingredients ready for the piece of eye roast, poked with garlic, marinated in Thai Nong Khai Mountain Sauce and roasted with pomegpanate.
http://www.megarelax.ru/cooking/shashlik.html
My god. I am searching for something clever to say but am coming up short. It’s fucking awful, incredibly ridiculous, and a frightening (and fiery) symbol of a much larger problem. So I’m going to go with: awful, awful, awful.
I had something really pithy to say, but after reading all the comments, now I’m too hungry! (off to get a snack – maybe a Belgian waffle?) Great post. Thanks, Neil.
I dunno….Jewish star or not, that cheese doesn’t look kosher–mixing milk with worm meat is a no no!
PS: What’s more offensive: publishing political/satrical cartoons or claiming the Holocaust is a myth?
Neil! Shush! I’m watching the Super Bowl.
Spirit — You watch the Super Bowl in the UK? You’re more American than I am. I Tivo it and skip the game to watch the stupid beer commercials. So far, nothing too memorable.
Just say the burning of consulate in Beirut. This is just plain scary.
Scary? I thought you welcome danger, Neil; if things will develop in the similar scenarios here (and I don’t see many reasons why not) as in Europe, you’ll have your wish, the one you had when missed witnessing 9/11, come true.
As Avva said, the whole bruhaha is an example of characteristic upside-down logic: let’s say you’re a Muslim offended that your religion is associated with terrorists in some contry’s newspaper. What do you do to repel this accusation? You burn flags of offending country, you’re physically treatening citizens of said countries, you burn their embassies and you (Iran’s president), declared boycott on all products manufactured in those countries [which is in itself a very very good idea says I: they impose sunctions upon themselves w/o the UN battles!], you will treaten the enemy with death, terrorist acts and destruction until they back up and refuse to call your religion terrorist!
I keep repeating all day, after one of the commenters @Samizdata, Mr.Burn’s’ “Ex-cel-lent!”
It looks as if only a minority of those arrested in Beirut for attacking the Danish mission were actually Lebanese. Most of those arrested were Palestinians and Syrians. I strongly suspect that certain governments are encouraging the action. Demonstrations against Danes are safe for those governments!
I wish every newspaper in the free world (while that still means something) would publish those cartoons on the same day.
Me, too. And I agree about Syria. This way, it keeps the focus off their own corrupt government.
Hi Neil,
Am glad you didn’t publish the cartoon here. This is a situation we would have done without. I believe that your rights stop where somebody else’s start. Imagine what would the world have been like if we’d do whatever we wished in the name of freedom of this or freedom of that. I was pleasantly surprised the Vatican took a stand on this issue. Whatever anyone would say, Islam is a religion of Peace. Just read what the Quran says about other Prophets. We just are not permitted to represent ANY Prophet in any form whatsover. We belives that it leads to cult of the personality, ultimately Polytheism. This whole situation is tragic, more so, since it could have been avoided so easily.
Fitèna