Is it blasphemous to lampoon a prophet?

[Redemptionsong]

If you happen to live in a secular society, such as France, you may believe that secularism provides a framework for democracy where:
1. There is a separation of state and religion
2. There is freedom to practice one's faith (theist, agnostic or atheist), without harming others, and to change faith if one so wishes.
3. There is equal treatment of faiths and ideologies by the state, so long as a citizen acts within the law.

Does the lampooning and portrayal of Muhammad amount to blasphemy, and is this harmful to Islam/Muslims?

 

[Subduction Zone]

Members of Islam may think that it is blasphemy, but a person that does not accept Islam cannot see it that way. Blasphemy is a supposed sin against one's own version of god. If another person has a different version of god he could see that making fun of members of another religion might be insensitive, but by definition it cannot be blasphemy.

 

[Nakosis]

If you happen to live in a secular society, such as France, you may believe that secularism provides a framework for democracy where:
1. There is a separation of state and religion
2. There is freedom to practice one's faith (theist, agnostic or atheist), without harming others, and to change faith if one so wishes.
3. There is equal treatment of faiths and ideologies by the state, so long as a citizen acts within the law.

Does the lampooning and portrayal of Muhammad amount to blasphemy, and is this harmful to Islam/Muslims?

I think the lampooning of religious icons or anything we tend to put on a pedestal for that matter is good for the soul.

 

[Redemptionsong]

Muhammad was a prophet, according to Islam. A prophet is meant to be a messenger of God's word, and is, by his own admission, not perfect. Is it, therefore, right to describe criticism of Muhammad as blasphemy?

 

[Redemptionsong]

I think the lampooning of religious icons or anything we tend to put on a pedestal for that matter is good for the soul.

There are many Muslim souls that clearly disagree!

 

[rosends]

Even if it is blasphemy under the religious rules, if one is not living in a religious society run by those rules, the punishment for the behavior cannot be carried out. The government in France is not run as an Islamic functionary so those who happen to be Muslims cannot enforce their particular legal code on the rest of the people.

 

[Nakosis]

There are many Muslim souls that clearly disagree!

Troubled souls.

 

[David1967]

If you happen to live in a secular society, such as France, you may believe that secularism provides a framework for democracy where:
1. There is a separation of state and religion
2. There is freedom to practice one's faith (theist, agnostic or atheist), without harming others, and to change faith if one so wishes.
3. There is equal treatment of faiths and ideologies by the state, so long as a citizen acts within the law.

Does the lampooning and portrayal of Muhammad amount to blasphemy, and is this harmful to Islam/Muslims?

Insensitive? Possibly. Impolite? Yes. But in a secular country, by those who don't believe, it can't be considered blasphemy. I personally would not be that disrespectful to others of a different religion or lack of than me, but, again in a secular country...

 

[viole]

If you happen to live in a secular society, such as France, you may believe that secularism provides a framework for democracy where:
1. There is a separation of state and religion
2. There is freedom to practice one's faith (theist, agnostic or atheist), without harming others, and to change faith if one so wishes.
3. There is equal treatment of faiths and ideologies by the state, so long as a citizen acts within the law.

Does the lampooning and portrayal of Muhammad amount to blasphemy, and is this harmful to Islam/Muslims?

Who cares if their little superstitions have been ridiculed?
Secular states allow to make fun of any religion. And whoever does not accept that, should go back to the place they come from. For sure, they will not be missed. I am sure their doctor did not tell them to live here, at any cost.

If I had been Macron, I would broadcasted those cartoons on all channels, at prime time. Without any warning.

Ciao

- viole

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I don't care. They need to grow up. Shoot, my Gods are poked fun at in the myths and used as entertainment (obviously the Greeks didn't literally believe that the Queen of Olympus was a jealous harpy of a wife or that the King of the Gods was a philandering manwhore, as they were a very pious people). Go get a God with a sense of humor.

 

[Redemptionsong]

I'm not in favour of mocking what people feel is important. I do, however, have concern that by intimidating people with violence you are preventing free discussion on debatable issues. One such issue is whether or not a prophet is telling the truth. How are we to distinguish a true prophet from a false prophet if we are not able to compare and contrast?

 

[Redemptionsong]

If you really want to know how Westerners and the Muslim world can patch it up and carry on, just see how the Spaniards welcomed them in, and the two flourished together, and a so a beautiful thing came to be. To this day, the Muslims and the Spaniards live happily together, side by side.

I'm not sure which history books you've been reading, but the fact that southern Spain is no longer ruled by the Moors is because there was a bitter conflict with Catholic Christendom!

 

[stvdv]

Does the lampooning and portrayal of Muhammad amount to blasphemy, and is this harmful to Islam/Muslims?

IMO:
Islam teaches that Allah can not be defined in words nor be pictured. Hence Islam condemns idolatry. This in itself is a contradiction. If Allah can't be idolized, then why make such a fuss over idols. Making a fuss over idols, means you belief that there is some truth in the idol having something to do with Allah, which it has not, as per definition.

To kill people who idolize on the other hand is blasphemy, because Islam teaches "if you kill 1 human you kill humanity". Also all are creations of God, so you kill a creation of God, and for what? Just because he is ignorant in this moment. Any sane person can understand that this is not what God (who is said to be compassionate and loving) wants.

Kill others who idolize is just human interpretation of Islam; not humane interpretation.

Of course Muslims are free to believe what they want
BUT they are not free to impose their belief on others

Why are pictures of Muhammad forbidden?
For most Muslims it's an absolute prohibition - Muhammad, or any of the other prophets of Islam, should not be pictured in any way. Pictures - as well as statues - are thought to encourage the worship of idols. This is uncontroversial in many parts of the Islamic world.

@stvdvRF

 

[ChristineM]

If you happen to live in a secular society, such as France, you may believe that secularism provides a framework for democracy where:
1. There is a separation of state and religion
2. There is freedom to practice one's faith (theist, agnostic or atheist), without harming others, and to change faith if one so wishes.
3. There is equal treatment of faiths and ideologies by the state, so long as a citizen acts within the law.

Does the lampooning and portrayal of Muhammad amount to blasphemy, and is this harmful to Islam/Muslims?

No

Why should the religious beliefs of a distant religion change the fought for constitution of a secular country.

Those who promote terrorism and murder for their religious beliefs have no place in a secular country

 

[Valjean]

Are Muslims such snowflakes; so insecure in their beliefs, that any contrary viewpoint upsets them?
This is why the US' founding fathers wanted a wall of separation between the religious and the secular.

Blasphemy hurts nothing and no-one, unless one chooses to let it upset him.

 

[Nakosis]

Muhammad was a prophet, according to Islam. A prophet is meant to be a messenger of God's word, and is, by his own admission, not perfect. Is it, therefore, right to describe criticism of Muhammad as blasphemy?

Religious folks can do whatever they want, as long as it doesn't affect the rest of us. They can call it blasphemy and punish those that choose to accept the ruling of that religion as long as they are not breaking any civil laws.

They certainly shouldn't be physically attacking anyone who doesn't agree with their beliefs.

 

[epronovost]

I'm not sure which history books you've been reading, but the fact that southern Spain is no longer ruled by the Moors is because there was a bitter conflict with Catholic Christendom!

A 400 years long series of war followed by a century of Catholic Inquisition. Note that the Muslim arrived by the way conquest, destroying the Wisigoth Kingdom that was standing their.

 

[Redemptionsong]

Are Muslims such snowflakes; so insecure in their beliefs, that any contrary viewpoint upsets them?
This is why the US' founding fathers wanted a wall of separation between the religious and the secular.

Blasphemy hurts nothing and no-one, unless one chooses to let it upset him.

It may end up hurting the blasphemer! But that's God's judgment.

I do remember the film 'The Last Temptation of Christ' being rejected by my local cinema in 1988. It was deemed to be blasphemous. I always thought this a bit strange, since Jesus was unfairly mocked at the time of his crucifixion, but he forgave them.

 

[Redemptionsong]

A 400 years long series of war followed by a century of Catholic Inquisition. Note that the Muslim arrived by the way conquest, destroying the Wisigoth Kingdom that was standing their.

Thank you.

Wars, and rumours of wars!

 

[SigurdReginson]

Sticks and stones can break your bones, but names can never hurt you; unless you're a god. Can't really break the bones of gods, but you can damage their influence if you undermine them with a questioning mind.

Words or jokes shouldn't be a god's worst enemy. If they are, they are a weak god; full stop.