Opinions on a cartoon (No, not THAT cartoon!)

[c0da]

What do y'all think of this?

Offensive?
Accurate?
Funny?
Distasteful?

I think the bottom left one may be a bit off target, especially with the IPod used to represent the 'Modern World'. The other pictures themselves are also unfair and are stereotyping all Muslims as turban wearing Mujaheedin, but to be honest, the captions don't seem to far off, at least that's what it seems like to me.

I know there are individual Muslims who are incredibly angry at the actions of a minority of their fellow Muslims, and I'm sure I'd get an ear-full off RF's Muslim members if I suggested otherwise, but in this thread, I am talking about the Muslim community as a group, in particular the British Muslim community (even though the cartoon itself is from an American guy, I think).

 

[Simon Gnosis]

What do y'all think of this?

Offensive?
Accurate?
Funny?
Distasteful?

I think the bottom left one may be a bit off target, especially with the IPod used to represent the 'Modern World'. The other pictures themselves are also unfair and are stereotyping all Muslims as turban wearing Mujaheedin, but to be honest, the captions don't seem to far off, at least that's what it seems like to me.

I know there are individual Muslims who are incredibly angry at the actions of a minority of their fellow Muslims, and I'm sure I'd get an ear-full off RF's Muslim members if I suggested otherwise, but in this thread, I am talking about the Muslim community as a group, in particular the British Muslim community (even though the cartoon itself is from an American guy, I think).

Racist.

These cartoons don't help.

Are all muslims sword wielding psychopaths?
That's what this cartoon implies, lampooning all muslims as you say as bearded turban clad mujahedeen fighters.

The Pope was indelicate and said something dumb.
ipods are a luxury only the west can afford, symbolic of the gap in wealth perhaps.
Those cartoons were offensive, if I was a muslim I would have been offended by the danish cartoons (and the above one).

It isn't clever and it isn't funny.

 

[Djamila]

Hehehe - I think it's humorous in terms of the view it's trying to depict. I do disagree with that view, however.

The vast majority of Muslims have absolutely nothing to do with terrorism. A woman in Bosnia is not going to march in the streets against car bombings in Iraq any more than a woman in Croatia is going to do. She'll calmly speak out against it at every turn, in a manner as disconnected from that part of the world as she is, and that's it.

But when Islam is insulted, that's not abstract or on the other side of the world - that's against her as well, so her response will be more angry and more personal.

 

[BFD_Zayl]

well, while the message is untrue, the pictures are still funny....i know many muslims and they are all nice people, we should not blame an entire group on the actions of a few.

 

[ayani]

i know it's a caricaturte. and though it may have nothing to do with reality, the image of an "enraged muslim" getting all furious at an i-pod made me smile.

also... what the heck is he doing in the last panel? poking a shampoo bottle?

 

[ayani]

oh, i see. he's taking alka-seltzer tablets.

 

[Sunstone]

The cartoons are well drawn and funny, but I don't think they are all that accurate. From what I'm reading on Muslim blogs, Muslims are increasingly and decisively turning against terrorism. Of course, it will take a year or two for that fact to be noted by the alert and astute reporters of the major networks....

You know, judging public sentiment can be a tricky thing. If you go just by how many large scale protests against something there are, you can be deluded into thinking the public is not actually against something. For instance, when was the last time you heard of a large scale protest against the KKK in the US? But the overwhelming majority of Americans are against the KKK. In much the same way, Muslim opinion might be turning against terrorism, but that doesn't mean you're going to see large scale protests against terrorism.

 

[c0da]

Racist.

How is a cartoon criticising Islam's response to terrorism racist?

These cartoons don't help.

IYou're probably right.

Are all muslims sword wielding psychopaths?
That's what this cartoon implies, lampooning all muslims as you say as bearded turban clad mujahedeen fighters.

I agree. Although I think the cartoonist used stereotyped extremes to get his point across more forcefully.

The Pope was indelicate and said something dumb.

Given the context the quote was used in, I disagree, but theres already a few threads open if you want to debate that.

 

[Flappycat]

When I open a newspaper, this cartoon is what I see. If Muslims don't want me to see this, they should show themselves. The cartoonist knows that this depiction is inaccurate and realizes that it is silly. This is why it was published as a cartoon. If he didn't think that it was silly and stereotypical, he wouldn't have published it as a cartoon. Look up the definition of "caricature."

 

[c0da]

The vast majority of Muslims have absolutely nothing to do with terrorism. A woman in Bosnia is not going to march in the streets against car bombings in Iraq any more than a woman in Croatia is going to do. She'll calmly speak out against it at every turn, in a manner as disconnected from that part of the world as she is, and that's it.

But when Islam is insulted, that's not abstract or on the other side of the world - that's against her as well, so her response will be more angry and more personal.

You're right, and I'm not expecting mass marches against car bombings etc. from Muslims, but loud, clear and forceful attempts by prominent Muslim leaders to distance themselves and their community from such atrocities is something that is not being heard here in Britain.

 

[Djamila]

Well, in Britain I'm not susprised. The vocal part of the community there is quite radical as far as I can tell. It's like that in a few Western European cities. They wouldn't get away with it in the East, the general population is too religious - whether Muslim or Christian - to tolerate politicizing things like that.

 

[Simon Gnosis]

How is a cartoon criticising Islam's response to terrorism racist?

Islam's response?
Its a blatant generalisation, its a negative caricuture of an entire 'class' of pople.
It is portraying all Muslims as fanatics that have anger management issues, more than a little unfair and tantamount to racism.

You can't go around insulting people an expect them to laugh it off..especially with the current delicate situation with Iraq and Afghanistan..it just isnt' appropriate.

 

[c0da]

Its a blatant generalisation, its a negative caricuture of an entire 'class' of people.
It is portraying all Muslims as fanatics that have anger management issues, more than a little unfair and tantamount to racism.

It is using extreme stereotypes to get across it's point. I'm sure the cartoonist doesn't think that of all Muslims.

You can look at it from any angle you want but it isn't racism. Islam is not a race. You get arab Muslims, black Muslims, white Muslims, persian Muslims.

 

[Simon Gnosis]

It is using extreme stereotypes to get across it's point. I'm sure the cartoonist doesn't think that of all Muslims.

You can look at it from any angle you want but it isn't racism. Islam is not a race. You get arab Muslims, black Muslims, white Muslims, persian Muslims.

Who cares what the cartoonist thinks?

Race and religion are often closely related, most christians are white, most muslims are arabic or semite, most Jews are well Jews, most Hindu's are Indians etc....so race is involved to a degree.

 

[spacemonkey]

I have no problem with the cartoon, its just one guys opinion. Its not like every other religion/ethnicity/nationality doesn't have its own stereotypes/misconceptions about people that are not themselves. If you are offended by the cartoon, you have a right as a consumer to NOT purchase the publication that ran it.

 

[nutshell]

Well, in Britain I'm not susprised. The vocal part of the community there is quite radical as far as I can tell. It's like that in a few Western European cities. They wouldn't get away with it in the East, the general population is too religious - whether Muslim or Christian - to tolerate politicizing things like that.

Rather than trying to attack British media, why don't you provide us with a link to Muslim leaders speaking out against Muslim terrorism and threats of violence. That will make your argument much more convincing.

 

[Simon Gnosis]

I have no problem with the cartoon, its just one guys opinion. Its not like every other religion/ethnicity/nationality doesn't have its own stereotypes/misconceptions about people that are not themselves. If you are offended by the cartoon, you have a right as a consumer to NOT purchase the publication that ran it.

What are you talking about?

Would it be acceptable then to publish cartoons of Klu Klux Klan hanging Black people?
I mean by your logic, if I don't buy it I can't be offended by it?

Absurd..

 

[Flappycat]

Absurd..

Now you're getting it. Absurdity was the entire point. What a cartoon is not intended to do is accurately represent its target. For example, Djamila let on that a Muslim woman is apt to take stronger personal offense over the Pope's comments on Islam than over car bombings elsewhere in the world; the cartoon says exactly this, and part of the point of it is to ask the Muslim community why they react to things as they do by showing them an obviously silly caricature. Politicians in the West have long held political cartoons valuable as a means of gaining feedback as to how their comments and actions are apt to be perceived or misperceived by the voting population. They come with the disclaimer that they're not meant to be polite or politically correct.

 

[Simon Gnosis]

Politicians in the West have long held political cartoons valuable as a means of gaining feedback as to how their comments and actions are apt to be perceived or misperceived by the voting population. They come with the disclaimer that they're not meant to be polite or politically correct.

Perhaps...but this is different...this is not just about political ideology.
This involves more than the petty squabblings of political parties.

 

[Valjean]

The cartoon stereotypes Muslims and the cartoonist was no doubt well aware that many would find it offensive and insulting, but I think he illustrates a growing sentiment among westerners.
[SIZE=+0][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0]When a prominent public speaker or cartoonist characterizes Muslims as violent or bellicose, the next day we begin reading stories of violent Muslim protests, church burnings and attacks on western civilians. The Irony of such a response cannot be missed, and only confirms the negative impression more and more westerners are forming of Muslims. The fact that the violence is mostly carried out by a radical fringe or that these self-defeating acts are condemned by by Muslim leaders does not so often make the headlines.[/SIZE]