# "Everybody draw Mohammed" on May 20 to support South Park **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 25, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307 "2010-04-25T16:39:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/61 "2010-04-25T20:43:44Z")
> [@Valteron](#): > > First of all, Diogenes, what has the kid’s colour got to do with it? In this case, it serves to defuse the xenophibic hysteria I see in your posts. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/62 "2010-04-25T20:45:31Z")
> [@emacknight](#): > > What if on May 20th we collectively respected their wishes. Obviously we’re not going to get US soldiers off Muslim land, or alter our support for Israel. But couldn’t we just behave like decent human beings on ONE day a year? The Christians already have dibs on that one 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Walmarticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Walmarticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walmarticus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/63 "2010-04-25T20:45:55Z")
> [@emacknight](#): > > What if we made May 20th International Day of Not Being an Asshole. > > Right now it’s being advertised as exactly the opposite. > > A little over 1/6th of the population would rather you (not you specifically) didn’t depict images of the prophet Mohamed, PBUH. > > What if on May 20th we collectively respected their wishes. Obviously we’re not going to get US soldiers off Muslim land, or alter our support for Israel. But couldn’t we just behave like decent human beings on ONE day a year? Because freedom to say things that are unimportant and totally insignificant is just as important and significant as the freedom to say things that are important and significant. This South Park episode was tantamount to the Alien and Sedition acts. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/64 "2010-04-25T20:47:17Z")
> [@Revenant\_Threshold](#): > > As I understand it, and I may be quite wrong, pictures of Islamic religious figures are inherently a problem, not just when lampooned or done mockingly. For a true comparison of values, it isn’t enough to simply draw Jesus, Krishna, et al, because most extreme or orthodox Christians, Hindus, atheists and so on don’t really have too much of a problem with that either. But _nobody_ should have a problem with these kinds of depictions. The real issue here is that the hypersensitivity of Muslims has created a double-standard. > [@](#): > > Anyway, it seems entirely moronic to support via insult. But how is it an insult to simply depict Mohammed as a member of a group that also includes Jesus, et al? If anything, it’s an insult to the rest of us to accuse us of a serious crime over something so completely harmless. Make that a meta-insult. What I want to know is, have any Muslims seen the South Park episode(s) in question? It’s sophisticated satire. A large crowd of famous people–including religious figures–are dealing with relentless insulting portrayals. Meanwhile great lengths are gone to to hide Mohammed–uniquely–from any portrayal whatsoever. And in the end\*, it turns out the the person being hidden wasn’t Mohammed but rather… Santa Claus So can Muslims address the real issue being brought up here, which is their unique level of hypersensitivity? - I haven’t seen part 2, but my predicta-joke app is telling me that… Jesus will call Santa “fat-ass” and Santa will call Jesus a “fuckin’ Jew” ---
**Author:** ![Valteron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f17d59/32.png) [@Valteron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valteron)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/65 "2010-04-25T20:53:19Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > In this case, it serves to defuse the xenophibic hysteria I see in your posts. What you see in my posts and what is there may be two different things. It makes no difference to me if the Islamofascist making the threat is white, black or polka-dot. Islam is not a race. I have met blonde, blue-eyed Muslims and others so black they are blue. In point of fact I think the GROWN MAN (20 years old and married) who did this is actually of Jewish origin, and is a convert to Islam. But that does not make any differnce to me. It is the threat to freedom that concerns me. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/66 "2010-04-25T20:54:56Z")
“Muslims” aren’t complaining about the epsidode. Comedy Central did the censoring, not Muslims. People are expressing outrage about a non-existent Muslim reaction. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/67 "2010-04-25T20:57:22Z")
> [@Valteron](#): > > What you see in my posts and what is there may be two different things. It makes no difference to me if the Islamofascist making the threat is white, black or polka-dot. Islam is not a race. I have met blonde, blue-eyed Muslims and others so black they are blue. In point of fact I think the GROWN MAN (20 years old and married) who did this is actually of Jewish origin, and is a convert to Islam. But that does not make any differnce to me. It is the threat to freedom that concerns me. How is your freedom being threatened? Does Comedy Central not have its own First Amendment right to decide what it does or does not want to air? Is the government telling you you aren’t allowed to insult Muslims? What freedom do you believe Comedy Central has taken away from you? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/68 "2010-04-25T21:01:56Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > “Muslims” didn’t do anything. One loser white kid wrote an email. You’re not under siege. I imagine that Theo van Gogh would disagree if he were alive. One person causing fear on the back of past threats (that resulted in murder and death from riots) is all the more reason to respond with peaceful protest. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/69 "2010-04-25T21:02:11Z")
> [@Valteron](#): > > You have confused and mixed up so many issues here that it would take a year to pull it aall apart and make sense of it, but let me try on a couple of your ideas. Uh, sure. I’ve already expressed how much sense I think this protest makes. But allow me to respond: > [@](#): > > \*“We don’t _need_ to depict the prophet Mohamed, PBUH.” \* No, of course not. But what I need and what I will literally give up over my dead body is the freedom to depict him, mock him, or praise him, or any other religious leader or religious idea. So express your freedom by being respectful. Show that you are free to NOT follow a herd of sheep. > [@](#): > > _“How about instead of expressing our freedom of speech by acting like assholes, we instead show are responsibility by respecting those of different beliefs.”_ > > If all of us show respect to Mohammed and Islam by never mocking them, what message will we have sent It will send the message that we hold ourselves to a higher standard. That we are not thugs or bullies. That we can turn the other cheek, instead of an eye for an eye. I ask that you think long and hard about what message you actually think you’re going to send. I consider us very lucky to have the freedom to depict the prophet Mohamed, PBUH. And we are equally lucky that we have the freedom to NOT depict him. You are free to choose, and I’ll do nothing to stop you. Except to ridicule your believes in the hopes that you’ll think for yourself. > [@](#): > > to the people who threaten to (or do) murder cartoonists or film makers like Theo van Gogh? Obviously, that under the threat of violence, we will throw our freedom of expression out the window. Nice going, man! That’s one way of looking at it. Another is to mock and ridicule the threat of violence. IMHO this protest is simply giving the finger to the peaceful Muslims. You can choose to respect Muslim beliefs because of threat of violence, or you can choose to respect Muslim beliefs because it’s the right thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/70 "2010-04-25T21:08:20Z")
> [@emacknight](#): > > I consider us very lucky to have the freedom to depict the prophet Mohamed, PBUH. And we are equally lucky that we have the freedom to NOT depict him. Except that “we” don’t, in practical terms. Anyway, fuck Mohammed. I’m not going out of my way not to offend some dead person. Also, what’s PBUH? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/71 "2010-04-25T21:08:37Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > How is your freedom being threatened? Does Comedy Central not have its own First Amendment right to decide what it does or does not want to air? > > Is the government telling you you aren’t allowed to insult Muslims? What freedom do you believe Comedy Central has taken away from you? the freedom of speech that censorship brings. They have altered the work of someone against their wishes. When they take that freedom away from the creators of South Park it diminishes us all. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/72 "2010-04-25T21:09:43Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > Except that “we” don’t. > > Also, what’s PBUH? “Peace be upon him” which is often added after saying the name of a prophet (by Muslims). ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/73 "2010-04-25T21:12:49Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > “Peace be upon him” which is often added after saying the name of a prophet (by Muslims). Oh right. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/74 "2010-04-25T21:14:53Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > But how is it an insult to simply depict Mohammed as a member of a group that also includes Jesus, et al? If anything, it’s an insult to the rest of us to accuse us of a serious crime over something so completely harmless. Make that a meta-insult. Because that depiction has been designated as an insult. Why is it that sticking up the middle finger is an insult? If I do that on tv it will be censored. If I do it to another motorist I’ll get shot at or run off the road. Why are imagines of a woman’s breasts, vagina, or a man’s penis censored on tv? South Park has been around since 1997, censored the entire time, and they already made fun of this issue over a year ago. Now people care? > [@](#): > > - I haven’t seen part 2, but my predicta-joke app is telling me that… > > Jesus will call Santa “fat-ass” and Santa will call Jesus a “fuckin’ Jew” The ending is comedic gold. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/75 "2010-04-25T21:17:19Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > Except that “we” don’t, in practical terms. Anyway, fuck Mohammed. I’m not going out of my way not to offend some dead person. > > Also, what’s PBUH? How about not going out of your way to offend 1.4 billion living people? Is being respectful so hard? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/76 "2010-04-25T21:24:31Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I imagine that Theo van Gogh would disagree if he were alive. One person causing fear on the back of past threats (that resulted in murder and death from riots) is all the more reason to respond with peaceful protest. What are you protesting? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/77 "2010-04-25T21:27:19Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > the freedom of speech that censorship brings. They have altered the work of someone against their wishes. When they take that freedom away from the creators of South Park it diminishes us all. The right to free speech only refers to what the government can do. Comedy Central is not the government. There is no Constitutional right for Parker and Stone to have their material aired by a privately owned cable network. ---
**Author:** ![Valteron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f17d59/32.png) [@Valteron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valteron)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/78 "2010-04-25T21:28:17Z")
> [@emacknight](#): > > How about not going out of your way to offend 1.4 billion living people? Is being respectful so hard? How about 1.4 billion people realizing that what is sacred to them does not have to be sacred to someone else? How about those people realizing that freedom of expression is a right that we do not surrender? Being respectful is VERY easy. But you know full well that this is NOT about being respectful. It is about defending our right to free expression against a religious ideology that believes that our western freedoms take second place to their ideology, even in our own western democracies. Pretending that this is about being respectful is a cowardly response. From Salmon Rushdie to the Danish cartoons to Theo van Gogh to this incident with South Park, Islam is claiming its right to impose its viewpoint throughout the world. This is about the Muslim claim that the “sacredness” of Mohammed and Islam trumps our western values of freedom. And I will NOT surrender on that point. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/79 "2010-04-25T21:35:55Z")
> [@Valteron](#): > > How about 1.4 billion people realizing that what is sacred to them does not have to be sacred to someone else? How about those people realizing that freedom of expression is a right that we do not surrender? > > Being respectful is VERY easy. But you know full well that this is NOT about being respectful. > > It is about defending our right to free expression against a religious ideology that believes that our western freedoms take second place to their ideology, even in our own western democracies. > > Pretending that this is about being respectful is a cowardly response. From Salmon Rushdie to the Danish cartoons to Theo van Gogh to this incident with South Park, Islam is claiming its right to impose its viewpoint throughout the world. > > This is about the Muslim claim that the “sacredness” of Mohammed and Islam trumps our western values of freedom. And I will NOT surrender on that point. There is no “incident” with the South Park episode. Comedy Central censored it. 1.4 billion Muslims had nothing to do with it, nor are you being forced to “surrender” anthing. Your right to free expression is still completely intact. You are not being infringed because Comedy Central chose to censor a South park eposde. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307/80 "2010-04-25T21:40:41Z")
> [@emacknight](#): > > What if we made May 20th International Day of Not Being an Asshole. Right now it’s being advertised as exactly the opposite. It’s advertised as a protest against the tyranny of violence that has in recent years projected itself in fatal riots and murder. This is what people in a free society view as being an asshole. > [@emacknight](#): > > What if on May 20th we collectively respected their wishes. Obviously we’re not going to get US soldiers off Muslim land, or alter our support for Israel. But couldn’t we just behave like decent human beings on ONE day a year? Muslim land? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-draw-mohammed-on-may-20-to-support-south-park/537307.md?page=5)