Denmark controversy

[AcrobatMan]

1) Will the cartoonist get killed just like Van Gogh



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/04/wcartoon04.xml

 

[Vincent Vega]

I don't think all the cartoonists will get killed. I even don't think one of them will get killed. But I won't lay my hands in fire for that, either.

On the one hand, caricatures about Jesus are very common and most Christians don't complain. Maybe Moslems should learn that we have a freedom of speech.
On the other hand, Christians don't allow to make pictures of God. If someone does, he will be blamed by many Christians. And when we respect that rule, we also have to respect when Moslems don't want pictures of Mohammed.

And the drawings, with the sabre or the bomb as a turban, they are really offending and full of prejudices. So I can understand that Moslems don't want those pictures since only a minority is fundamental and dangerous.

 

[DaveC]

On the other hand, Christians don't allow to make pictures of God.

 

[Vincent Vega]

OK, exceptions allowed. But I was told that we are not allowed to make up a picture of God. And many get very serious when pictures are made.

I'm not in church anymore, I don't believe at all, so I can do whatever I want

Don't worry, I won't do.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Actually I think that this article shows that even us atheists are not allowed to do whatever I want for fear of safety. Religious intollerence is growing and the only way it can be guaranteed is a firm reassertion of freedom of speech and expression and secular principles.

 

[financeguy]

Actually I think that this article shows that even us atheists are not allowed to do whatever I want for fear of safety. Religious intollerence is growing and the only way it can be guaranteed is a firm reassertion of freedom of speech and expression and secular principles.

Agreed.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Last sentence is the wrong way around, should read: the only way that freedom of speech can by guaranteed is by....

 

[verte76]

Geez, I'm going to have to sleep on this. I'm an artist who naturally opposes censorship. But, Islam does have a ban on images, particularly images of Mohammed. If I live anywhere as an artist I think I'll steer clear of images of Mohammed and stick to saints if I want to do a religious theme. I'm Catholic so that's what I'm familiar with.

 

[financeguy]

Martin Scorsese released the allegedly blasphemous 'The Last Temptation of Christ'. Some Christians were offended, but no one got murdered.

A conceptual artist produced the work 'Piss-Christ'. Some Christians were offended, but no one got murdered.

Catholic priests are regularly generalised as child abusers in the secular press (actually the rate of Catholic priests who are sexual offenders is little different from the overall population). Many Catholics are offended by such generalisations, but they don't kill anyone in response.


Now what I want to know is, why should Islam have some kind of special exemption?

 

[verte76]

Now what I want to know is, why should Islam have some kind of special exemption?

I think it might be helpful if we had a Muslim participant in this thread. They might be able to give us some more insight on the Muslim approach to imagery. I'm influenced quite a bit by Islamic art; I do mostly abstract stuff. In my case it's actually because I'm not worth a damn as a figure drawer and *have* to do abstract if I'm going to do art at all. I'm obviously not opposed to images. I have two projects that feature figures, female saints to be precise. But I mostly do abstracts, and I'm fortunate enough to be in a studio where abstracts go over well with the teachers and the public that comes to our shows. I'm pretty sure I'll have a good show in December. I think I'm getting over the attack of nerves I sometimes get the day of a show.