When I first heard that a Danish media published caricatures of Prophet Mohammad (tag) last year, to be honest, being a Muslim myself, I was slightly irritated. Though it’s an act of free speech, the Danish media abused its rights. That was that and I didn’t expect it to balloon up unnecessarily. I didn’t expect it because I don’t think it’s rational for such issue to take a center stage in world politics. Apparently, I have overestimated the Muslim world’s sensibility. Muslim Malaysians on the contrary are acting coolly. Comparing Malaysians’ response against Arabs and Indonesians’ reaction on it, I can’t help but feel proud to be a Malaysian.
In my opinion, what’s happening in the Muslim world is a gross overreaction followed by impossible demand. The side at fault is the rightwing newspaper Jyllands-Posten, not the Danish government. Moreover, the Danish government has no right to censor the newspaper. Nobody should but that’s another matter altogether. Hence, the Danish government has no reason to apologize.
I’m not sure whether it’s simply a refusal to understand the concept of free press or a thick skull but a lot of people are choosing to ignore why the Danish government is refusing to take the blame. Libya’s act of closing its embassy in Denmark is one of the overreaction and also an example of failure to appreciate free press concept. Another one is consumer boycotts in the Arab world. These boycotts, instead of hurting the rightwing paper, are hurting real people that have nothing to do with the paper. This is plain wrong. It’s as stupid as Republicans’ action of boycotting French fries during the invasion of Iraq – that boycott would only hurt potatoes farmers in the United States instead of the French economy.
Malaysian Prime Minister has been discrete on the matter, criticizing the paper instead of the Danish government. Apart from 50 PAS supporters that protested in front of the Danish embassy in Kuala Lumpur yesterday – which obviously doesn’t represent the majority – Malaysians are being quite rational on the matter. I haven’t heard Malaysians storming the Danish embassy like what happened in Jakarta or anybody calling a boycott of Danish or any European products here in Malaysia yet.
The ability to discern between the government and a private entity is not lost on Malaysians, unlike Arabic countries and Indonesia. In fact, I think, Malaysia is the only Muslim-majority country that is not blaming the Danish government for a private entity’s doing. I might be wrong but it seems like so.
To all Muslims out there, seriously, be sensible. The first thing to do is to realize that it’s a rightwing paper that started this, not Denmark the country. Differentiate the two and then comprehend that the Danish government can’t censor that paper. Blaming and targeting the Danish government and its people for things that they didn’t do only complicates the matter at hand and bring about a much unneeded clash of culture.
So Denmark, I stand by thee. But definitely not by Jyllands-Posten.
I will not treat a country that believes in green energy unfairly. So, buy Danish!p/s – stupid, stupid. This is way beyond overreacting.
pp/s – despite all this, it doesn’t change the fact that there is hypocrisy involved. This comic aptly captures the hypocrisy.
Quoting Wikipedia: Cartoon from Jordanian newspaper Al Ghad. Counter-clockwise: “This one is anti-semitic”, “this one is racist”, “those fall under free speech”.
15 replies on “[725] Of Malaysia’s cool, other countries with Muslim majority aren’t”
to garywbush/fake mack/whoever you are:
for once, get a ball and use your own nick. Don’t pretend to be somebody else and then smears their name.
garywbush:
If MENJ and __earth have supported killing non-Muslims, why don’t you link us to some of their posts stating so? (Also, while freedom of speech gives people the right to say what they like, provided it is not defamation, that doesn’t make what they say right.)
Anyway, I like this article on the controversy.
06 February, 2006 09:23
johnleemk said…
Caricatures are typically considered to be forms of satire or parody.
Very true, John. Freedom of speech includes the right to blaspheme, insult and make fun of Islam, its founder Muhammad, as well as his 4 rightly-guided successors, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali.
I am a firm defender of Satanic Verses novel by Salman Rushdie.
On 05 February, 2006 18:05
rkt said…
johnleemk: have you seen those cartoons? how would anybody would even think to categorize that as satire/parody ?? it’s insulting.
Yes, I have seen those cartoons and I do not categorise them as insulting. These cartoons expose the fact Muhammad and his 4 rightly guided Caliphs (ie. Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali) were cold-blooded terrorists, not to forget racist Arab supremacists who stole 21 pieces of land out of the 22 so-called “Arab” States.
On 04 February, 2006 15:19,
rkt said…
I support press freedom, but it should have limits.
First, let us see how do you define what you mean by “limits” ?
Second, why have you not condemned PAS mouth organ Harakah that insulted the Bible as “a book of fairy tales” in response to criticism from some Muslims on publishing translations of Bible in Bahasa Melayu?
I suppose this is the usual Muslim hypocrisy.
On 04 February, 2006 15:19,
rkt said…
Press should be free to report FACTS but making stuff up to insult others is unacceptable.
It depends on you mean by “insult”. As you know sensitivity varies from person to person.
The bloggers, Menj and __earth both have insulted non-Muslims in many ways by supporting PAS wish to kill apostate Muslims.
If you do not condemn them, why should we respect Muslim sensitivity?
i’m proud of the way malaysian moslems are cool about this issue … someone sent me the cartoons in my e-mail and they are tasteless and insensitive … not funny at all … but flag burning etc. is definitely and extreme reaction …
you wrote very well about an extremely fraught issue
rkt:
Caricatures are typically considered to be forms of satire or parody.
johnleemk: have you seen those cartoons? how would anybody would even think to categorize that as satire/parody ?? it’s insulting.
_earth, god that you initiated this discussion.
Freedom of speech is not the falling under category of moral or ethical but the way how it’s used does.
Moral people do not insult or say unethical things, these cartoonist might be just stupid uniformed and ignorant or malicious or all in one. If anyone should offer an excuse they should do that.
They could be charged and brought in front of court for the slander in an private process or by any organization or group which felt offended. Each country here in Europe has such instruments as “discrimination monitors” it works reasonably efficiently much better than bringing things on the streets dividing our multi-cultural society on “us” and “them”.
I’m not looking forward living in the world of full of mistrust and antagonism.
Well, what can I say about this? I agree that the Danish newspaper is being a bit hypocritical, in a way which that comic showed perfectly. In Europe, anti-Semitism is a big no-no, and to a lesser extent, so is racism against people of African origin (since there are so many of them in France/UK now). However, Muslims sensitivities still aren’t that well-known among Westerners yet. So its very probable that those comic artists who drew those satires didn’t realise that Islam doesn’t allow the Prophet’s image to be depicted.
But on the other hand, one must also not succumb to a form of extreme political correctness. It must be understood that one can’t expect everyone in the world to adhere to a particular religion’s taboos and such. For example, since there are many Muslims in Europe right now, does this mean that Muslims have a right to ask for a ban on all pork foodstuff in schools? Or to ask that they be exempted from school uniform rules and be allowed to wear non-standard ones that cover more of their bodies? If so many concessions can be claimed by a minority group on the basis of religion, then when is this going to end?
A balance must be agreed upon to avoid imposing on others one’s beliefs, and this goes for both sides of the argument.
rkt:
That’s called slander, and it’s already illegal in almost every country — even that bastion of free speech, the United States. Satire/parody is typically covered by “free speech”, however.
Anyway, __earth, what do you make of crazy MENJ (as usual)?
Yes. Looking at the furour and destructions going on in Indonesia, Syria etc…. YES. I am proud of Malaysia eventhough I no longer carry a Malaysian passport. I think it shows maturity and many positive words I want to use, but too tired to find them. Perhaps I will write a different post later.
Perhaps we should also look at the background of these countries that have so many of their citizens on the streets. One could not but noticed these are some of the poorest of the poor countries in this world. Then perhaps we should ask why? I think there are lessons to be learned from what we see, not about the cartoon, but why Moslims of different parts of the world reacting to the samething differently?
I support press freedom, but it should have limits. Press should be free to report FACTS but making stuff up to insult others is unacceptable.
As Muslims we are required to respect all religions, be it people who are Christians, Jewish, Hindu e.tc.
So i�m really surprised at the pictures published in the newspaper, and also of their false nature. Maybe people should read about Prophet Muhummmad peace be upon him, and realise that he was a mercy to all mankind.
Attacking the prophet peace be upon him by drawing such pictures is attacking Muslims directly.
We dont draw pictures of other prophets like Abraham, Moses, Jesus, infact we respect them, and would never think to do such drawings.
nice post!