... "Paragraph 2 could go in any direction at this point. It could situate the killings in the context of the ongoing murderous rampages in the Middle East. It could say the “why” is because Islam is a bunch of thugs bent on the destruction of Western civilization.
"But this is not in fact what the remainder of paragraph 2 says. It says that “the French satirical magazine … has a controversial history of depicting Mohammed often in an unfavorable light, which has angered many Muslims around the world.”
Oh dear, what an awkward situation. CNN has ferreted out the enemy—and the enemy is us!
...
"The CNN article goes on for many paragraphs, most of them a remedial education in the religious scruples of Islam, the better to help you and me not be so darned offensive in the future. That way we will not bring more trouble on ourselves."
Political Satire and Censorship in the Middle East
 |
| Skeptikai
... "Indeed, the threats towards satirists is never greater than in the Middle East. In 1993, two Indian editors were given two years in prison and 500 lashes for printing the American comic strip “B.C.” in the Arab News. The rationale was that they were questioning the existence of God, which demanded harsh punishment. Luckily, intense international pressure ended in a pardon for the editors, but this case exemplifies the level of risk Arabs are dealing with when they print satire." ...
Related: Top 10 Stand-up Comedians Who Joke About Muslims/Islam (With Videos!)  |
No comments:
Post a Comment