Jan. 16, 2006

BUT FIRST, THIS:

In Malaysia, an interesting dispute about religious conversion is making the news.

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I have zero talent drawing things. But I admire good, provocative political cartoonists such as Lee Judge, who draws for my newspaer, The Kansas City Star. (The cartoon shown here is by Thomas Nast, one of the pioneers in this field.)

Today I'll be brief so I can link you to a blog about the relationship between edgy political cartoons and religion. Daryl Cagle of msnbc.com runs the Politicalcartoons.com Newsletter, and his Jan. 7 blog entry (you may have to scroll down to find it) discussed the way in which some Muslims have reacted to cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad or other matters related to their faith.

I suppose blasphemy is in the eye of the beholder and I'm sure it's easy to offend people who believe the cartoonist is showing disrepect or even hatred of something or someone they consider sacred. But I also sometimes wonder whether people of faith aren't sometimes too sensitive about fair comment and criticism. I know that's true among some folks in my faith community, Protestant Christianity.

Anyway, take a look at what Cagle has to say and tell me where you think the line of taste should be drawn. And to help you think about it from a Muslim perspective, here's an Arab News piece about Muslim anger over cartoons published by a Norwegian magazine.

To read my latest Kansas City Star work, click here.

Comments

[Kansas Bob]

The Arab News article you reference ends with "Such incidents anger over 1.5 billion Muslims who want to live in peace and harmony the world over".
I hear similar words from people of others faiths - people want to live in peace and harmony but continue to speak words that are contrary to those sentiments. I found the very short Arab News article riddled with words like "resentment", "sinister campaign", "negative consequences", and "hatred in the Muslim world".
If we are ever to live in peace and harmony we must find a way to get past rhetoric and find a way to genuinely love and accept each other – one heart at a time. For me, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, raises the bar for peace and harmony in the world … treating others the way you want to be treated … turning the other cheek … going the extra mile. These concepts all go to motive and, apart from His help, I am helpless and hopeless to act in way that bring peace and harmony.

Peace and harmony – good words for the day we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.