Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Wrong Stupid Move By Charlie Hebdo

A week after a deadly attack that killed 12 people, French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has now published a new edition with a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad on its cover.

The cartoon shows the Prophet weeping while holding a sign saying "Je suis Charlie" ("I am Charlie") and has already generated threats from militant Islamist websites and criticism from the Islamic world. It is believed that earlier cartoons of the Prophet prompted the attack on the office of the magazine.

So the question has to be asked, “Why the hell are these guys doing it again? A cartoon like this is provoking Muslims as no depiction of the Prophet is allowed.”

Well, the answer to that question is simple. Charlie Hebdo pride itself on being provocative. The cartoons, especially the past cartoons, are insulting because they were meant to be so. Now before you argued against that, remind yourself that staff from Charlie Hebdo agreed with my assessment. In the editorial of the latest issue, the magazine say they want no more insinuations that they brought trouble on itself by provoking Muslims. 

Note the fact that they do not deny they are provoking Muslims; only that they are asking for the trouble that comes with the provocation.

Charlie Hebdo don’t argue that the cartoons were meant to be mocking Muslim and Arab culture; they are arguing that they are allowed to do this because 1) they can do so under free speech and 2) the magazine is equally insulting to other cultures and religions like the Jews and Christianity.

Now I'm sorry 12 people died over something like cartoons but is insulting someone okay as long as you are equally insulting to everyone? Some people may disagree with my views but I say “NO”. Just because you are equally insulting to other people does not mean I will accept it if you insults me. 

So I say putting the Prophet Muhammad on its cover now is a pretty stupid move on the part of Charlie Hebdo. Killing 12 people over cartoons may be crazy but so is putting the Prophet Muhammad on a magazine cover when you know what had happened the last time you did it.

Knowing what had happened the last time they did this, the magazine is now intentionally doing it again. Tell me that's not provocation. A lot of people will disagree but to me, the move by Charlie Hebdo is not just wrong, it is also just plain stupid. 

9 comments:

Ghost said...

The new cover is tame compared to their past cartoons. I think a lot of people who are suddenly "Charlie Hebdo" never seen the cartoons in question. If they did, they would probaly understand why Muslims are angry with the magazine.

Gary said...

I totally agree with you.

Are these French cartoonists mentally and intellectually challenged?

It is stretching it a bit to maintain that free speech is your licence to do stupid things. I am not saying the killers and their organization are right, but why are these cartoonists so stupid and pig headed?

2cents said...

It's a shame that Blogger has focused only on the caricature. Not that it's wrong but it is incomplete.

The front page, fr pictures I have seen, include 'TOUT EST PARDONNE' (ALL IS FORGIVEN in French).

Mind you, that's in caps and at the top of the cover, not a side statement that the publisher wants to put across to the audience.

If Charlie Hebdo is able to say to the world, not least to the Muslims, 'ALL IS FORGIVEN' after their colleagues, friends and loved ones were killed, how is that 'wrong' and 'stupid' a message to send?

This is the beauty and the truth behind the apparent but superficial view of the latest cover.

Ghost said...

If they just put "ALL IS FORGIVEN" on the front cover, then no one will have any problem with them. I, for one, have no interest and takes no joy in criticizing a magazine who had just suffered a terror attack, but they did put a cartoon of Mohd on the cover.
That's a total no-no to Muslims everywhere and they know it! Yet they did it anyway. They did the exact same thing that provoked the terror attack in the first place.
Let me put it in another way; how would you feel if I say I forgive you after taking a punch from you and then with my next breath I insult you again? Tell me that's not stupid.

Anonymous said...

Islam prohibits depiction of Muhammad to prevent believers to idolize him. But there are many Muslim new born babies who are named Muhammad. What a contradiction it is!

Ghost said...

Does that mean we should not respect other people’s religion because we do not follow that religion? Does that so as long as they are not Buddhists, any magazine can draw and publish the Buddha eating meat? Hell no!

Anonymous said...

I think one should not insult a religion but making comment or humor or satire on religions should be acceptable.

Anonymous said...

God is great!
Muslim demonstrators create havoc!

Ghost said...

There's nothing humorous or acceptable about drawing a cartoon of the Prophet bend off with his ass high in the air. Yes, this was one of the cartoons by Charlie Hebdo that caused so much offence.