A muslim comics writer speaks out on Draw Muhammad Day
Excellent response by writer (and personal friend) G. Willow Wilson about the controversy over Draw Muhammad Day and the death threat against the cartoonist who started it all.
Excellent response by writer (and personal friend) G. Willow Wilson about the controversy over Draw Muhammad Day and the death threat against the cartoonist who started it all.
3 comments
3 | maryatexitzero Fri, Jul 16, 2010 1:20:27pm |
In these situations I have to agree with Joss Whedon’s wisdom, when Firefly’s Mal said: “Someone ever tries to kill you, you try to kill ‘em right back! ” The only reasonable response to this kind of death threat is to use our significant defense forces and drones turn the issuer of the threat into something resembling bat guano. Fortunately, I think Obama ordered al-Awlaki’s assassination months ago.
In general, these cartoon wars are not making anyone look good. Muslims look bad because it is so easy for warmongering idiots to manipulate alarmingly large masses of Muslims into a state of outrage (an outrage that didn’t exist until their leaders told them it should exist).
The cartoonists and their publishers look bad too. I agree with Voltaire’s dictum that “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” but if the media types are going to be brave up until the time the death threat is issued, then run, hide and whine about how sorry they are post-threat, why should anyone else stand up for them?
Provoking a fight with a bully, then running and hiding while crying “see, he’s such a bully” is not bravery, it’s a waste of everyone’s time. We already knew he was a bully. Why stir things up to make a point that’s already been made?
If the objective is to criticize the extremists, then criticize the extremists, not 1 billion people who would probably rather not be involved. Make a doll of al-Awlaki and put a pink ballet tutu on it. Lots of people were making offensive and wonderfully amusing parodies of Osama bin Laden & crew and most of the world (including Muslims) thought they were funny. The majority of Muslims hate terrorists as much as we do. That’s a point that isn’t made as often as it should be.