The freedom of speech is actually alive and well in the mainstream media, as long as you’re slamming Christianity in some way — look at the media adoration of Reza Aslan. But if you mock Muhammad, suddenly the mainstream media dons a hijab and goes silent.
“CNN Policy: Charlie Hebdo Muhammad Cartoons Forbidden, ‘Piss Christ’ Okay,” by John Nolte, Breitbart, January 7, 2015 (thanks to David):
Politico has obtained an email from CNN senior editorial director Richard Griffiths that tells staffers that the Charlie Hebdo Muhammad cartoons are not to be shown on any CNN platform. “Although we are not at this time showing the Charlie Hebdo cartoons of the Prophet considered offensive by many Muslims,” Griffith writes, “platforms are encouraged to verbally describe the cartoons in detail.”
What can be found big as life at CNN’s website are numerous photos of “Piss Christ.”…
Mahmoud says
Where has Reza Aslan slammed Christianity?
Angemon says
Mahmoud posted:
“Where has Reza Aslan slammed Christianity?”
You don’t need to look any further than his book Jihadi Jesus. I mean, Zealot.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
Who gives a rat’s ass about Resa Aslan? His mealy-mouth apologia fills air time for networks anxious to present Moslems on screen while avoiding the question of what Islam really is. Having Aslan on camera spewing incoherent nonsense for ten minutes is better than having ten minutes of dead air time, which might provoke suspicion among otherwise complacent Infidel viewers.
Barry K says
Mahmoud,
I do have respect for Reza especially in his standing up against muslim extremists in Malaysia that have of late become very discriminatory against Christians and non Muslims. I also remember Reza telling them to be more concerned about violence done in the name of Islam and bringing shame to the religion. Of course, this was not reported here and even if reported will still rubbished by commentators. Reza might have made negative comments about Christianity in defense of his version of Islam but I don’t quite recall him making crude vulgar comments like the notorious late Ahmed Deedat of South Africa.
In the ideological name of freedom of expression, everyone has the right to say anything but in the name of humanity and moral responsibility we can be forthright in our views but still remain somewhat bold and yet descent. Such is the stern and loving tone of my Holy Saviour Jesus Christ in His righteousness. But Mahmoud, even if some still prefer to deliberately insult and infuriate your Prophet or religion, you may protest but to react with guns and bombs only prove they are right in what they say. Here, take a lesson from Christians who have not been spared of insults thrown on Christ a hundred times far worst than that depicted in the cartoon on your prophet, insults by both Muslims and western anti Christ alike. Do you see mobs rioting or shooting? Peaceful protest yes, violence no. The notorious late Ahmad Deedat insulted Christ in vulgar fashion, did you hear news about mosques being burnt by Christians. We feel hurt, but we even feel more sorry for the blasphemer who will tremble in fear in the day of judgement. Our God is big enough and do not require us to physically and violently defend His name. He even expect us to love and pray for that sinner to repent before his day is due. Think about it.
Syeda Nureen says
Dear Barry,
I salute your dignity with utmost respect. No Muslim can’t even come close to your noble thoughts. Blessings to you. By the way I’m an exMuslimah, so I know Muslims better than non Muslims.
Neil Jennison says
A point I made on an earlier thread.
somehistory says
Because they don’t believe in Christ, don’t respect Him or his followers, don’t fear His followers will blow them up or slit their throat for publishing whatever filth mocking Jesus they choose to…
Because of their lack of faith and respect, they don’t realize that Jesus Christ and His Father, know full well what is being done. Christians leave judgment of their actions to God and Christ.
St. Croix says
Christians don’t need to defend the God of the universe! Though anyone can say whatever abhorrent things they desire, it is not the job of the Christian to make them pay any price. It’s left up to God to ultimately sort out, that is the the basic “doctrine” on it. Jesus said to Peter, “put away your sword” when he tried to defend him from arrest in the garden. Difficult to fathom often, even for Christians, this trust in the ultimate justice. Islamists, on the other hand, have to try and defend and fight for useless “allah.”
somehistory says
Exactly the point I was making. They feel free to say whatever they wish, to publish *art* that they hope will denigrate Christ, etc. It brings to mind what the pharaoh was told when he kept taunting God. who said through Moses, “For this I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you my power and to have my Name declared in all the earth (Exodus 9:16).”
We only need to stay faithful.
Dracula says
Well, yeah. Muslims respond to criticism with credible threats of violence thus intimidating those without the spine to affirm their rights under duress into submission. Christians, on the other hand, will at worst write something whiny on a blog or bitterly muse about the defamers’ eventual damnation. As long as Islam stands alone in its capacity to back up its indignation with lethal, physical retaliation then it will enjoy its exceptional standard among Progressive cowards and pseudo-intellectual weaklings.
Kepha says
I heard the report about the attack on Charlie Hebdo as I was driving in to work this morning. My guess is that there’s not a single JW reader who is surprised.
Re CNN policy, let’s all forward the source for Robert’s story and post a comment that we stick out thumbs in our armpits, lflap our now-abbreviated arms, ook the major executives and editors of CNN in the eye, and cluck like chickens.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
Madonna should do a concept album on this, exploring the links between religion and violence. In the supporting world tour of the new album Piss Christ she could piss on a crucifix right there on stage in front of the cheering crowd. Being a Jew, excuse me, being a wishful thinking fake Jew as a member of Kabbala, she knows it’s a relatively safe thing to protest Jesus and his dad Yahweh. The tour would be somewhat worse than the hit Broadway play Book of Mormon, sure, but that production has made Trey and Matt some big dough. All publicity is good publicity, if the news entertainers are cowed. So they’d protest Piss Christ and the supporting Piss Christ tour, but do so without mention of Abu Afak or Asma Marwan.
No Fear says
LOL. I don’t know what inspired ‘Piss Christ’ but the association of urine with divinity is discussed in the book “Magic Mushrooms in Religion and Alchemy” by Clark Heinrich an ethnobotanist.
pumbar says
As a hat tip to Rolf Harris she could do two little boys at the end of the show.
No Fear says
What does Erdogan have to say about Hebdo? Anyone know?
nacazo says
If you are near a French consulate or embassy go with a sign that reads #JeSuisCharlie. (I am. Charlie)
Papa Whiskey says
Je NE suis pas Charlie — Je tirerai en arrière!
(I am NOT Charlie — I’ll shoot back!)
Kepha says
Tres bien, Monsieur Whiskey, tres bien.
Charles Martel says
Papa Whiskey, that means “I am not Charlie. I will shoot behind.”
You mean “Je ne suis pas Charlie. Je riposterai”
Katnis says
Let’s hope that Hebdo’s illustrations take on a life of their own… Here is Charlie’s collection…
http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-collection-of-charlie-hedbo.html#.VK3KKsZcKGk
nothosaur says
Not only will the CNN idiots find no problem with this distinction, but they will SUPPORT the tax-payer funding of Piss Christ.
That’s an entirely new level of hypocrisy.
Bezelel says
I am personally somewhat desensitized with insults towards Christianity as I am persuaded the people who do so will answer for it. Not to me, which is too bad for the morons that are whistling past the grave yard. What waits for them is worse than I could even imagine. I still remain insulted by what is passing as art. “Idiocracy” a painfully funny movie that at least let me know that there are others aware of the situation but seems to be spiraling out of control.
rage against injustice says
Bash christianity and you’ll be cheered and consider a free thinker who’s practicing its freedom of speech.
Bash islam and you’ll be a racist, bigoted, xenophobic islamophobe.
nutroc says
its shocking CNN you shame USA
jay says
That’s because Islam has the overwhelming advantage of being savage and uncivil and unabashedly dishonest. The west cannot even imagine people not being like them, that the West’s culture and civilities which have developed and evolved over centuries somehow are not the world standard and that people actually abhor things we hold as default human nature, therefor they are willingly blind to the repeated proof they are under attack and dealing with people ‘not like them’.
Everyone is the same, in the Westerner’s mind, everyone plays by the same moralities, same goals, same desires. It’s only education, poverty and other modern intellectual bullshit that makes people bad. Until people understand the world has not changed from the winner take all, the most brutal most cunning will win manner it has been throughout our entire human existence; we will be on the losing side of this turn of history.
m says
You are clearly lacking history lessons on slavery in the west or western invasion and settlements thoughout history…. Evidently you are missing lots of history lessons to try to convene that everything is the same or equality…
It’s an endless count that number of people killed because of western greed…
Beth says
Wow m…
Wait…let me guess. The attack on the twin towers and our embassy in Lybia, the Boston Marathon bombing, the shooting at Fort Hood (Workplace violence? Right…)-that was our punishment for all of our past crimes right? Pathetic…
Salah says
Blessed be the most holy Name of Jesus without end!
M says
so let me get this straight, whenever anything g to be said or mentioned regarding Jews or Judasim, then it’s called anti-semetic and everything goes silent. But when it comes to mocking Muslims and disrespect their faith and offend millions around the world; then it’s called freedom of speech? This is a blatant double standard BS. Freedom of speech should not be at the cost of others faith and way of life especially when you always poking at the same groups and same topic. Very provocative narratives and hatred filled. Isn’t enough what has been done throughout history to that part of the world by the west ???
Koreans retaliated by hacking Hollywood giant for disrespecting their president, what do you say to that? What do you think about repeatedly needling the same wound when it’s clearly a serious matter to all Muslims.
ISLAM doesn’t spread hatred towards others, Infact ISLAM is the only religion that recognize all prophets within Judasim and Christianity…
I dare any western mainstream media to mock Judasim. It would turn into a war of the old ” anti Semitic” bs.
It very vident that western world is lacking a spiritual faith.
Angemon says
M posted:
“so let me get this straight, whenever anything g to be said or mentioned regarding Jews or Judasim, then it’s called anti-semetic and everything goes silent.”
Jews must be the most persecuted people in the West nowadays.
“But when it comes to mocking Muslims and disrespect their faith and offend millions around the world; then it’s called freedom of speech?”
“Mocking” and “disrespect” are in the eye of the beholder. The islamic faith disrespects and denigrates every other faith in existence, and that’s the core of whole issue.
“This is a blatant double standard BS.”
Say that to the media who published the “piss christ” and censored the muhammad cartoons.
“Freedom of speech should not be at the cost of others faith and way of life”
Huh? You certainly don’t know the meaning of the expression “at the cost of”. Did muslims or islam were hurt because of the cartoons?
“especially when you always poking at the same groups and same topic.”
Yeah, but Christians and conservatives learned to cope with it.
“Very provocative narratives and hatred filled.”
Well, not all muslim sects believe in every single hadith, if that helps.
“Isn’t enough what has been done throughout history to that part of the world by the west ??? ”
Not sure what you’re talking about. Are we not talking about French muslims attacking a French newspaper in France, which is a Western country?
“Koreans retaliated by hacking Hollywood giant for disrespecting their president, what do you say to that?”
I’m sure the overwhelming majority of the public opinion is not siding with the (alleged) koreans hackers, and have in fact pushed for getting the movie released.
“What do you think about repeatedly needling the same wound when it’s clearly a serious matter to all Muslims.”
The needle will stop pricking the pricks when the pricks develop a thicker skin and prove themselves to live in a world that is not obliged to satisfy their whims.
“ISLAM doesn’t spread hatred towards others”
quran 1:6-7:
Guide us to the straight path –
The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.
“Those who are astray” means Christians, and “those who have evoked [Your] anger” means Jews. That’s part of a prayer muslims do daily.
The quran also differentiates between (who are the best of people and will enjoy a holy bar/brothel in paradise) and non-muslims (who are the vilest of beings and will suffer horrors in hell). It also calls for violence against non-muslims,
I, for one, would say that a “religion” that
a) Draws a distinction between one’s group and those outside it
b) Devaluates the other group
c) Advocates different treatment between one’s group and those outside of it
d) Calls for violence against those outside of it
qualifies as a religion that spreads hate.
“Infact ISLAM is the only religion that recognize all prophets within Judasim and Christianity…”
Except for, i don’t know, JUDAISM and CHRISTIANITY. BTW, does islam teaches that Jesus Christ
a) is the son of God
b) died in the cross
c) returned to life
?
If not, then islam doesn’t really respect Jesus Christ.
“I dare any western mainstream media to mock Judasim. It would turn into a war of the old ” anti Semitic” bs.”
Clearly you’re not in touch with current pop culture.
“It very vident that western world is lacking a spiritual faith.”
What is “very vident” is that islam is a material faith. Muhammad got what?, 150 converts during what? 13 years preaching in Mecca? But he got tens of thousands of followers after he went to MEdina and started preaching holy war and raiding Meccan trading caravans.
Angemon says
M posted:
“ISLAM is the only religion that recognize all prophets within Judasim and Christianity…”
OK hotshot, two questions:
1 – Do the biblical and quranical histories of the “prophets” of islam match?
2 – Where were the muslims rioting and protesting against, for example, the “piss christ”?