Vive Charlie is a new weekly online satire magazine in tribute to Charlie Hebdo. I contributed this article to their latest issue, which you can see in full here:
Je Suis Charlie? Really? Let’s see.
On May 3 in Garland, Texas, Pamela Geller and I are hosting a Muhammad Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest, featuring Muslim images of Muhammad dating back to the Middle Ages, plus some of the recent cartoon images of Muhammad that have been blamed for riots and murders in Muslim countries. At that event, we’ll announce the winner of our $10,000 contest for a new cartoon of the Muslim prophet, and unveil that cartoon and other notable Contest entries.
On January 7, 2015, Islamic jihad gunmen murdered twelve people in the Paris offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. One of the jihad murderers in Paris shouted, “We have avenged the prophet Muhammad.” In response, people all over the West, including many journalists, adopted the slogan “Je Suis Charlie,” standing in solidarity with the victims and in defense of the freedom of speech.
Words, however, are easy. Backing them up with actions was tougher, as was vividly illustrated when many of those who were loudly proclaiming “Je suis Charlie” did not follow up their declarations of solidarity by republishing the Charlie Hebdo Muhammad cartoons, or any others. Instead, they retreated into an uncomfortable silence, cowed by the deaths in Paris into submitting to the Sharia blasphemy laws that the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists were murdered for violating.
They weren’t alone. Most of the mainstream media outlets of what used to be called the “Free World” readily censored themselves, in accord with Barack Obama’s words several weeks after the Charlie Hebdo massacre: “And if, in fact, we defend the legal right of a person to insult another’s religion, we’re equally obligated to use our free speech to condemn such insults — and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with religious communities, particularly religious minorities who are the targets of such attacks.”
This sounds expansive and open-minded, but only to those who do not stop to consider the implications of Obama’s words. No one is interested in gratuitously insulting Muslims or any other group. The problem is that when a group can claim to be insulted in order to silence another group, the foundations of a free society are shaken. Which group is going to be protected from insult? And is that group not a protected class, sheltered from the criticism to which everyone else is subject?
Barack Obama’s sly attacks on the freedom of speech insult me, but I would be the last person to call for restrictions upon his ability to air them. “Insult” is in the eye of the beholder — or more precisely, in the eye of those who make such determinations. The powerful can decide to silence the powerless by classifying their views as “insulting” and “hate speech.” The Founding Fathers knew that the freedom of speech was an essential safeguard against tyranny: the ability to dissent, freely and publicly and without fear of imprisonment or other reprisal, is a cornerstone of any genuine republic. If some ideas cannot be heard and are proscribed from above, the ones in control are tyrants, however benevolent they may be.
Now, as twelve people have been gunned down by Islamic jihadists in Paris, instead of defenses of the freedom of speech and explanations of why it is important, we have had more self-censorship from the Western media. Charlie Hebdo has been blamed for being needlessly provocative as the media has lined up to submit to Sharia blasphemy laws, refraining from saying or doing anything that Muslims would find offensive — including, of course, honest discussion about how Islamic jihadists use Islamic texts and teachings to justify things like the Charlie Hebdo massacre.
This is the time to say, “Enough.” As Pamela Geller says, “They’re just cartoons.” Indeed. The idea that anyone would murder someone over them is as absurd as it is evil. The related idea that free people must cower before this violent intimidation is a recipe for the death of free society itself.
This is the time to say, We are going to stand for the freedom of speech. The capacity to be offended and not respond with violence is essential to a pluralistic society, and the freedom of speech itself is our foremost protection against tyranny that would do whatever it willed and crush all dissent.
That’s why our Muhammad Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest is so important: it is a blow for civilization against savagery, and a stand for pluralism and tolerance against violent thuggery. Will you stand with us? It is time for all free people to stand, or free speech will be lost, and when it is lost, all will be lost. Submit? I’d rather die, on my feet.
Get tickets to our Muhammad Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest here.
llanfair says
You know what? There is no doubt that what happened in Paris is despicable to say the least. We all know what Muhammed preached but is there a real need to hit back at all Muslims just because these Islamic extremists are killing the kafir?
These vile animals are beyond help .. Having such a contest does not show the defence of freedom of speech ..on the contrary, it’s an obvious attempt at challenging the myopic mind of these Jihadists.
You are putting innocent people in danger .. These jihadist have tunnel vision .. They can’t see like you and me. They are, unlike you and me, ready to die for a warped cause?
llanfair says
.. cont’d
Do you really think it’s worth it? There are other ways to hit them hard and I believe they are being hit hard by even other Muslim countries.
Think of innocent people who might be targets as a result of such a post. If anything happens to these innocent people, no matter where they are .. Because of your contest .. Can you live with it?
Think carefully.
Buraq says
@ llanfair
You’re a five-star clown! Holding such a competition is not putting innocent lives in danger, Islam’s teachings, doctrines and ideology are putting innocent lives in danger.
And if you suggest that the threat of violence should stifle free speech, then you are on the side of the terrorists. A free society can only remain free for as long as it faces up to violent threats.
You’re a baggy-trousered, red-nosed, wire-wigged clown!
llanfair says
Buraq, I do not discuss with emotional people.
Neil Jennison says
Then discuss with me…..you are utterly wrong. There is no reason whatsoever any persons views or beliefs are beyond criticism. There is no reason any religion cannot be ridiculed.
Just because a minority of Muslims resort to violence is good reason in itself to refuse to held to ransom by terrorists. Should have refused to fight WW2 because innocent people were killed?
I would further add while all the studies in Europe show only a small minority of Muslims think that the murders were justified, the vast majority believe the cartoons should be banned.
Spot On says
@lianfair
The item of today is Charlie. Remember that Muslims also threaten people over the advertising of pork. Dancing and music are taboo to mention just a few. If not Charlie, they would pick one of their other many favorite insane reasons to kill in the name of Allah or Mohammed. Moderate Muslims are the enablers and supporters of the barbarian Muslims.
Rob Porter says
Well said, lianfair is a clown and advocating cowardice. I have no doubt that this event will be well-guarded. Hopefully the guards will be well armed and it an assault does take place they will mow down the Muslim vermin.
Every day people like Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller face the possibility of an attack, so we cannot afford to avoid confronting Muslim extremists.
mortimer says
Llanfair,
We have thought carefully. Have you? Have you read a manual of Sharia law? Do you know how dangerous Sharia is? Have you read Islam’s source texts? Are you unaware of the various atrocities that are permitted and even recommended by Islamic scholars based on the example of the vicious desert pirate Mohammed?
I’m sure you consider yourself an expert, but aren’t you guessing that you know what Islam teaches and what Muslims will do if we DON’T stand up to them? They will come for our children and grandchildren and keep coming to take them if we do NOTHING!
llanfair says
Mortimer, I know about Muhammad and his deeds or rather misdeeds .. and I know of the Shariah law of its implemented fully .. It’s draconian. OF COURSE WE HAVE TO CHECK THEM. But surely there must be other ways to do it.
I also know about the Qu’ran .. The hadith, surah, bukharis and what they propegate ..I’m no expert in it but I know enough to know it’s a dangerous ideology. Thank goodness the majority do not subscribe to it .. Can you imagine 1.4 billion Muslims who follow it to the core?
Believe me, I have actually seen the atrocities and have them on my vlog which is now defunct.
Shalom
Demsci says
Thanks for putting up such a challenge, llanfair,
First of all, you think of possible lives lost. But in the long run, believe it or not, IMO more lives will be lost when we allow free speech to be stifled/ censored. Which is what Muslims and allies (like you?) are trying to accomplish. It is my opinion that it is of the utmost importance to allow people to criticize, even to ridicule verbally anything, everything, only not on the streets or on the workplace or so.
You do not seem to realise how deadly censorship can be, when oppressed, desperate people get blocked from venting their frustration or enjoying, as a safety valve, the ridicule of their oppressors or those who unwittingly empower these oppressors.
Remember, these cartoons can be in newspapers, magazines, newspapers, tv, internet. All these can be “turned” off by Muslims. But for mean censors like some Muslims it is unbearable that “others” can still see ridicule of their beliefs.
Remember always, that according to our rules ALL can be ridiculed, and ALL their beliefs, not just Muslims with their beliefs. The others are accepting, but the Muslims demand that an exception is made especially for THEM and THEIR beliefs? And THIS in the countries of Western democrats??? How supremacist!
And MEMRI TV and other outlets, they do show us how so many Muslims so routinely insult and degrade JEWS, and often Christians, America and the West as well, and you cannot possibly contain that, and I suspect you make no effort to contain it, but you do implore us to contain OUR response??? To Muslims nauseating verbal assaults?
I suppose you know how violent Muslims will react to ridicule, which they can easily NOT SEE, namely very bad, by some of them.
And I suppose you know that almost no jews or christians will ever get violent in reaction to ridicule. And now here you are, pleading to the non-Muslims to censor themselves, but we see no attempt from you to dissuade the Muslims from insulting, degrading, oppressing non-Muslims, in their countries, in their holy books. Precisely because THAT would cost no lives!
But that does not make you think why that is, and why that is bad? You must be a Muslim yourself or otherwise an ignorant, prejudiced political correct supporter of Muslims.
You seem to want to protect BODIES from being hurt but among the (innocent or inactive) Muslims, you only try to protect their FEELINGS, not their BODIES. Because their feelings will be hurt by this exposition. but there is not the slightest threat to their bodies.
But you should not try to protect feelings, but BODIES . And I tell you that censorship like you advocate will in the end hurt my bodies, beget more violence. but you don’t understand and you won’t take responsible for the deaths caused by YOUR censorship in the end.
mortimer says
They have declared war on us. They are ALREADY taking innocent hostages and murdering them.
Every time Mohammed is mocked, Allah shows himself to be powerless and a figment of the imagination. This helps Muslims to leave the death cult.
Charbonnier said, ‘I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees.’
Demsci says
To be sure, I meant that llanfair is making no attempt to plead to Muslims not to insult others, because muslims insulting others will get no violent response and will no cause deaths, victims.
llanfair says
Demsci, please repost my ” challenge ” ..I was just posting my opinion .. That was all!
If your mind wanders and believes in a Muslim or a supporter .. there’s nothing much I can do.
cs says
One thing that make me confident to see they are wrong, was to watch with my own eyes about 600 clisp from memri.
They make a profession out of slandering while I was trying to be polite and intellectually honest. Then they say that is because they are pissed, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WILL BE ALWAYS PISSED, BECAUSE IT IS IN THEIR NATURE BLAME ON US FOR THEIR INHERENT UNHAPPINESS.
Yes their ideology is sick, and the more reasonable Muslims are too brainwashed to tell them so, deep inside they partially agree on this strategy.
Spot On says
Lianfair has no valid argument in being nice to bullies so they don’t hurt someone. Wack’em hard until they decide not to be bullies anymore. Throw Charlie in their face until they get used to it. Get the police to handle any troublemakers or handle it oneself.
Rezali Mehil says
llanfair …
I am a 47 year old muslima living in the UK. This unprecedented step is really unwarranted. We don’t draw cartoons so there is no need for others to either. There is very little to be achieved here.
I think Pamela is very persuasive..and she has persuaded Mr Spencer to join her.
“Come on Spencer..I know you are getting tired, old, bald and need more powerful glasses every 6 months. I know that you want want to retire and get back to your saxaphone practice.”
I know you need money and we both know ours is a losing battle …we know that Islam will dominate soon …but you know ..*one* last throw of the dice …come on what you say? …You know that Obama will be insulted too….also because we are not talking about the Ahmadi banana man …this is the Rasool SWT (and in her mind she thinks “my hero).
Pamela is doing this for selfish reasons…she want’s Robert’s place …and he is foolish enough not to see that.
Leave them to it man…you are not going to persuade them….let Robert make his money and retire and Pamela to hog the limelight.
May Allah SWT forgive their transgressions of excess.
More Later
Rezali
Joseph says
Rezali Mehil, May JESUS CHRIST, King of Kings, Son of the one true GOD have mercy on your soul when you come before him for judgement.
It is not too late while you still have breath to confess YOUR transgressions to the ONLY and one true GOD in heaven.
********************************N E W S F L A S H*****************************************
Jesus wins in the end, your side loses. Look at it this way, I heard the heating is free in hell so you won’t have to worry about that bill to pay for.
Mo says
@ Rezali Mehil
“I am a 47 year old muslima living in the UK. This unprecedented step is really unwarranted. We don’t draw cartoons so there is no need for others to either.”
You don’t want to draw cartoons? Then don’t. No one is making you. Someone does want to draw cartoons? They may. And you will not stop them.
See how that works? It’s called FREEDOM. And neither you nor your coreligionists will ever take that freedom from us. Do you hear me? Do you understand me?
“There is very little to be achieved here.”
There’s plenty to be achieved here. Or rather, one thing. The most important thing:
It’s called standing up to your intolerant, oppressive, perverse, hate filled, violent, murderous death cult of Islam. It’s called stating to you, your coreligionists and the entire world that we will NOT submit to your intolerant, oppressive, perverse, hate filled, violent, murderous death cult of Islam.
What do you think of that? Hm?
vlparker says
Great job of rebutting all the points Robert made. You would make a wonderful democrat if you lived in the US.
Angemon says
Rezali Mehil posted:
“This unprecedented step is really unwarranted. We don’t draw cartoons so there is no need for others to either.”
Too bad you lot don’t apply the same logic to everything else – there are no gangs of non-muslims grooming muslim children, there are no gangs of non-muslims roaming the streets forcing people not to abide by sharia, there are no non-muslims rioting in the streets shouting “death to Palestine”, there are no Jews, Christians, Sikhs, Hindus or Buddhists going on TV and saying that their religious law is the solution for the UK and that all muslims will have to convert to their religion…
““Come on Spencer..I know you are getting tired, old, bald and need more powerful glasses every 6 months. I know that you want want to retire and get back to your saxaphone practice.””
LOL!!! Wishful thinking much, Rezali? If anything, Mr. Spencer has been at the top of the game for years (Jihad Watch started in what, 2003?) and shows no signs of tiredness – it’s even more astonish considering that he, like the rest of the counter-jihad movement, is going against the mainstream and getting attacked constantly from all sides. But I guess that’s what happens when one has the truth on his side.
“I know you need money”
As far as I know, Mr. Spencer is not in this for the money.
“and we both know ours is a losing battle …we know that Islam will dominate soon”
More wishful thinking. No, magical thinking – if anything, people are becoming more aware of what islam has in store for them. they’re staring to realize that, like Bill Maher put it, “when there’s this many bad apples, there’s something wrong with the orchard”.
“Pamela is doing this for selfish reasons…she want’s Robert’s place …and he is foolish enough not to see that.
Leave them to it man…you are not going to persuade them….let Robert make his money and retire and Pamela to hog the limelight.”
Are you related to Reza Aslan? Do you teach Creative Writing or something?
“May Allah SWT forgive their transgressions of excess.”
Rezali, nothing happens unless allah wills it. If someone is transgressing in excess it’s because allah wills it so. And if allah wills someone to do something and therefore causes said someone to do said thing, why would he punish that someone for something he caused them to do?
“More Later
Rezali”
Huh, shouldn’t it be “More Later…”? I think you’re the one who’s getting old and tired… That’s how it starts… You start missing small details here and there, Corey… You lie to yourself and blame stress, or overwork… You refuse to see that your prime is long gone… You start asking allah why is he punishing you, a faithful servant… And before you realize it, you’re left islam…
gravenimage says
The repulsive Rezali Mehil wrote:
I am a 47 year old muslima living in the UK. This unprecedented step is really unwarranted. We don’t draw cartoons so there is no need for others to either.
……………………………………..
Why, in fact, should the filthy Infidels do *anything* that pious Muslims don’t do? Why should they create art or music or cartoons, and why should they be allowed to say anything critical of Islam.
For that matter, why should they prevent Muslims from “marrying” their 9-year-old daughters? Why should they prevent Muslims from enslaving them? Why would they object to Muslims murdering them?
For that matter, why don’t they all just “revert” to Islam?
More:
There is very little to be achieved here.
……………………………………..
Certainly, that is what the sly Rezali Mehil would have us believe. After all, what could *possibly* be achieved by cartoonists warning other Infidels of the threat of Islam? sarc/off
More:
I think Pamela is very persuasive..and she has persuaded Mr Spencer to join her.
“Come on Spencer..I know you are getting tired, old, bald and need more powerful glasses every 6 months. I know that you want want to retire and get back to your saxaphone practice.”
……………………………………..
Yes, of course—it is a woman, and a Jew, who is misleading the Christian. After all, aren’t good Christians just supposed to roll over for Muslim savagery? After all, that’s what Muslims tell us…
The fact is that Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller ally so frequently because they share so many values—foremost among them standing up against Jihad savagery.
And how long would Robert be able to get back to his saxophone practice if supremacist Islam is allowed to rise unchecked? Not long, as musical instruments are Haram under Shari’ah law.
More:
I know you need money and we both know ours is a losing battle …
……………………………………..
The erudite Mr. Spencer has a slew of NYT bestselling books. I’m sure he’s doing just fine—thanks for your “concern”.
More:
we know that Islam will dominate soon …
……………………………………..
More of the usual “resistance is futile” crap…
More:
Pamela is doing this for selfish reasons…she want’s Robert’s place …and he is foolish enough not to see that.
……………………………………..
Pious Muslims are unable to grasp the concept of respected equals working together toward a common goal. And why not? In Islam, it is the most violent warlord who rules.
And more specifically, of course, she just desperately hopes that Robert Spencer goes away—a clear indication that supremacist Muslims are worried that the Infidels are waking up.
RonaldB says
Rezali says: “I know you need money and we both know ours is a losing battle …we know that Islam will dominate soon…”
Rezali,
Why didn’t you post your literate, persuasive argument sooner? If you had, you would have saved me $50. Yes, I confess. I was wooed by Robert’s misbegotten arguments and Pamela’s seductive charms (I saw both of them at the protest at the ‘Stand for the Prophet’ convention’).
I paid $50 for a ticket. I saw your post and was persuaded by your logic. But, too late. The money already left Paypal. It rests in Robert’s pocket, and is part of his ill-gotten gains for standing at the front lines and taking the abuse and hits from Islamist supremacists. If only I had seen your post before I hit the “Pay” button and sent $50 for a ticket to the event.
And with a nod to Ilanfair: I’ll be quaking in my boots for fear that some inbred Muslim from Pakistan will decide to take action against such a flagrant insult to his holiness, Muhammad. Or, should I say ‘his grace’? I’m not sure what to term a delusional psychopath pirate who managed to brainwash 1.6 billion people.
Anyway, keep up the good work, Rezali, and next time, don’t let so much time pass for your response. Who knows? You may be able to save me some money if you’re quick enough on the draw with your crystal-clear, ironclad, highly-literate arguments.
Dag says
That’s the comment of the day.
Too bad I have to write rather than use a thumbs up button or a happy face emoticon.
gravenimage says
Rezali Mehil wrote:
…we both know ours is a losing battle …
………………………
I just now noticed this jaw-dropping Freudian slip on Rezali Mehil’s part. I’m sure she intended to say “we both know *yours* is a losing battle”.
I seldom read much into typos, but this is more telling than she knows—fear that she and her vile coreligionists may well *lose*—and do so in large part because of the brave efforts of good Infidels like Robert Spencer—must give her no end of anxiety.
Mo says
@ llanfair
“Do you really think it’s worth it? There are other ways to hit them hard and I believe they are being hit hard by even other Muslim countries.”
Such as?
“Think of innocent people who might be targets as a result of such a post.”
Stop blaming the victims. Blame the devout Muslims following the example of Mohammad.
“If anything happens to these innocent people, no matter where they are .. Because of your contest .. Can you live with it?
Think carefully.”
Threat taken.
Are you a Muslim, a Muslim apologist or just a coward?
Western Canadian says
An absolutely excellent book, and by strange coincidence, a collection of cartoons, is called ‘Heckling Hitler”, by Zbynek Zeman..
Outstanding, and the many precedents for our current ‘shut up or I will kill you’ situation..
Mo says
@ Western Canadian
“An absolutely excellent book, and by strange coincidence, a collection of cartoons, is called ‘Heckling Hitler”, by Zbynek Zeman..”
I had not heard of this title before. I will look it up, thanks.
will says
Telling, al-Shaitan , also doesn’t like to be mocked `1/1
Bukkdem Jizheads says
I have a cartoon in mind that I would like to submit but I’m simply afraid to have my name put out there. I’m afraid my dogs will be poisoned. Can someone submit art under a nom de plume?
Rob Porter says
Lianfair, yes it is “worth it”, even if only to show Muslim vermin that we will not be intimidated, to show contempt for their barbaric, low-grade Islamic mindsets and murderous ways.
Time and again these miserable intolerants of Islam have been permitted to shut down events and no doubt they rejoice in their success. It’s important that they be shown that they will not intimidate everyone.
You say that “There are other ways to hit them hard”, so pray, do tell us, but please don’t make hollow statements about “other ways”. It’s a bit pathetic. In any event, by advocating cancellation you have inadvertently acknowledged that the savage nature of these people – which is why they need to be challenged and treated with the utter contempt they deserve.
jihad3tracker says
Hello Ilanfair — I am sure there will be many replies, because saying “you are putting innocent people in danger” is effectively giving complete control to ANY AND ALL MUSLIMS regarding what non-Muslims can write or draw or speak.
AND I TRULY MEAN ANY MUSLIM. Do you really want to surrender your own personal freedom, due to the possibility of “offending” another person ? That person is a human being just like you.
But because he or she conveniently happens to have a “holy book” and a “prophet” and a tradition of violence against non-Muslims, that gives them power over other people ?
Back in World War II, there were certainly times when “insulting” Adolph Hitler was used as a reason to kill non-Nazis. So, would you also say that no one should have told the truth about him — or drawn unflattering cartoons of him ?
Do you see the parallel circumstance ?
llanfair says
Hi jihad3tracker,
I expect to be bombarded. But I say it as how I feel .. That there is little point of resorting to such tactics.
Sure I agree with you and see your point but where is all this being us? Do you really think that these Islamic extremists see it the way you and I do?
What I meant by Prof innocent people in danger is this: Jihadists are void of morals and follow the Qu’ran to the core .. They do not care if the innocent draw caricatures ..To them .. All unbelievers are kufar .. That in itself is dangerous .. What more having a contest will do to their mangled minds?
I’m just starting my opinion ..I certainly expect a lot of criticism .. But that is all part of free speech my friend.
jihad3tracker says
One more example to get my point across about giving control to Muslims regarding what another person writes, or draws, or speaks . . .This hypothetical involves YOU.
Let’s say you have at least one Muslim in your neighborhood, and next Saturday you come out of your home just as that neighbor walks by, so he or she now knows WHERE you live.
Being a friendly guy, you smile and look at that person. He or she says to you “Let me introduce myself — my name is XXXXX. I have been very concerned lately with the possibility that persons around this part town have negative thoughts about Islam — you know, Islamophobia.”
So, that Muslim continues, “I will really be grateful if you will tell me honestly what you think about my Prophet, the Qur’an, and my religion.” Because you have been requested to give an honest answer, you say what you wrote to Mortimer in your 12:08 comment to him.
Well, your Muslim conversation partner on the sidewalk turns bright red in the face and starts to sweat. The next sounds from his or her mouth are “Such words are completely insulting to the PROPHET OF ALLAH ! ! ! ”
[Shouting and waving hands at you ] : ” I CAN SEE THIS IS YOUR HOME RIGHT BEHIND US. UNLESS YOU APOLOGIZE AND RETRACT EVERYTHING YOU SAID, MY FELLOW MUSLIMS WILL GATHER HERE EVERY EVENING, QUOTING THE QUR’AN, PRAYING, KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR SO WE CAN EXPLAIN THE TRUTH ABOUT ISLAM’S WAY”.
What would you do ? Cave in or refuse to ? And please do not try to get out of an answer by telling me that the important point of your original post was about Robert and Pam unnecessarily provoking Muslims by having a cartoon contest. The hypothetical encounter I describe above with you and a Muslim is to show that —- by permitting another person to decide what “offends” that person — we would be letting someone else control our behavior and thus end our freedom.
If — in the situation I describe above — you decide that living a normal life without Muslims making you miserable is worth saying “OK, I apologize. I will never insult your prophet again. Please excuse my terrible answer. Have a nice day ! ! ! ” — then what is a proper word to describe your retreat ? You tell me the word.
The Doctor says
Nice Welsh name there, Llanfair! Croeso i Jihadwatch!
I understand what I think you are saying – why agitate them. I respectfully disagree with your assessment because in this case what the freedom-loving people are doing is something completely harmless. Cartoons do not hurt anyone. Free speech is a cornerstone of civilisation. The jihadis _want_ us to engage in self-censorship, because that particular type of self-censorship complies with their fundamental aim – subjecting the entire world to Sharia law.
This is like the proverbial camel sticking its nose into the tent. Once the nose is in the tent, the camel will slowly progress until you have an entire camel in your tent. Have you ever been around camels? I have. They are large and they stink.You don’t want one in your tent, and I certainly don’t want Sharia in my country.
Mohammad cartoons should be a non-issue. How many people were killed because of the famous photograph “Piss Christ”? None. As a Christian, I found it highly offensive but as an American I also understand that the freedom of expression that allowed “Piss Christ” to be published is more important than my own feelings.
(I will, however, say that I don’t think that the “artist” should have received federal grant money for it, but I’m not a huge fan of government funding of the arts anyway.)
(Amusing side note – the Arabic words for “camel” and “beautiful” share the same triliteral root – jml.)
gravenimage says
Jihad3tracker wrote:
Well, your Muslim conversation partner on the sidewalk turns bright red in the face and starts to sweat. The next sounds from his or her mouth are “Such words are completely insulting to the PROPHET OF ALLAH ! ! ! ”
[Shouting and waving hands at you ] : ” I CAN SEE THIS IS YOUR HOME RIGHT BEHIND US. UNLESS YOU APOLOGIZE AND RETRACT EVERYTHING YOU SAID, MY FELLOW MUSLIMS WILL GATHER HERE EVERY EVENING, QUOTING THE QUR’AN, PRAYING, KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR SO WE CAN EXPLAIN THE TRUTH ABOUT ISLAM’S WAY”.
………………………………
Actually, if that’s all they did, I’d be surprised. I think our theoretical Mohammedan would be more likely to punch his “Prophet’s” critic in the face, or even return with this thug buddies and burn his house down.
Don McKellar says
Coward.
Angemon says
llanfair posted:
“is there a real need to hit back at all Muslims”
I don’t think llanfair realized what he did here – he/she’s implying that ALL muslims (not just the so-called “extremists”) will take offense at any depiction of muhammad – basically, according to llanfair, no muslims can shrug it off, like christians did with, for example, “Piss Christ”.
“just because these Islamic extremists are killing the kafir?”
I see llanfair is one of those believers in the “extremists” narrative…
“These vile animals are beyond help ..”
Are you referring to all muslims or just the “extremists”?
“Having such a contest does not show the defence of freedom of speech”
Of course it does. They want us to refuse to do something we can do – they want us to self-censor.
“..on the contrary, it’s an obvious attempt at challenging the myopic mind of these Jihadists.”
How is that a) contrary to freedom of speech, and b) a bad thing?
“You are putting innocent people in danger”
Nope. All non-muslims are in danger for the fact that they’re not muslims and live and pay taxes to fund a state that is fighting against muslim terrorists.
“Do you really think it’s worth it?”
Yes. Like I said, they want to bully us into submission. Doing the exact opposite of what they want to force us to do shows them we’re not afraid and we’re willing to fight.
“There are other ways to hit them hard and I believe they are being hit hard by even other Muslim countries.”
And, of course, you don’t mention any of them.
“Think of innocent people who might be targets as a result of such a post. If anything happens to these innocent people, no matter where they are .. Because of your contest .. Can you live with it?
Think carefully.”
Are you pro-freedom of speech or the mouthpiece of the islamic state making a veiled threat?
llanfair says
Angemon .. You obviously do notunderstand my message.
Angemon says
llanfair posted:
“Angemon .. You obviously do notunderstand my message.”
I wrote under the assumption that your message was along the lines of “Robert, you shouldn’t do that because you’re insulting all muslims and that can cause muslims to kill innocent people”. From the other comments, I’m not the only one reading what you posted that way. And I’m guessing I’m right all along, since you willingly use a generic sleight of hand to discard everything I said without refuting a single line of it. Do notice that I reply to several of your sentences. Had I commented on your comment as a whole and had you explained why I was wrong you might have had a point there.
Mo says
@ llanfair
“Angemon .. You obviously do notunderstand my message.”
How about actually addressing what Angemon has said? How about actually addressing what I have said?
But oh, no. It’s easier to play games and claim people aren’t understanding you, or are “emotional” or whatever it was you said to another commenter.
Stop playing games. Answer the points or questions that have been put to you.
cs says
Well said @Angemon
TheBuffster says
Angemon said: “Like I said, they want to bully us into submission. Doing the exact opposite of what they want to force us to do shows them we’re not afraid and we’re willing to fight.”
This is a most important point.
When faced with an enemy that wants to murder or enslave you, the worst thing you can do is appease that enemy and show him that you’re weak and afraid and ready to submit. And that is what a major portion of our fellow Westerners are doing these days. It’s like giving Hitler Czechoslovakia so he’ll calm down and be nice. All it does is tell him that he’ll face little or no resistance and the time is right to forge ahead.
If Muslims want to live peacefully in a free country and live by the principles of *liberty* rather than the Sharia, they have to learn to be as robust as those of us who have grown up in liberty.
If they don’t want to live by those principles, they have no right to change a culture that does. They have no right to even try to intimidate a free society into rolling back the liberty that has been so rare and hard-won and is so hard to recover when lost.
If we have to treat Muslims with kid gloves – rather than pigskin ones – then that means their presence in our midst requires something extra from us that no other group requires: we have to “voluntarily” not say what we really think or face a violent or harassing or deadly penalty. Or maybe even a legal penalty? Or maybe someone else will pay for our free expression of our negative evaluation of Islam and its prophet? The Muslim presence means that we have to shut up, because their religion requires them to hit back when Islam or their prophet is insulted, and insult can be anything from ridicule and mockery to mere criticism or a questioning of his prophet status.
Every other group can be challenged. But Muslims must not be. And if they are, some of them might kill people over it. So they win.
I wonder how long it would take for other groups to decide that if the Islamic tactic for shutting up criticism and ridicule works for Muslims, it’ll work for them, too?
No, if Muslims want to live in countries that respect the freedom of speech, they have to grow a pair like everybody else. They have to understand and accept the concept of “freedom of expression” and either rebut criticism and ridicule of their religion or shrug it off and go their own way.
Or they can re-evaluate Islam for themselves and decide that maybe that ridicule isn’t so off-the-mark after all, then look around for better belief system to guide them.
And if our governments are doing their proper job, they will protect those Muslims from those others who would try to beat or kill them for their apostasy, and give no special religious respect to the fact that Islam itself demands execution of apostates.
If we don’t hold the line at the right to draw mocking cartoons, we concede territory to the enemy and submit to their anti-liberty principle. We thus weaken ourselves in their eyes *and* our own, and our spine grows a little softer every time we do it.
Thomas Cherian Mullamootil says
SAY NO TO RACISM
SAY NO TO MUHAMMAD THE SLAVE OWNER
We don’t allow HITLER to be respected as we won’t allow Muhammad the slave owner to be respected.
We will ridicule people who respect Muhammad as a perfect man just like we ridicule people who respect HITLER.
Peace,
Brown Skinned Immigrant
TheBuffster says
Well said, Thomas!
Mo says
@ llanfair
“We all know what Muhammed preached”
Do you?
” but is there a real need to hit back at all Muslims just because these Islamic extremists are killing the kafir?”
Here we go. What “hit [ting] back at all Muslims” are you talking about?
“These vile animals are beyond help .. Having such a contest does not show the defence of freedom of speech ..”
Of course it does. Standing up to threats, oppression and violence is the only way to stop it. As with any bully, cowering in a corner, bowing to their wishes and promising to never do anything to “offend” them does nothing to stop them. In fact, bullies prey on this type of weakness. It only embolden them.
“You are putting innocent people in danger .. ”
Cowardice and caving, and now comes the victim blaming.
First of all, no is forcing anyone to participate in this contest, are they? Are they?
Second, the holders of this contest and those who support them (“we”) are not putting anyone in danger. Jihadist Muslims are the ones doing the attacking, remember? And do you know what? They’ve been on jihad long before this contest came along. They will be on jihad long after the contest is over. Why? Because they are on jihad in obedience to the Koran and Mohammad, not because of some silly contest. (Or any other reason.)
But you know that, because you’re the one who said, “We all know what Muhammed preached”. Right?
Contest or no contest, jihadists will be on jihad. It’s what they are and it’s what they do.
So can you tell me with what part of this factual statement you disagree?
“They are, unlike you and me, ready to die for a warped cause?”
I couldn’t have said it better than this.
THEY are ready to die for their “warped cause”.
YOU are not ready to die for this righteous cause – which is FREEDOM and LIFE.
Guess what? The fact that you’re not will not stop the fact that they are.
gravenimage says
llanfair wrote:
You know what? There is no doubt that what happened in Paris is despicable to say the least…
…………………………………
Whenever someone starts out like this, you know there is a “but”…
More:
We all know what Muhammed preached but is there a real need to hit back at all Muslims just because these Islamic extremists are killing the kafir?
…………………………………
Note the moral equivalence—that creating cartoons is “hitting” back, and “just because these Islamic extremists are killing the kafir”.
Also, llanfair would have us believe that criticizing the “Prophet” is simply punitive towards Muslims, when it is not. Infidels need to be able to criticize Islam and Muhammed in order to comprehend the threat that Islam presents to us. There is no way to do that without being able to criticize Islam.
More:
These vile animals are beyond help .. Having such a contest does not show the defence of freedom of speech ..on the contrary, it’s an obvious attempt at challenging the myopic mind of these Jihadists.
…………………………………
Firstly, why should it be forbidden to try to change the minds of Jihadists? Why should we respect such barbarism?
Secondly, and more importantly, llanfair is mistaken in believing—or effecting to believe—that criticism of Islam is aimed at changing the minds of ravening Jihadists. Instead, it is more aimed at *educating Infidels*. Does he believe that this should be off-limits? And if so, why?
More:
You are putting innocent people in danger .. These jihadist have tunnel vision .. They can’t see like you and me. They are, unlike you and me, ready to die for a warped cause?
…………………………………
It is Islam, not those daring to oppose it, that is putting innocent people in danger. And as other posters have already ably noted, the idea that appeasement and the imposition of Shari’ah norms are going to make things safer for Infidels is *utterly false*. Instead, it will just embolden Jihadists. We have already seen the effect of such appeasement.
More:
Think of innocent people who might be targets as a result of such a post. If anything happens to these innocent people, no matter where they are .. Because of your contest .. Can you live with it?
Think carefully.
…………………………………
The epitome of dhimmitude—blaming “blasphemers” for Muslim violence. This is exactly how Muslims keep Infidels in Dar-al-Islam in line, with threats not just to themselves, but to other innocent people, with the claim that the guilt for any resulting violence on the part of Muslims is theirs.
More:
Buraq, I do not discuss with emotional people.
…………………………………
How dare anyone become impassioned over defense of freedom of speech—or, indeed, any of our freedoms?
More:
Mortimer, I know about Muhammad and his deeds or rather misdeeds .. and I know of the Shariah law of its implemented fully .. It’s draconian. OF COURSE WE HAVE TO CHECK THEM. But surely there must be other ways to do it.
…………………………………
“Surely there must be other ways to do it”—I call this the “not the cartoons, anything but cartoons!” argument—the ludicrous idea that daring to produce cartoons in the face of oppression and murder is somehow beyond the pale.
This is, of course, ludicrous. The fact is that offering a peaceful criticism of savagery—even if the cartoons are sometimes pointed—could not be more civilized.
More:
I also know about the Qu’ran .. The hadith, surah, bukharis and what they propegate ..I
…………………………………
Apparently not all that well. “Bukharis” are not a separate type of Islamic scripture. Instead, Bukhari was a respected compiler of Hadith.
More:
Thank goodness the majority do not subscribe to it .. Can you imagine 1.4 billion Muslims who follow it to the core?
…………………………………
The idea that most Muslims reject the Qur’an, Hadith, and Sira simply could not be farther from the truth. In the US—generally considered to have a “moderate” Muslim population—*59%* of Muslims believe that Shari’ah law should be imposed in every Muslim-majority country. Many populations are much, much worse.
That there are Muslims who are not currently waging violent Jihad should not be taken to mean that all of them reject Jihad and Shari’ah—and even less they would fight to oppose it.
More:
Demsci, please repost my ” challenge ” ..I was just posting my opinion .. That was all!
If your mind wanders and believes in a Muslim or a supporter .. there’s nothing much I can do.
…………………………………
That is what everyone has been replying to—llanfair’s opinion that we should surrender our freedom of speech in the face of Muslim threats and violence.
That may or may not make him either a Muslim or an actual supporter of Jihad savagery, but it *certainly* makes him an enabler of it.
ronyvo says
That is EXACTLY what those criminals (terrorists) want to achieve FEAR. If we submit and show the silliest scare they win and encouraged to continue in their evil attacks and satanic behavior. Don’t you see, they are not waiting for any excuse to terrorize.
pumpkin says
As Patrick Henry said, “Give me liberty or give me death!” Stand up and be counted. By not doing so, we are complicit with Oblama and he is busy seedig our country with enough insurgents to wipe us out.
llanfair says
They are just cartoons? Yes they are but people are murdered for it.
This Muhammad At exhibit and Cartoon contest is just guise to taunt the extremists. In the process you’ll be provoking other tolerant Muslims as well.
You are thinkers .. think of other ways to show freedom of speech and expression.
I don’t know about you but I am above such revengeful tactics which I find a clear attempt to rule the emotions of the extremists which is already on an all-time high.
llanfair2 says
They’re just cartoons? Yes they are but people are murdered for it.
This Muhammad At exhibit and Cartoon contest is just guise to taunt the extremists. In the process you’ll be provoking other tolerant Muslims as well.
You are thinkers .. think of other ways to show freedom of speech and expression.
I don’t know about you but I am above such revengeful tactics which I find a clear attempt to rile the emotions of the extremists which is already on an all-time high.
Mo says
@ llanfair2
“They’re just cartoons? Yes they are but people are murdered for it.”
Gravenimage pointed out the passive tense in your comments. I found that very observant. Here it is again.
Jihadists murder people over all sorts of things. By your logic, are we supposed to stop doing anything and everything?
“This Muhammad At exhibit and Cartoon contest is just guise to taunt the extremists. In the process you’ll be provoking other tolerant Muslims as well.”
If “tolerant Muslims” are provoked, so what? They’re tolerant, right? So they will behave in a tolerant manner. Right? Make some logical sense, will you?
I’m provoked right now by your continued victim blaming and ignoring of my points. But am I threatening to murder you over it? Of course not. And if I did, would that be your fault or mine?
“You are thinkers .. think of other ways to show freedom of speech and expression.”
What other way is there to show freedom of speech and expression, besides… speaking and expressing? Care to answer that? Of course not. Just like you’ve ignored every other point I’ve made. Why is that?
“I don’t know about you but I am above such revengeful tactics…”
Here we go with the unearned moral superiority. Can you show me to what “revengeful tactics” you’re referring? Can you show me where this contest is promoting attacking Muslims in revenge for their attacks? Show it to me.
“which I find a clear attempt to rile the emotions of the extremists which is already on an all-time high.”
Too bad. I’m sure they’re big boys. (And some girls.) I’m sure they can get their emotions riled without resorting to cutting heads off or burning people in cages or shooting them in cafes. Can’t they? And if not, why not?
My emotions are riled by your continued victim blaming and dhimmitude on this thread. But I’m not killing you or threatening to kill you over it, am I?
Why is it that in a civilized society, I am expected to control myself regardless of how much emotions are riled, but Muslims aren’t? Why do you hold Muslims to a different standard than you would hold anyone else?
Why don’t you answer any of my points?
mortimer says
It’s obvious, Llanfair, that you HAVEN’T thought this through. You don’t have a suggestion to oppose Islamic blasphemy murder, besides telling us ‘don’t provoke the tiger’. (The tiger is ALWAYS provoked and aroused and hungry for more…do you see that?)
Can you admit you don’t understand this and you don’t know what to do? Doing nothing is not an option! This is a full out war on several fronts in several countries.
llanfair says
Mortimer, I’m not saying you’re wrong.
If you live in a country where the majority of the population is Muslim and is ruled by Muslims ..You will know quite a bit about the average Muslim mind .. Not the mind of Islamic terrorists.
All I am saying is ..You know what they are capable of ..without being provoked ..Can you imagine these murderers when provoked?
I hope innocent people will be safe.
Shalom.
mariam rove says
Do you really think it’s worth it? There are other ways to hit them hard and I believe they are being hit hard by even other Muslim countries.
Which other ways are there LLfair? You seem to making all the excuses for why Robert should not do this and yet you are secretive about other ways. So we should self censor ourselves so some Jihadists don’t go around murdering innocent people? I was born and raised a Muslim. Muslims are delusional about their pedophile prophet and their ideology, Islam that is. We can draw their pedophile any which way we want including him raping and sodomizing a 9 year old girl. They don’t like it, they can get the f… out of here and go back to whatever s…hole they came from. m
Don McKellar says
Interesting how you show your hand so quickly, moslem.
“If you live in a country where the majority of the population is Muslim and is ruled by Muslims ..You will know quite a bit about the average Muslim mind .. Not the mind of Islamic terrorists.”
So you’re really a moslem living in a moslem country, posing as a jew by adding a shalom at the end of your posts, trying to do your part to shut down free speech and impose sharia.
We can also tell you’re a moslem because you try and make a distinction between “moderate” moslems and “radical” moslems by claiming that they are not responsible for their actions, but rather the infidel is responsible for making them change by offending them.
Nobody is fooled by you. You are on the wrong site.
RonaldB says
lianfair says: ll I am saying is ..You know what they are capable of ..without being provoked ..Can you imagine these murderers when provoked? I hope innocent people will be safe.”
I say: at the protest at the “Stand with the (pedophile, murdering) prophet” conference, there were hundreds of bikers. It was the Muslims who needed protection. Of course, the bikers immediately complied with any police requests to clear a street. I don’t agree with even implied intimidation. But non-Muslims are not the meek, helpless people you portray.
Texans are not disarmed British, Canadians, or Australians. Once the Muslims became rebellious in Bosnia, they were losing soundly to the Bosnian Serbs, when the NATO forces bombed the Serbs into submission. If Muslims become violent at the conference, it will be they who need protection, not the conference attendees.
The only way Muslims would be able to disrupt the exhibition is through covert, sneaky actions…and that is the job of security. Part of the cost of the tickets will be security, not to protect against a direct assault, since that would be taken care quite easily by the attendees, but against a sneaky, cowardly covert action.
Don McKellar says
Yes, let’s keep our mouths shut and be good little dhimmis so that we don’t provoke or offend our masters, the superior Muslims! After all, we don’t want to radicalise them with our actions, because they aren’t responsible for themselves. Well, said, Ilanfair, you incredible retard.
llanfair says
Don McKellar,
I do not exchanged views with vile people.
Don McKellar says
You don’t exchange with anybody. You’re too scared of your moslem masters.
IIlanfair, you’re the kind of cowardly fool who enabled the nazis to take over Germany.
Demsci says
No, even those tolerant Muslims are provoking us. in our own countries we try and try to communicate how important total freedom of speech is, with no exceptions. but nooooooooo, many, I suppose not all, do not even show understanding of the importance and emotional value this principle has, let alone respect!
Like children some, I suppose not all, they react as if THEY alone are provoked. But it is a matter of public record that Westerners ridicule every one and every religion. And also that Muslims, where THEY rule, are very, very vicious against Jews, and America, and the West.
So, OK, let both sides continue, but nooooo, Muslims only want the other side to stop.
Mirren10 says
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Benjamin Franklin.
TheBuffster says
Perfect, Mirren. 🙂
gravenimage says
More from llanfair:
They are just cartoons? Yes they are but people are murdered for it.
…………………………………..
Notice the use of the passive tense, as though it is no one’s fault that Muslims are murdering people over cartoons—except, of course, for the cartoonists…
And let’s take this further: they are novels? Yes but people are murdered for it. It is just figurative art? Yes, but people are murdered for it. It is just music? Yes, but people are being murdered for it. It is just non-Muslim worship? Yes but people are being murdered for it. It is just the absence of a headscarf? Yes but people are being murdered for it…
One can go on and on. The fact is that Infidels are being murdered for *any* un-Islamic behavior, not just for the creation of cartoons.
More:
This Muhammad At exhibit and Cartoon contest is just guise to taunt the extremists. In the process you’ll be provoking other tolerant Muslims as well.
……………………………….
*Very* common. First the claim that most Muslims are completely tolerant; then the claim that they are apt to become just as homicidal as the “extremists” if “provoked”.
And again, the false idea that these cartoons are only intended to “taunt” Muslims, rather than being primarily meant for other Infidels.
More:
You are thinkers .. think of other ways to show freedom of speech and expression.
……………………………….
In other words, find ways to show freedom of speech that is approved by murderous Muslims. Perhaps praising Jihad? That would certainly be safe…
More:
I don’t know about you but I am above such revengeful tactics which I find a clear attempt to rule the emotions of the extremists which is already on an all-time high.
……………………………….
The idea that peaceful cartoons are unacceptable “revenge” for Muslim threats and murder is simply bizarre. But, alas, calls for such abject dhimmitude are hardly uncommon.
umpkin says
Stop taking up space on this site and the planet you useless piece of flotslam.
gravenimage says
umpkin wrote:
Stop taking up space on this site and the planet you useless piece of flotslam.
…………………………………
What part of my post do you object to? Surely you are not pro-Jihad?
If you are pumpkin—I assume that was just a typo in your username line—whom I know to be a solid Anti-Jihadist, then I cannot imagine what you would disagree with.
voegelinian says
llanfair is a Muslim troll.
vickie says
Silly!!! Provoked other tolerant Muslims would equal radical Muslims!!
mortimer says
There is no ‘moderate’ Islam. There is only one Islam…’consensus’ Islam agreed on by all the Islamic centers of learning.
Don McKellar says
Yes, let’s keep our mouths shut and be good little dhimmis so that we don’t provoke or offend our masters, the superior Muslims! After all, we don’t want to radicalise them with our actions, because they aren’t responsible for themselves. Well, said, vickie, you incredible retard.
mortimer says
‘The let’s not provoke them’ argument is naïve, because THEY ARE ALREADY PROVOKED!
Neville Chamberlain tried to stop Hitler with gentle arguments. He failed because Hitler saw gentle persuasion as weakness.
So do the Muslims. They will continue to push until they find a steel wall with determined resistance behind it.
Jihadists will try to exploit every weakness.
Mo says
@ vickie says
“Silly!!! Provoked other tolerant Muslims would equal radical Muslims!!”
Silly!!! This sentence (and I use the term loosely) doesn’t even make sense!!
Anything to say on the topic? Or just more incoherent stringing of phrases together?
gravenimage says
To those above, I don’t believe Vickie is being a dhimmi—she is saying that there is no difference between “provoked tolerant Muslims” and “extremists”, which is definitely the case.
TheBuffster says
Yes, Granvenimage, that’s how I took Vickie’s comment.
She’s replying to IIanfair’s comment: “This Muhammad At exhibit and Cartoon contest is just guise to taunt the extremists. In the process you’ll be provoking other tolerant Muslims as well. ”
Vickie’s telling IIanfair that if tolerant Muslims can be “provoked”, then they aren’t tolerant Muslims.
gravenimage says
Agreed, Buffster.
Dag says
I hope to publish my latest masterpiece some time next week. This book, my sixth in recent years, is titled ” Snootom.” It’s written in the ancient Polish dialect of Samizdat. I do all this because otherwise, in the land of the free and the home of the brave I wouldn’t be able to pass the censors.
http://nodhimmitude.blogspot.com/2015/03/new-book-by-dw-walker-coming-soon.html
gravenimage says
I like your witty use of Magritte’s “This is not a Pipe” for the cover, Dag.
Dag says
Hey, you.
(I like using that salutation. I picked it up from watching videos of “Dexter.”)
I’m glad you like my cover. I fear that the cover is not only too clever for the censors, but that it will be too clever for the world at large. I have to use subterfuge to get this book past the censors, and the best way I can think of is to follow Hugh Fitzgerald’s advice of reprising Samizdat. I had a fit when he first menioned it, but today it looks like the only hope of getting published. There are a couple of problems with this, however.
Being underground, as it were, means that I have to be sneaky and witty, but as we know, most people are pretty straightforward, to put it bluntly. Most wil not have a clue what a painting of a pipe is doing on a book cover about Snootoms. And if they ever see the book itself I fear they will miss the point of an oil painting by Rembrant of four broken fridges on a collapsing loading dock. But what else can I do?
I live in the Amazon jungle in Peru. I wouldn’t go back home to attend a worthwhile weekend of Motooning, but I am certainly not going back ONLY for that. I live and work here in the jungle. It’s hard enough making a living here without thinking of flying around the world for a fun weekend. I can do as much here as there. In fact, I can do more in Peru than I could in America or Britain because, in spite of the misinformed mass, Peru is a free country, while America and Britain are not free nations. Worse for many, Bolivia is even better than Peru. How does that make Americans feel? I would think shame would come to the fore. I’m not going back. I stay here and write books and try to make a living.
To make a living, and to do what I have been doing here for about a dozen years, I am close to publishing a 200 page book on the chronology of the cartoon outrage from Salman Rushdie to the recent murders in Copenhagen. to get my book past the censors I have to be clever. That in itself might defeat me if too many just don’t get it. I work with some sense of optimism, regardless. I’m making satire. I know, most people won’t get it. There’s another problem that I would like some advice about.
I smoke so much mapacho, cigar tobacco, that I can hardly draw breath, let alone cartoons. Thus, like the endlessly aclaimed Pre-Raphelites, I turn to images ready-made and make them my own. But they aren’t my own in this day and age. I don’t own the copyright, for example, of the movie poster Plan Nine From Outerspace, originally a painting by Edward Hopper, recently used by Demmahom as a campaign programme for his successful run as Community Organiser. I don’t own a lot, when it comes to it, though I have a fine backpack that I hope will come with me to Iraq and Syria if I make some cash to work there with some motorcycle gangsters I am becoming friends with. What can I do?
Graven Image, I have one of your old works of Westergaard smiling away. I could likely use that in my book without fear of a lawsuit slamming down on my publication. I won’t be using that particular image because it’s about Mohammed, and my book, Snootoms, is not about Motoons, nor is it about Mohammed, but it is about another Community Organiser named Demmahom. My book is about Malsi. No Islam for the censors to freak out about. But, will I have trouble with the lawyers for using found art? What say? And if you tell me things I don’t want to hear, if you write words I don’t want to read, are you up to redoing some things quickly for this book?
Do you have my email address? I’m also sort of at facebook at Dag Walker. Say “Hey, you.”
My best.
gravenimage says
Hi, Dag.
You can use any of my Mo Toons—the Kurt Westergaard “Heroes Against Jihad” piece you mentioned—which features his famous “Mohammad with a bomb in his turban” cartoon—or the ones featuring old Mo leering at little Aisha on her swing, raping her on her “wedding night”, and massacring the Banu Qurayza tribe.
You can find all of them here and several more here:
http://s478.photobucket.com/user/gravenimageartist/library/?sort=3&page=1
I’m not sure if the resolution is high enough for your purposes.
I don’t have your email, or I could send you jpegs. Is there an email link at your blog?
And right now I’m working on a “Heroes Against Jihad” of “Charb”—Charlie Hebdo’s editor-in-chief Stéphane Charbonnier, which includes the most famous of the Mohammed cartoon covers. And three more cartoons of the foul “Prophet” himself, which I will—hopefully—have ready before the April 5th deadline.
For others, are you familiar with Bosch Fawstin’s fine Pigman work? He has quite a few pieces what would qualify as MoToons. And then there is Derek Devereaux’s scathing painting.
Your book sounds excellent—I want to check it out.
Dag says
Graven Image: I face a problem I would never have imagined could occur in the United States of America. I cannot publish cartoons of Mohammed. I’ve made my own for a decade, used other people’s work, spread it all over the Internet, but I cannot get a book of Motoons past the censors at the publishing company. They will not allow it. It’s not me or you or Spencer saying no. It’s not even jihadis saying no. It’s the publishing company. The corporation refuses to allow Motoons.
Is that the end of my plan? Not a chance. I don’t like it, but it means I have to be smarter than the average monster multi-national corporation. Am I clever enough to sneak a book past them? In fact, I am. The problem is that I might be too clever: I might be so clever that like a Roman ere Christian drawing fish cartoons, Christians will say, ‘That doesn’t look like Jesus to me. I don’t want it.’ All my efforts to explain are going to be wasted on people who don’t want to get it. Many people will simply reject the whole idea for any number of reasons, mostly because of inertia, the very thing we see here year after year. Another decade or more of excuses to do nothing. But my book will come out anyway.
In this time of petty dictatorship from the Left, I resort to Samizdat, the old Soviet-era form of literature for the masses living under a fascist regime. It’s underground literature, and that alone will scare many people who will be afraid to have my book. The neighbours might see it. The state might find an order for it. Someone at the office might talk. But mostly it will be too subtle for people. It’s not subtle at all. It is just not so obvious that even the stupidest among us will understand it immediately. I don’t care. I resist the dictatorship, and that is what I do. I live to resist the fascists and the censors. If others ‘don’t get it’, then I carry on and do more.
My book is a narrative of the life of Demmahom. It doesn’t follow his life exactly, because he was not, to my knowledge, ever a community organiser, for example. Demmahom probably never really campaigned for public office with the promise of providing free monkey bone dental implants for the poor. Maybe his first grant proposal was not painted by Jackson Pollock. There will be many who say that this book is too obscure. It’s Samizdat.
I’ll get you my email address as soon as I see your response here.
gravenimage says
Graven Image: I face a problem I would never have imagined could occur in the United States of America. I cannot publish cartoons of Mohammed. I’ve made my own for a decade, used other people’s work, spread it all over the Internet, but I cannot get a book of Motoons past the censors at the publishing company. They will not allow it. It’s not me or you or Spencer saying no. It’s not even jihadis saying no. It’s the publishing company. The corporation refuses to allow Motoons.
……………………..
This kind of thing can be complicated and tricky—which is what makes it so frustrating. Any given publisher may decline a manuscript for any number of reasons—it is not on a subject the publisher handles (i.e. an excellent history of WWII sent to a publisher of adult romance novels), the publisher believes, rightly or wrongly, that a book is in the wrong format to succeed (i.e., the Harry Potter books, which many publishers thought were too long and in language too sophisticated to hold the interest of children—boy were they wrong), they might feel that there is no market for the work (i.e., a two-thousand-page general interest book on nematodes), or they might feel that the market is simply flooded with books on the subject, and that their book has little chance of standing out (i.e, yet another book on how to strike it rich in real estate back in the 2000s). This last is obviously *not* the case with a book on MoToons. The publisher might, of course, also just feel that the book is not well-written, or not written in a style that suits the subject matter or target readership.
In the case of a book like yours, you may also run into, as you have surmised, censorship—either out of “political correctness”, or simple fear of violence from Jihadists.
One thing to consider is approaching publishers who have already bucked these fears. Robert Spencer and Mark Steyn publish mostly through Regnery Publishing. There are probably a few others
More:
Is that the end of my plan? Not a chance. I don’t like it, but it means I have to be smarter than the average monster multi-national corporation. Am I clever enough to sneak a book past them? In fact, I am. The problem is that I might be too clever: I might be so clever that like a Roman ere Christian drawing fish cartoons, Christians will say, ‘That doesn’t look like Jesus to me. I don’t want it.’ All my efforts to explain are going to be wasted on people who don’t want to get it. Many people will simply reject the whole idea for any number of reasons, mostly because of inertia, the very thing we see here year after year. Another decade or more of excuses to do nothing. But my book will come out anyway.
In this time of petty dictatorship from the Left, I resort to Samizdat, the old Soviet-era form of literature for the masses living under a fascist regime. It’s underground literature.
….and that alone will scare many people who will be afraid to have my book. The neighbours might see it. The state might find an order for it. Someone at the office might talk. But mostly it will be too subtle for people. It’s not subtle at all. It is just not so obvious that even the stupidest among us will understand it immediately. I don’t care. I resist the dictatorship, and that is what I do. I live to resist the fascists and the censors. If others ‘don’t get it’, then I carry on and do more…
……………………..
Remember that censorship from privately-owned publishers is *not* the same—or quite as pernicious—as *state censorship*.
Right now, there is very little *overt* state censorship in the United States, although this is starting to be a serious problem in places that used to be bastions of freedon of speech, such as Britain.
You might have a hard time finding a publisher who will take on your book, but that still leaves self-publishing. Some authors have done *very well* with self-publishing. The biggest stumbling block is finding good distribution—only a handful of distributors handle self-published work, and you have to do your own publicity. There is the added issue with a book like yours that individual outlets may balk at carrying it out of the same “political correctness” or fear that effects publishers.
Of course, the internet has been quite a leveler in this respect—the big problem is how to get your book noticed in a sea of other work. One good thing is that I have never heard of Amazon censoring a work—I can’t say it’s never happened, but not that I know of.
And then there are other ways to get your book noticed—especially though doing your own marketing.
So I *would not* assume that you have to resort to some sort of code if you don’t want to—I doubt you will actually face any sort of state censorship in the US. If things worsen, of course, that could change.
And there will always be people afraid to read work like this at the office or out in public—but the great thing about books is that most of them are read at home, which is generally safe for even the most frightened dhimmi.
More:
My book is a narrative of the life of Demmahom. It doesn’t follow his life exactly, because he was not, to my knowledge, ever a community organiser, for example. Demmahom probably never really campaigned for public office with the promise of providing free monkey bone dental implants for the poor. Maybe his first grant proposal was not painted by Jackson Pollock. There will be many who say that this book is too obscure. It’s Samizdat.
……………………..
I get a kick out of this—but again, it may not be strictly necessary. You might try a more straight-forward approach, and only go to this as a “plan B” if you run into trouble. I’d be interested, in either case. But you’re right—you would almost certainly baffle some of your potential reading audience, and many would probably just miss the book entirely.
Then you might want to consider strategies for publicity, especially if you self-publish. Luckily these days with Skype it is easier than ever before to lauch a publicity campaign, even from the Peruvian jungle .
I know this has been a long post, but I hope some of this has been useful.
More:
I’ll get you my email address as soon as I see your response here.
……………………..
I’d love to have it—I know exchanging email addresses safely can be a *big* issue for us here at JW.
By the way, I’d definitely like to see your own MoToons.
Dag says
Hi, Gravenimage,
My first self-published book came out while I was travelling in Bolivia. I left it to a fellow who went on a cocaine binge. What a nightmare it is to see what he did to my work. The book is still about as good as I could have done in Bolivia, but it needs work on the layout and I have to redo his retyping. Endless typos. That said, self-pubishing works for me in that I have almost complete freedom to publish as I will.
My second book came out in Iquitos, Peru. It suffers from a very chunky type font, the only one seemingly that we could get over the wire here in the jungle. Too bad about the look of the page, it’s a very good book on its own.
My third book, a history and account of jungle drugs in the Amazon, is a travel book like the others.
The fourth book is about some German philosophers most people won’t be fighting to read.
The fifth book here is a novel, very clever and fun to read, though the cover type is too small for most people. I work these things out as I go.
Here’s a link to all of my books to date.
http://www.amazon.com/D.-W.-Walker/e/B00PSKO7ZQ/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_bl_3/188-0967077-0080300?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=10P3J6JMRDR8JNY9XJVM
It works for me in a small way. I live in Iquitos as a journalist and I hope to make enough money at some point to get back to the Middle East to write from there. I like a physical fight far more than the nonsense I get on the net. Maybe when the first cartoon book is out I will also attempt to do the other and see if anyone responds.
dag ald dot walker at g ma il dot c om
gravenimage says
Dag, sorry some of the information I gave you was so basic—I wasn’t sure how knowledgeable you were about publishing. Your works at Amazon look quite fascinating. I’ll be in touch.
Dag says
Gravenimage, I aways appreciate good advice, and even if I know some or even much, there is always room to learn more. So, thanks for the input.
It’s certainly cheaper to buy my books as Kindle versions, and some of the earlier books are badly done in the layout department, making a real book a bit of a travesty, at least from my point of view. One might keep in mind that when the first book came out I was in the high Andes mountains in the poorest nation in South America where I discovered that if a government is keen on dictatorship, the last thing to do is attempt to ban the Internet. Rather, the smart dictator will make the service available to almost everyone and then ensure that the service, though free or nearly so, is so poor that all one can do is play video games day and night. I was in that position, and thus, I had no control over the publication of my first book. It’s definitely interesting, but it needs editing so badly that I embarrassed. The second book, again in a place with almost no Internet connection to speak of, means that the font is not attractive. It’s a serious consideration. My novel needs some repairs because my computer at this time is fried and no amount of saving corrections makes any difference. The novel is good. One just needs over look the typos. I really can’t do anything about it at this time. Thus, be warned that I’m not able to say my books are pretty all the time. They aren’t. I can and will reissue them when I have time, which means money, and a better computer with better access to the Internet. For now, you just have to accept or not accept that my books are from poor Third World conditions.
Other than that, all is good. My cartoon book is taking forever to come out. I can’t count on a steady flow of electricity, and I have a lot of technical problems to overcome, but in all, this is a very funny, smart, and nasty book. It is also informative. I suspect I am the only person so far to have a copy of Demmahom’s high school yearbook in which his grad photo was painted by Vermeer, and that Demmahom looks exactly like Charles Manson.
The things one learns in writing books!
Draki says
After reading the last paragraph, I now think that drawing these cartoons could have the effect of changing the minds of muslims that islam is wrong. The difference is that these cartoons will inflame them, a normal person or Christian just wouldn’t be bothered much and wouldn’t affect them. Thank you for posting this article.
DeusLoVult says
Egypt’s El-Sisi CLOSING 27,000 Mosques in Effort to Fight Islamic Terror
http://shoebat.com/2015/03/04/egypts-el-sisi-closing-27000-mosques-in-effort-to-fight-islamic-terror/
Draki says
That’s a good plan. It will lessen the number of venues preaching islamic terror.
cs says
Shoebat, shall we trust this source? Shall we wait for memri perhaps??
DeusLoVult says
Yes, Walid Shoebat monitors communications in the East. He knows what they’re up to.
Michael Copeland says
“The Battle of Paris” is what the Yemeni Al Qaeda handlers called it. The Charlie Hebdo jihad attackers – Soldiers of Allah – were sent by them. The attack was a direct, malign, and fatal attack on Western law: it was France’s Pearl Harbor. See
http://libertygb.org.uk/v1/index.php/news-libertygb/6721-charlie-hebdo-massacre-france-s-pearl-harbor
cs says
MAN I LOVED THAT MAG.
hahaha, they gave a big homage to the freaky GALLOWAY hahahaha.
Nice work.
Dan says
llanfair,
I’m Catholic, and priests are constantly excoriated over the sexual abuse scandals even though it’s been long been proven, (Read some of Michael Coren’s material.) that this particular offense occurs at the same percentage level in ALL religions, and that actually it has decreased in the case of the Church because, under fire, measures have been taken.
Also, the sexual abuse rate of minors is FAR higher in non religious areas; foster homes, children’s clubs and associations, sporting organizations, and even Disney for Pete’s sake, but that doesn’t seem to bother anybody.
It seems to be an attack specifically focused on the Catholic church.
Annoyed by the talking point arguments, mad even at times, and definitely sick and tired of them,if people won’t at least listen to facts as I’ve come to learn them, enough to investigate themselves, then I simply have nothing to do with them. (As long as it appears they won’t assault or slander me.)
For mere words, even heated, never once, has the thought ever crossed my mind, that such idiots should be killed.
Not even a fleeting thought.
Yet Muslims seem to be the only vocalizing such violence all the time.
By your logic, all we Catholics need to do to stop the accusations is to curb stomp all who make them.
Or worse.
Society has ignored this radical/so called moderate mess too long and now, and like someone who has a terminal disease, we had better do anything and everything we can to stop its progression.
Even if it just means barking at the moon.
TheBuffster says
Well said, Dan.
llanfair says
Mariam rove & co ….LOL typical example of BIGOTRY!
mariam rove says
Bigotry? Who do you think we are here on this site? Bunch of uneducated muslims with second grade education? You thought you can come here and spew your PC BS and we all are going to sit back and praise your BS? And the you sign off as Shalom pretending to be a Jew? We were born at night and we weren’t born last night. Pack up your bag and go troll else where.m
jihad3tracker says
Hello Mariam — Yes, when the word “bigotry” appears in someone’s reply instead of dealing with specifics, it IS time to ignore whatever else he writes.
I have already spent 20 minutes of my life trying to get IIanfair to see how his “reasoning” cedes control — ARBITRARY, WHATEVER ONE DECIDES IS INSULTING, CONTROL — to another person.
No more responses from me here in this comment section — a waste of energy.
TheBuffster says
jihad3tracker – yes, it’s clear that IIanfair’s not interested in rebutting arguments and engaging with ideas. With all the excellent replies, so many of which have been well-reasoned and thoughtful, one would expect a more thoughtful response.
Nevertheless, hihad3tracker, your time hasn’t been wasted. The most important reader of your and other posts here isn’t the person we reply to, but the readers who come by to read the article and stay for the comments without ever posting a thing, but who go away with a clearer understanding of what’s at stake and how to fight to preserve our liberty.
duh_swami says
Mariam…Enthusiastic applause…
Mo says
@ llanfair says
“Mariam rove & co ….LOL typical example of BIGOTRY!”
Answer my points in my prior comment. Spare me the nonsense of “I don’t respond to ___” as you’ve said to others.
Are you a Muslim? Muslim apologist? Or just a coward?
Which is it?
gravenimage says
llanfair wrote:
Mariam rove & co ….LOL typical example of BIGOTRY!
………………………….
What is “bigoted’ about criticizing the pedophilic rape of a little 9-year-old child—which serves as a model for Muslims today? Surely you do not condone this?
Georg says
It would be bigoted to ignore it– because although there isn’t a rational reason to, there is a common one.*
* See Rezali “paint chips are my curry PCAMC” Mehil
gravenimage says
Yes—the trolls are out in force on this thread, Georg.
TH says
Charlie Hebdo is an extremist atheistic anti any religion group who dedicate their efforts to insult any religous figure including Popes etc. It seems to me that everyone deserves respect and whist in the name of freedom of speech such a group can exist, but it should not be given a loudspeaker to proclaim its hatred of all religion. They had a circulation of 30,000 copies a month, which is a very small number compared to the circulaiton of newspapers and magazines in France. They did have the virtue of being faithful to their principles and when Mahomedans burned down their premises a few years ago they didn’t give in and censure themselves. They are somewhat like adolescents who seem to want to bother others. So, the stupid muslims by attacking them gave them free publicity and they haven’t stopped publishing cartoons against Mahommed. Besides, if they base their caatoons on the official life of Mahommed, they can find plenty of material to ridicule. If they ridiucle Popes, as they have frequently done, nobody has paid much attention to them except the 30,000 who buy the magazine. They should be ignored and left carry on their insultas as it is infantile and ridiculous. They have my sympathy as they certainly didn’t deserve to be gunned down, If you go and attack the Mafia, I guess you can expect some gunman to come round and kiill you.
mariam rove says
Here we go again. Another PC BS. m
cs says
lol
gravenimage says
Good grief—the apologists are out in force here. Here’s another fool who appears to believe that if we only play nice with homicidal Muslims we’ll be OK. I don’t have to agree with all of Charlie Hebdo’s content to see that they are on the front lines of protecting our freedom of speech.
Surely you don’t believe that ravening Mohammedans will stick at “adolescent” publications, do you?
And Robert Spencer is a devout Christian, but he realizes that protecting our freedom of speech might involve cheerfully countenancing a few rude cartoons.
Je Suis Charlie!
Mo says
@ TH
“Charlie Hebdo is an extremist atheistic anti any religion group who dedicate their efforts to insult any religous figure including Popes etc. ”
Yet no other religious group attacked them for doing so, except for Muslims.
So what’s your point?
I’m not going to waste my time like I did with the other commenter. Let’s see if you answer this or just ignore me. I’m sick of wasting time and energy and thought on responses that go ignored.
RonaldB says
Mo says says: “I’m not going to waste my time like I did with the other commenter. Let’s see if you answer this or just ignore me. ”
I can’t resist.
It’s a waste of time to reply to Muslims with logic, if you only want to affect the Muslim. The reason is that Islam is a cult, and like all cults, practices a form of mind-control by repetition and demonization of logic. Muslim are forced to repeat their mind-numbing, inane prayers five times a day, and are corrected, banned, shunned, beaten, or killed for even speculating independently.
The Koran specifically enjoins Muslims from applying logic to their religious laws and rules. It is forbidden to even question any tenet of Islam.
From this, you expect a response to critical argument?
The reasons Muslims kill each other so enthusiastically, is exactly because there is no appeal to judgement. You believe in the Sunni dogma, or the Shi’ite dogma, or the Ahmaddiya dogma. If you believe in the wrong dogma, there is no appeal except by killing you: no appeal to logic, science, or anything objective.
The way to get apostates is not by showing the illogic of Islam. The way to get an apostate is simply to stimulate the critical thinking of any particular Muslim. Once a Muslim is thinking critically, all he needs to do is revisit the prayers or Koran again.
This is why the Saudi reprogramming of violent Muslims is so spectacularly unsuccessful. The Saudis themselves are victims of groupthink, so they seek to replace one form of groupthink with another form more to their liking.
To get to my point, there is no reason to expect the zombie defenders/victims of Islam to respond to logic. They have been inoculated against logic.
Demsci says
Oh, I do agree, RonaldB, but … on the website of Ali Sina(.0rg) there is a “plague” visitor named “Aminriadh”, “Aminthemystic”. he purports to be both Muslim and very well versed in logic. He contradicts and ridicules Ali Sina and his visitors mercilessly and extensively. The poster “know the enemy” he calls “my enemy” for instance.
I would love him to come to Jihad Watch, where the well, logical thinking people on my side could battle him with logic. Alas, he doesn’t have the guts to comment here.
Mo says
@ RonaldB
“The Koran specifically enjoins Muslims from applying logic to their religious laws and rules. It is forbidden to even question any tenet of Islam.”
I can’t remember if that other commenter was a Muslim or not. Either way, I don’t share the view that it’s pointless to try and use logic with them. Muslims are human beings. No matter how brainwashed they might be, there is still the capacity for logic. (Otherwise, no Muslim would ever leave Islam.)
gravenimage says
Ronald B wrote:
It’s a waste of time to reply to Muslims with logic, if you only want to affect the Muslim.
…………………………
I generally agree, Ronald. If I believe someone is a rational actor commenting in good faith—even if I disagree with them quite markedly on some point—then I will address the commenter directly, and do so respectfully.
But if I’m pretty sure someone is acting as a Taqiyya artist, an apologist for savagery, or as a gloating Muslim supremacist, then I don’t reply directly to the troll, but instead aim my comments at my fellow Anti-Jihadists here.
Joseph says
25,252 DEADLY terrorist attacks since 9/11. Some say this is a reason why not to have this contest.
I SAY THIS IS EXACTLY WHY THIS CONTEST MUST GO ON.
gravenimage says
Hear, hear!
mortimer says
The cartoon campaign is part of psychological warfare. A lot of truth is conveyed quickly in a cartoon.
That is why Muslims object to it. Muslims lose their faith when truth, facts and logic are rapidly revealed to them in a cartoon…the backwardness, the moronic stupidity, the intellectual laziness, the misogyny, the barbaric cruelty, the sleaziness…
Cartoons are a weapon in the battle against this vile Death Cult that we cannot fail to use! Not to use cartoons to fight Islam would be irresponsible.
Mirren10 says
*Excellent* replies from everyone to the troll ‘llanfair’, and the moronic ‘vicki’.
Bravo !
Mirren10 says
I do so wish I could draw; I’d enter this contest in a heartbeat !
Georg says
“Why a Muhammad cartoon contest?”
Because it’s genius.
Dave J says
The common and unifying theme of all Muslim apologists seems to be a combination of slippery logic, intellectual dishonesty and outright deceit. Coupled in most cases with a bizarre use of language and punctuation, and sprinkled with various half-articulated threats.
It’s fairly transparent that such people wish to be intolerant bullies and see nothing wrong with that.
RonaldB says
“Coupled in most cases with a bizarre use of language and punctuation, and sprinkled with various half-articulated threats.”
Don’t fool yourself. We get the dregs of the Muslim barrel here at Jihadwatch. The ones who are truly dangerous are the Muslims educated at American institutions who can speak English well, and are persuasive in the halls of power. If only all Muslims were the clowns we see here. The real threat is the sophisticated Muslims who send young Muslims to seminars and workshops on political influence and public relations.
If we are defeated, and forced to accommodate Muslim demands, it will not be by the Muslims, but by our own people in the service of Muslims who have learned how to use Western institutions against the West. The Muslim threat is very sophisticated.
TheBuffster says
Too, true, Ronald.
TheBuffster says
Oooops! I didn’t mean that first comma in my previous post. 🙂
Ed says
The reasoning behind this even is sound, we need to bring freedom of speech to the forefront.
The problem is that we need to be prepared to deal with the consequences.
The question: Is there enough security for this event and have provisions been taken for an ongoing threat of retribution? Can you fund for 24/7/365 protection forever?
Example: Draw Muhammad Day. Excellent event that flooded the Internet and cleared the path for images and satire of Muhammad in the Internet. However, the organizer for this event has been in hiding for almost 5 years.
Stay safe.
voegelinian says
Yes; it’s a shame that the wider mainstream throughout the West is not intelligently aware enough of the danger of Muslims to help protect its own citizens when they choose to exercise their right to protest Islamization in various ways. More often than not, authorities (particularly in the UK and Europe) handicap the anti-Islam people and do little to stem the thuggery of Muslims and their Leftist allies when rallies and demonstrations get out of hand.
This points to the fact that the concerned citizen in the West, in the conscientious exercise of his civic duty, is not only protesting Islam (the Problem) but also his own West’s myopia (the Problem of the Problem).
One only hopes that those in charge of security at this Garland, Texas event are not themselves compromised by asymptotic reflexes which would lead them to trust certain types of Muslims. I frankly would not attend this kind of event unless the event handlers could prove to me that their security staff and security measures are 100% holistic — i.e., 100% prejudiced and discriminatory against all Muslims.
RonaldB says
” I frankly would not attend this kind of event unless the event handlers could prove to me that their security staff and security measures are 100% holistic ”
Well, at this point it’s time to push the awareness campaign. Robert and Pamela have been having to deal with security issues for years, so I think they’re going to be competent in it. But, judging by the protest at the “Standing for the Prophet” convention, there are going to be many people attending the contest who are retired police or military.
If we’re going to take back our freedoms, attending contests like this, organized by brave, devoted defenders of freedom, is a giant step forward.
I have already paid for my ticket.
Mirren10 says
”I have already paid for my ticket.”
Bravo, RonaldB !
voegelinian says
All it takes is one Muslim everyone thinks is “moderate” or “reformed” or “lax” or “ignorant of their own Islam”, who is therefore not cavity-searched by a Jewish lesbian with rubber gloves searching DEEP into all orifices, in addition not subjected to bomb-sniffing dogs, x-rays and MRIs and watched like a hawk during the event — to explode and kill and maim dozens there.
Nope. I wouldn’t go to any event like this unless I had personal assurance to my satisfaction that the security staff were implementing security measures that reflected total prejudice and discrimination against all Muslims.
Joseph says
llanfair, You, yes you are a C.U.N.T. of the highest degree!
In case you don’t know what that is, I will explain. It is an acronym and it means..
Can’t
Understand
Normal
Thinking
You spew your camel shit all around trying to divide us and start arguments. The harder you try to divide us the more united we become. I guess all that inbreeding has left you a little bit MENTALLY DEFICIENT. Why don’t you go back to that cesspool you came from.
WE WILL WIN and there is nothing you can do about it. Just keep up the terror crap and your day of reckoning will come sooner than you think.
You might think I am angry but I am not. I look at this situation as “job security” and it looks like there will be a bit of overtime to be had.
THANKS, and have a nice day.
gravenimage says
I have three completed cartoons that I’ve entered, and three more I’m hard at work on that I hope to have finished by the deadline!
Mo says
@ Gravenimage says
“I have three completed cartoons that I’ve entered, and three more I’m hard at work on that I hope to have finished by the deadline!”
Excellent!
Champ says
Awesome, Graven!! Can’t wait to see them! 🙂
gravenimage says
Thanks, Mo and Champ. I just realized last night that I have a fourth one, as well, but that means I should do another one to pair with it. That means finishing *four* more cartoons before the deadline, including one that is a full painting. Wish me luck!
Mirren10 says
That’s *brilliant* graven. Well done. Bet you win !
I so wish I could be there.
Champ says
“Wish me luck!”
Yes, dear Graven!!!
gravenimage says
Thank you, guys!
Buraq says
@ llanfair and that brainless bint, Rezali
Right now, there are more Charlie Hebdo cartoons of your prophet in France than Qu’rans. And you think you’re winning! Idiots and clowns.
Champ says
Mo asks:
Are you a Muslim? Muslim apologist? Or just a coward?
Which is it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why won’t “llanfair” answer this question? Mo has asked this same question a few times, but still no reply.
Mirren10 says
Champ says:
”Why won’t “llanfair” answer this question? Mo has asked this same question a few times, but still no reply.”
It’s interesting, isn’t it, that trolls/mohammedans/mohammedan apologists, all have exactly the same modus operandi.
First, a pretence of being oh, so reasonable, secondly, when their nonsense is challenged with logic and principles, they squeal and snivel that they won’t interact with emotional and or vile people, then they scuttle away like cockroaches when one switches on the light.
It is **exactly** the same pattern, **every** time. Very curious. It’s almost as if there was some manual somewhere they’ve all read, and follow to the letter. Or perhaps it’s just leftard ‘logic’ … 🙂
Hope you’re well, dear Champ.
Champ says
Indeed, Mirren10! ..great comment, my dear friend! xo 🙂
duh_swami says
The most disgusting and degrading thing a MAN can say to a bully is,,,’please don’t hurt me’…The fearless don’t talk like that…it is the language of a coward…
ECAW says
As it happens I find most religious claims ridiculous whether they’re about people walking on water or flying to heaven on a donkey but I have no objection to anyone believing such things and wouldn’t go out of my way to ridicule them.
But when one group tells me I can’t ridicule them on pain of death then it becomes an absolute duty to do so. They have thrown down the gauntlet and made it clear that we are in an all or nothing struggle between their supremacist outlook and our “live and let live” outlook in the West. Yes, there will be casualties but that’s unavoidable when you stand up to a bully.
Mirren10 says
” Yes, there will be casualties but that’s unavoidable when you stand up to a bully.”
Hear, hear, ECAW !
ECAW says
The Bully Religion – that’s about right don’t you think Mirren?
voegelinian says
I can’t be there in Garland, Texas; but these are among the contenders I would submit as my Muhammad portrait:
http://images.popmatters.com/news_art/b/book-doriangray-splsh.jpg
or:
http://wahooart.com/A55A04/w.nsf/OPRA/BRUE-5ZKEM7/$File/Magritte%20-%20The%20Therapist.jpg
or, last but not least:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/2a/ab/16/2aab16ee2dbb3c4fa8bda8e163c4b1c7.jpg
Mirren10 says
I rather like this one. islam, of course, being the poisoned apple.
http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.608038353085138694&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0
Dag says
What is a Mohammed cartoon?
To make the point that there is no such thing as a Mohammed cartoon, Molly Norris, Lars Vilks and I, as well as, no doubt now, others have shown, anything and everything is a Mohammed cartoon. Vilks posted a photo of two metal lawn chairs, and he rightly titled it “A Portrait of Mohammed.”
Due to the hypersensitivity of our culture when it comes to anything remotely able to be seen or suggested as “racist’ we are driven underground in our efforts to bring some clarity to this debate. I am attempting to sneak past the censors an entire book of Motoons, and I am using what I call the ancient Polish language, Samizdat. It might work getting me past the censors, but I have doubts whether many will bother with it, given that it seems to be the preferred past-time of many to indulge in slanging matches with trolls here.
Folks wasted a full day trading nonsense with a troll. Another day lost, and we ask why it’s been all these years and still no progress against the creep of Shari’a.
Voegelinian, I used a Margritte painting for the cover of my soon-to-be-published book.
http://nodhimmitude.blogspot.com/2015/03/new-book-by-dw-walker-coming-soon.html
voegelinian says
Jolly good show! I also used that Magritte painting for my blog a couple of years ago; then more recently for another essay, felicitously found an Arabic version:
http://hesperado.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-pipes-dream-addendum.html
Dag says
Hesperado!? This is like a geriatric ward. Long time, years and years, since we last interconnected via the www.
Ok, hi. Hope all is well.
Can’t be that bad if you like Voegelin.
voegelinian says
Vilks posted a photo of two metal lawn chairs, and he rightly titled it “A Portrait of Mohammed.”
I didn’t know that; it had occurred to me before that any image could be an “image of Mohammed”, to make our point about the fascistic iconoclasm of Islam. As I cheekily posted on my blog nearly five years ago, even an abstract painting could be one:
http://glossaryhesperado.blogspot.com/2010/05/muhammad-by-jackson-pollock.html
Indeed, the Dadaist possibilities are many. One could imagine an exhibit of a painting of an Arab Bedouin in full garb, titled: This is NOT Prophet Muhammad.
voegelinian says
Indeed, the Dadaist possibilities are many. One could imagine an exhibit of a painting of an Arab Bedouin in full garb, titled: This is NOT Prophet Muhammad.
— and Muslims somewhere would still kill, and/or threaten to kill.
Dag says
“Indeed, the Dadaist possibilities are many.”
Yeah, the Dada possiblities are many, but it’s not so easy coming up with over 100 funny ideas over the course of weeks and weeks and then going back to be even funnier.
I’m using a couple of Dali paintings, in black and white, to illustrate a couple of episodes in the life of Demmahom. As I recall, early in Demmahom’s career as a community organiser he used public funds to open a day care center next door to his house. That daycare centre looks a lot like a Dali painting.
Man, I am doomed to perpetual poverty here. But I am an artist. I must suffer.
(That is sarcasm. Satire is something altogether different.)
Dag says
Click on my name here and it will take you to my blog where you can see a bit of what I’m working on.
I did some of this back in 2005/06, but it was only after the recent rampages in Paris and Copenhagen that I decided to go for a whole book of satire based on what I did then, what that major genius of modern art, Molly Norris, and what Lars Vilks concluded as well: that everything is a Motoon. You can’t stop reality or dreams, or even alternate universes from being exactly what they are: Mohammed Cartoons.
I’m putting out a 200 page book on the run-up to all this, and it’s illustrated with about 120 or so graphics to make a point by telling a story about how Demmahom was raised, went through adolescence and early manhood till he became a community organiser and eventually a religious figure until he died and was taken to heaven in a golden chariot by an angel. As you can imagine, satire makes this less than obvious. I shrug. I write and publish, and the world does as it will.
Angemon says
voegelinian posted:
“these are among the contenders I would submit as my Muhammad portrait”
Did you draw those?
voegelinian says
Hence my use of the optative mood (viz., “would”).
gravenimage says
Thanks, Voeg and Mirrren—I got a real kick out of your links! A *lot* of images can work as MoToons, if looked at in the right spirit.
Dag says
Lars Vilks, Molly Norris, and I all came to the conclusion that everything is a Mohammed cartoon. If one can convey that to the public, then the cartoon business is over for Muslims. One can point at the sky adn say, “The moon is a Mohammed cartoon.”
I’m creating a whole book on this premise.
Snootom. Thus, the cover graphic from R. Magritte, “This is not a Pipe.” It’s a Mohammed cartoon. Believe me, if Molly Norris can figure it out, anyone can.
andrew sapia says
Absolutely terrific comic book. Everyone should copy the links and post all over you tube and other sites.
Who produces it? Is it UK or here in the US?
I love it! It’s a great way to get info out there that would otherwise never be seen by people.
Jim OMalley says
Great, I glad to see that someone in the media has some balls. It is important to let these clowns know that no American man, Black or white, Christian or Jew is afraid of them. As soon as we get a non Muslim president American is going to rain down hell on them as we did in the surge. The ones we don’t kill will craw back in their caves. The ones who left America or Europe to fight with them should be bared from coming back.
Rossbro says
Print and disseminate the vilest crap man can dream up about Mohammed, and DARE Muslims to riot. Have water cannons loaded with pig urine and skunk juice, ready to spray rioters and their friends.
Georg says
I’d just like to say how proud I was to see Robert’s article– it was spot on, as always! The magazine, if that’s what such a digital piece could be referred to as, is great. It’s always encouraging to see Robert presented in different media, and they’re fortunate to share his talent.