Batir Wardam Blog
Blogging about media, science, development, culture and future trends from the perspectives of a Jordanian liberal observer.

Boycotting Denmark, Egypt...and the Whole World!

The very well-informed Egyptiam blogger Sandmonkey has discovered a shock. In a recent post in his blog Rantings of a sandmonkey he documented that an Egyptian newspaper called "al Fajr" has published the 12 notorious cartoons that have sparked a wave of hatred between the Muslim world and parts of Europe. The real surprise is the fact that the Egyptian newspaper published the cartoons in October 2005, which was also in the holy month of Ramadan!
So, do we need to boycott Egypt because an Egyptian newspaper was actually the first media outlet to publish the cartoons after its original publishing in Denmark? Do we have to burn their flags and torch the Egyptian embassy? Let us also recall that the Egyptian government did not react to the cartoons, while the Jordanian government showed its muscles by sending the editors who published the cartoons in early February to the court.
This brings a basic question to our mind: did we get angry because the Danish newspaper published the cartoons of prophet Mohammad (PBUH) or because the published cartoons were all negative and insulting?
I think this is a vital question to ask. The ultraorthodox muslims refuse any drawing of Prophet Mohammad regardless the quality of image. However, the Saudi blogger the Religious Policeman provided us with another surprise. In a recent post he listed more than 50 images of Prophet Mohammad drawn by various "artists" most of them insulting but with two or three very nice drawings from Iran.
Maybe we have to answer the basic question in a very transparent manner. If we are angry for the insulting drawings then the anger should be for all the other drawings maintained in some of Europe's museums, but if we are angry with the concept of drawing itself then how do we justify having nice drawings from Iran and Turkey?


Cover of the Egyptian newspape

Bookmark this post: KhabberDel.ici.ousDiggRedditY! MyWebGoogle Bookmarks
(2) comments


Add a Comment

On February, 11, 2006 5:42 PM , Khalidah said:

Batir, you have asked the question that is on our minds .. and if you ask me, most of the rage was because it is our prophet and not the way he was depicted, proof to that is that the majority did not even see the cartoons and yet they are in the streets protesting and angry and threatening without even knowing what they are protesting against.


On February, 15, 2006 1:49 PM , Blower said:

You are extremely simplifying the matter ya Batir to a silly extent (sorry!)
You should not discuss these issues without deeper consideration to the surrounding facts.

1- You said that there are insulting pictures for our Prophet Mohammad in the European museums. Can you please give me the names of these museums or at least give me your source of such statement?

2- I guess you are fully aware of Islam as a Jordanian. You know that there is no consensus among Islamic scholars from one country to another and from one time to another (as the case in any religion or any debate). You know that for example the Saudi scholars say that the women should cover her face while the Jordanians peers say otherwise, and you know that animal sculptures were OK for the Muslims in Spain in the past, but it is not for Muslims in other places. So you might realize how you might have pictures for the prophet from Iran.

Anyway, the problem is not simply the depiction of the Prophet, but is to picture Muslims minority in Denmark and worldwide as terrorists by picturing their prophets as one, this is an insult to your religion, your history and your self-respect in the first place. Don’t forget also that what escalate the issue the refusal of the Prime Minster of Denmark to meet the Arab Ambassadors after the publication of these cartoons!

You might learn from Jews how they fought hard to protect their image in Europe! Sometime, you should stand up to say NO! (But not of course as the stupid Arabs did by burning embassies in Lebanon and Syria or by lifting hatred slogans like what Muslims did in London.




Add a Comment

<<Home


Comments are not pre-approved. However, any comments including personal insults to the royal family members and insults based on Jordanian-Palestinian divisions will be deleted immediately. This is a platform for civilised dialogue, if you are not up to it go away.