Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

COLUMN: People have the right to criticize all religious figures
By Corey Kane
The News Record (U. Cincinnati)
02/13/2006

(U-WIRE) CINCINNATI — On Feb. 9, the European Union announced "[it] may try to draw up a media code of conduct to avoid a repeat of the furor caused by the publication across Europe of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad," according to a Reuters article.

This is the wrong response to the events following the outrage over the Danish Muhammad cartoons.

Many are critical of the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten for their lack of responsibility in publishing the cartoons, which have offended the Muslim community.

The truth is, these cartoons did not ignite the riots, murders and destruction of embassies in several parts of the world. According to CBS news, the cartoons appeared first in September.

Later on, a Danish iman sought to educate those in southwest Asia about the racist climate in Denmark.

He brought along and credited three other pieces to Jyllands-Posten that were not published in that paper.

One of these images, supposedly of Muhammad depicted as a pig, is actually a photo of a contestant at the French Pig-Squealing Championships that was published on MSNBC, according to a BBC article.

In light of this information, it would be irresponsible for the European Union to reward such behavior by creating a media code of conduct over the issues of religion in the media.

It also does not make sense as to why these cartoons are offensive in light of the current political climate.

These cartoons attacked the phenomenon of suicide bombing and other violence in the Muslim world.

Iran's leader is a Holocaust revisionist, and is now running a contest to create cartoons criticizing Western memories of that genocide.

The Danish Muslims claim the cartoons represent the greater prejudice that they have to face.

Europe should not prevent itself from criticizing religious figures, no matter how sacred people hold them.

Dante Alighieri once wrote of Muhammad in the Inferno: "See how Mahomet's mangled and split open... and all the other souls that bleed and mourn were sowers of scandal and schism." Salvador Dali would later depict a split-open Muhammad in hell.

Alighieri was not casting Muhammad for a cameo in some sadistic fantasy; he was making an argument that might offend some.

The culture of the West is better when people are allowed the freedom to criticize even deeply held beliefs.

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