Question:
Why shouldn't Western society be allowed to laugh at about the Prophet Mohamed?
2009-07-05 21:27:21 UTC
Last year, Muslims went on a violent protest about two cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohamed. The journalists who published this work were threatened with beheading, and even people who raised debate were threatened with violence. Why shouldn't we laugh at the Prophet? In Western society we are free to laugh at every other religious idol without fear of violence. Why not yours? And why should we be threatened?
23 answers:
ʄaçade
2009-07-05 21:44:53 UTC
We are all permitted to laugh at everything. Westerners, easterners, northerns; does not matter. If the Muslim community cannot abide by the freedoms we all have, then they are free to abandon freedom, their properties, and their lives as they see fit. I seem to recall the cartoonists were Danes, though. Go figure.



The whole point behind protecting freedom of speech is to protect the expression of offensive speech. Non-offensive speech never needs protection.



Added: Being respected does NOT preclude that person from being ridiculed too. Having respect for someone does not mean you must not laugh at him or her sometimes.
2009-07-06 13:15:04 UTC
Muslims have a different view to Christians when it comes to images. We are used to statues of Jesus, images of God. To us that is normal. Muslims are taught it is wrong to depict Mohamed. To them it is highly offensive. They don't have images of him. A film was done about his life and they couldn't show the actor pretending to be Mohamed. The actor wasn't allowed to speak as though he was Mohamed either. That view caused all the fuss about the teacher calling a soft toy Mohamed. It seems odd to us because we don't view religious icons in the same way.



I would hope that Muslims would respect my Christian faith. I don't think it is unreasonable for us to show them the same respect.



What reaction do you think there would be in America if someone put a porn movie on regular TV at 7pm. Do you think the TV company wouldn't get death threats? Some people wouldn't have a problem with it. As they say "One man's meat is another man's poison."
sparkle
2009-07-06 09:04:58 UTC
Because their religion promotes savagery and thinks you should kill anyone who is not the same as them. You think they would understand humor? If they dont like it then go back to where you can behead people for being blasphemous. It aint gonna happen here and i will laugh at their prophet in their faces if i please. If they dont like freedom, they are FREE to go home. Trust me us Americans, Brits all westerners in general will not cry about it.
warrior prince
2009-07-06 11:16:28 UTC
if u have faith in ny religion u wud know exactly how it feels wen sumone laughs at the one u hold in esteem.

i am a muslim and i believe in jesus(PBUH). but even if there is sumthing i dont believe in and it a sensitive matter to others i think we will b decent.

and wen people talk about freedom of speech y do they go running after sumbody who abuses them.
2009-07-06 04:36:25 UTC
"Why shouldn't Western society be allowed to laugh at about the

Prophet Mohamed?"



The Muslim world is a brittle world, sitting atop a fossilised religion, devoid of any type of political or personal freedom and full of desperately poor people; a world threatened by civilisation and its prosperity, democratic values and, its freedom.

~
Ross
2009-07-06 09:38:15 UTC
She said wrote:

As Muslims we dont mock any of Gods Prophets that includes Jesus (pbuh) Moses (pbuh) etc etc....Its a little thing called RESPECT...



And just how much RESPECT did Mohammed show for the pagans of arabia when he entered the Kaaba and smashed their idols ?



-------------------------------------------



Drop dead fred wrote,

because the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) has great importance to the muslim faith and is the number 1 most influenential man in the world studied by Michael Hart.



Being influential does not necessarily mean virtous, Hart's list also contains Hitler and Stalin. here's some information about Mohammad from the book "Understanding Mohammad" by Ali Sina.



Muhammad is one of the world most influential man indeed, historians tell us Muhammad used to withdraw to a cave, spending days wrapped in his thoughts. He heard bells ringing and had ghostly visions. He thought he was demon possessed, until his wife reassured him he had become a prophet. Convinced of his status, he was intolerant of those who rejected him, assassinated those who criticized him, raided, looted, and massacred entire populations. He reduced thousands to slavery, raped, and allowed his men to rape female captives. All of this, he did with a clear conscience and a sense of entitlement. He was magnanimous toward those who admired him, but vengeful toward those who did not. He believed he was the most perfect human creation and the universe's raison d'être. Muhammad was no ordinary man. Islam is Muhammadanism. Muslims worship and emulate Muhammad. Only by understanding him can one know what makes them tick. Muhammad had a loveless childhood. He then passed to the care of relatives who took pity on him and spoiled him. As the result he developed narcissistic personality disorder, a trait that made him a megalomaniac bereft of conscience. Muhammad believed in his own cause. Even when he lied, he felt entitled and justified to do so. Thanks to another mental illness, namely temporal lobe epilepsy, the prophet of Islam had vivid hallucinations he interpreted as mystical and divine intimations. He also suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder, causing his fixations on numbers, rituals and stringent rules. In the addition, he suffered from acromegaly, a disease caused by excessive production of a growth hormone resulting in large bones and odd facial features. The combination of his psychological disorders and his unusual physiognomy made him a phenomenon that set him apart from ordinary people. His uneducated followers interpreted his differences as signs of his prophethood. Like devotees of all cults, they rose to champion his cause with dedication. By defying death and butchering others they made Islam the world's second largest religion, now the biggest threat to world peace.
Max
2009-07-06 05:59:33 UTC
Hmm...



Freedom of expression and speech states that say/express what you like as long as others are not offended.



I don't see many Jewish, Hindu, Christ cartoons on western media or any media for that respect.



If your western countries are surviving today, it is because of what minorities have done and are doing for western countries. You should check the history of your countries wealth and labour.



Make fun of Prophet Mohammed PBUH as much as you like. You will learn the truth soon enough.
2009-07-06 04:32:34 UTC
We should be able to laugh at whatever we want.



This is the culture of western societies, freedom of speech and expression.



If we went to the Middle East and and insulted their culture we'd be thrown in jail and lashed.



They are now in OUR culture. If they don't like that we are civil human beings, and value free expression and speech they can go back to their Islamic shitholes.



Muslims need to quit coming into Western societies bitching and griping and get offended by everything that's just so darn civilized. We can't go ever there and act like that so they can't here -- what **** heads.
No We Cant
2009-07-06 04:38:44 UTC
because the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) has great importance to the muslim faith and is the number 1 most influenential man in the world studied by Michael Hart. The central human figure of Islam, regarded by Muslims as the messenger and last prophet of God. Also active as a diplomat, merchant, philosopher, orator, legislator, reformer, and military leader.



Michal hart had to find 100 most influential people around the world from any century, this inclues Isac Newton, Vangough, Napolian, Jesus. Muhammed was number 1 out of 100. Amazed huh? check out the link source.



This book is hard to find, people couldnt believe it. He should be respected by all religions and people who dont beleive in a religion. As muslims have respect for Jesus (PBUH)



The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History is a 1978 book by Michael H. Hart. It is a ranking of the 100 people who most influenced human history. Since publication, the book has been hotly debated and its concept widely copied.[citation needed]
Curious Kitty
2009-07-06 04:32:06 UTC
Apparently cuz a number of Muslims don't have a sense of humor, but I agree that doesn't give them the right to threaten cartoonists. Some people just need to lighten up.
ƒløģεττ (the prawn)
2009-07-06 04:42:41 UTC
well in case you haven't noticed there are muslims from the western society so don't act like you're all christians or atheists e.t.c



you know we'll only be proven right once the day of judgement comes so you know you can say what ever you want about him now but you will regret it all soon.



until then peace
Mfh H *A*
2009-07-06 04:38:04 UTC
I agree i believe we should respect beliefs, but people make fun of Jesus and christianity all the time, why should any other figure or religion be treated any differently. WE all have to be able to laugh at ourselves
zaatheist
2009-07-06 04:35:07 UTC
They are unduly sensitive because their prophet and his silly fictitious book are so absurd that they do not stand up to any critical examination. They want to keep people ignorant so they can continue to control and exploit them.
She said
2009-07-06 04:33:05 UTC
Westerners are Muslims also for your information!

As Muslims we dont mock any of Gods Prophets that includes Jesus (pbuh) Moses (pbuh) etc etc....Its a little thing called RESPECT...

Your free to laugh at whatever you like who says your not?

You have to ask why the Cartoonist did it in the first place, obviously he knew what the reaction would be and he knew exactly what he was doing, he was willfully provoking people.

Muhammad (pbuh) is not a religious Idol.

Laugh at whatever you like but printing images of a Prophet that is forbidden in our faith to make images of is another matter altogether.

PS I threatened no one with violence when it happened, thanks for the generalization that never gets old...God is the cartoonists judge lets see how funny you all find it on Judgment day, shall we...

Laugh it up all you like!
SeeInIn
2009-07-06 04:32:34 UTC
Western society IS allowed to laugh at the prophet. They just have to face the consequences. It's that simple.
?
2009-07-06 04:35:55 UTC
@scotgirl60: The cartoonists were dutch, I believe.
SozNotSoz
2009-07-06 04:33:14 UTC
Imagine what would happen if we did the same to Jesus. There would be worse things.



As a Buddhist, I wouldnt want to offend anyone.
theone78
2009-07-06 04:30:21 UTC
I think sometimes though you have to draw the line and have respect for other people and their ways -- especially when it comes to religious beliefs -- because in a way they are cultural beliefs as well -- God Bless in Love and respect !
2009-07-06 04:30:07 UTC
Muslims find it insulting, but we have freedom of speech so they have to just deal with it.
element_115x
2009-07-06 04:33:24 UTC
They'll do anything to ensure they get at least one virgin.
2009-07-06 04:29:57 UTC
Because extremists are crazy.
2009-07-06 04:30:50 UTC
i will laugh at any damn thing i want. CENSORSHIP IS BOLLOCKS!
2009-07-06 04:30:20 UTC
they dont allow it...but we know he wasnt a prophet.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
Loading...