Insulting Islam for Fun and Prophets

I’ve been in Istanbul all week and it’s been quite interesting to see the furor over the caricatures of the prophet mohammed being published in various newspapers. This has led to protests, violence (well, I’m at least aware of guns being fired in the air, and I’m not convinced you can do that whilst retaining a peaceful demeanour) and outrage amongst devout muslims.

Meanwhile, the french (bless their cotton socks) lead the way in offending muslims in the name of free speech by reminding us that every religion is fair game for satire, and publishing more pictures of the prophet.
Warning: Article contains links to sites containing images some may consider offensive

Turkey’s a strange place at the best of time, a secular pro-European democracy with a huge muslim majority but also a sizeable jewish and christian minority. I’ve asked around friends and family to get their opinions, which range from indifference to rage. On friday My mother-in-law, wife and I went to Eyp Sultan Mosque, the holy site where Mohammed’s bodyguard is buried. On the way we passed several mosques, one of which was so full that they lay mats outside up the street where people came for the Hoja’s sermon. The Hojas were saying how people shouldn’t get worked up about it, that these people at best just don’t understand or at worst are trying to provoke a reaction, and that reacting badly just plays into the hands of fundamentalists on either side of the Christian/Muslim fence.

Here’s the rub. On the one hand you have the perfectly legitimate right to free speech. These newspapers legitimately have the right to publish such pictures. I know plenty of people who disagree with me, but at a basic level, these newspapers have the right to publish any form of speech as they see fit, regardless of whether or not we like it. In Denmark, France and other countries that have printed these pictures (including Jordan, bizarrely) the people have the right (although perhaps not legally in all cases) to make their opinion known through the right to assemble, demonstrate and exercise their own free speech. Outside of these countries, those who are upset have the right to make their objections and the right to boycott Danish and other countries’ products.

The French have naturally claimed this issue as one of free speech versus muslim repression. I wonder how the french press would react to a newspaper from a predominantly muslim country featuring pictures of joan of arc being anally violated by the pope with a cross. Which reminds me of a joke I heard some time ago: What type of meat does the pope eat? Nun.

Incidentally, if you want to see an archive of pictures depicting the prophet through the ages, including the caricature then have a look here, although there are images here that some may find offensive.

Of course, many people may argue that the Islamic media slanging western media for publishing pictures of the prophet may be like the pot calling the kettle black, especially when you look at anti-semitism in the arab world.

At the end of the day, you have the right to call me a c*nt on your blog and I have the right not to read it, or to return the favour on mine. You have the right to choose to publish picture of the prophet in your medium and I have the right to choose not to, and if I’m really offended, I have the right to come round your house with my mates, stand on the edge of your land and scream obscenities at you whilst firing guns in the air, legality permitting. But if we are to promote freedom of speech in the Islamic world, there are far better ways to go about it than by insulting its prophets and principles.