Okay, something serious now

I've been following this discussion regarding the caricatures that a Danish newspaper print about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). (Please, do not open this if you're easily insulted)

I finally seen the problematic caricatures this afternoon. And I must say it doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Yes it's ignorant and stupid, it's definitely wasn't wise, but I really, should I care when some newspaper I haven't even heard before mocking my religion?. It's like being insulted by some random person on the street. I probably just laugh at his face, and said : "who the fuck are you?".

One point is, it's caricatures, they are not meant to take seriously. It won't make anyone with a right mind to actually believe that muslims equals terrorists or other things that they put in there. It's not actually harming me in any way. It won't make me got beat up in the street, or lose any money because of it. So why bother?.

Another point is, since we muslims are actually prohibited to draw prophet Muhammad (pbuh) face, we never really know what he looks like, so I really can't seriously relate to those caricatures intention to depict him.

I also think that the Danish muslim community leaders have been acting unwise by asking support from other muslim countries, knowing full well that the muslims in those part of the world would take this unrationally. It's like those fights in the playground. When you can't handle your own, you called the big brother to help you out.

There's a good parallel about this matter when church goers in England protest about the broadcast of The Jerry Springer Opera (which feature Jesus and Satan arguing in a talkshow). They bombard BBC with tousands protest calls. They send protests to media. And they got result. The plan to show the play in Britain theatres was scraped because the organization who fund the play pull the plug due to the bad publicity. Several major stores refused to sell the DVD records of the play.

See what they did here? They focused the protest to the responsible party. Not to the British govenment, but to BBC. That's what the danish muslims supposed to be doing. Now by bringing unrelated parties to this issue, but by focusing their effort to the guilty party. But what we got was, trashing out embassies, threatening danish citizens who lived in other countries. What the fuck do they think they will gain by doing that?

Also, for muslims in other country, by giving these caricatures much attention, it will just invite more reaction from others who are first know nothing about it. These caricatures have spread all over other Europe newspaper, and showing support for the danish paper. If we just let danish muslims conduct a peace protest, these other newspaper probably wouldn't give a fuck about it. Something will only be important only if we make it important.

I think the danish newspaper is looking for cheap publicity. Print something controversial, they'll got to known all over the world. I find it hard to believe that the editor wouldn't know the effect of the caricature, especially when muslim and west world relationship has been strained in the last few years. And sadly we're giving them what they want.