Here we go again: French weekly publishes Mohammad cartoons

(Reuters) - French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad on Wednesday, a move criticised by the French authorities which sent riot police to protect the magazine's offices.

Issues of the magazine hit newsstands with a front cover showing an Orthodox Jew pushing a turbaned figure in a wheelchair with several caricatures of the Prophet on its inside pages, including some of him naked.

The front page cartoon had the wheelchair-bound figure saying "You mustn't mock" under the headline "Untouchable 2", a reference to a hugely popular French movie about a paralysed rich white man and his black assistant.

The publication came amid widespread outrage over a short film, made with private funds in the United States, that mocks the Prophet and has ignited days of sometimes deadly protests in the Arab world, Africa, Asia and some Western countries.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius criticised the move as a provocation and said he had ordered security beefed up at French diplomatic offices in the Muslim world.

Charlie Hebdo's Paris offices were fire bombed last November after it published a mocking caricature of Mohammad. In 2005, Danish cartoons of the Prophet sparked a wave of violent protests across the Muslim world that killed at least 50 people.

Many Muslims consider any representation of Allah or the Prophet Mohammad offensive.

"Is it relevant and intelligent in this environment to add fuel to the fire? The answer is no," Fabius told France Info radio. "I'm very worried... and when I saw this I immediately issued instructions for special security precautions to be taken in all the countries where it could be a problem."

The government has called for restraint over the cartoons, restating the principles of free speech in France and urging those shocked by the images to take action through the courts.

Muslim leaders in France, which has Europe's largest Muslim population, have appealed for calm.

As outrage over the anti-Muslim film continues to fuel violence and protests across the Islamic world, French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the authorities had rejected a request to hold a march against the film in Paris.

"There is no reason for us to allow conflicts that do not concern France to enter our country," Ayrault told RTL radio.

Social media had circulated calls for a protest on Saturday against the film, after police arrested about 150 people who tried to take part in an unauthorised protest near the U.S. Embassy in Paris last week.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/09/19/uk-protests-france-idUKBRE88I0BS20120919

some men just want to watch the world burn

brb, making popcorn

Many muslims need to grow some thicker skin and those of the anti-muslim persuasion need to stop acting stupid.

That picture is supposed to be offensive?

That picture is supposed to be offensive?

Pirate700

I don't understand whats wrong with drawing Muhammad, religions are mocked all the time.

On one hand, I think people in general need to take in to account cause and effect. This cartoon could cause some people to become violent. People should always be considering what the consequences of their actions are. On the other hand, we can't resort to going in to a blame-the-victim mentality. Someone has all the right in the world to make a cartoon like this, and if people react violently to it, that is them wronging and victimizing other people and not the other way around.

On one hand, I think people in general need to take in to account cause and effect. This cartoon could cause some people to become violent. People should always be considering what the consequences of their actions are. On the other hand, we can't resort to going in to a blame-the-victim mentality. Someone has all the right in the world to make a cartoon like this, and if people react violently to it, that is them wronging and victimizing other people and not the other way around.

_BlueDuck_

The whole point is the cartoon shouldn't make people violent. We can't just keep suppressing anything that could spark violent protests from Muslims forever. Ignoring the problem won't make it go away.

The problem is there is a large chunk of a religious group who believes "blasphemies" against their religion should be punished.

On one hand, I think people in general need to take in to account cause and effect. This cartoon could cause some people to become violent. People should always be considering what the consequences of their actions are. On the other hand, we can't resort to going in to a blame-the-victim mentality. Someone has all the right in the world to make a cartoon like this, and if people react violently to it, that is them wronging and victimizing other people and not the other way around.

_BlueDuck_

Love it. Can anyone who speaks French translate?

[QUOTE="_BlueDuck_"]

On one hand, I think people in general need to take in to account cause and effect. This cartoon could cause some people to become violent. People should always be considering what the consequences of their actions are. On the other hand, we can't resort to going in to a blame-the-victim mentality. Someone has all the right in the world to make a cartoon like this, and if people react violently to it, that is them wronging and victimizing other people and not the other way around.

Wasdie

The whole point is the cartoon shouldn't make people violent. We can't just keep suppressing anything that could spark violent protests from Muslims forever. Ignoring the problem won't make it go away.

The problem is there is a large chunk of a religious group who believes "blasphemies" against their religion should be punished.

Love it. Can anyone who speaks French translate?

airshocker

[QUOTE="_BlueDuck_"]

On one hand, I think people in general need to take in to account cause and effect. This cartoon could cause some people to become violent. People should always be considering what the consequences of their actions are. On the other hand, we can't resort to going in to a blame-the-victim mentality. Someone has all the right in the world to make a cartoon like this, and if people react violently to it, that is them wronging and victimizing other people and not the other way around.

Wasdie

The whole point is the cartoon shouldn't make people violent. We can't just keep suppressing anything that could spark violent protests from Muslims forever. Ignoring the problem won't make it go away.

The problem is there is a large chunk of a religious group who believes "blasphemies" against their religion should be punished.

I think of it in the same way people look at the issue of women who are sexually harassed for wearing suggestive/revealing clothing. Yes, on one hand, I think parading infront of a bunch of known rapists (or to be a bit more realistic, walking home in a bad neighbourhood alone at night) half-naked isn't a smart or good idea. But at the end of the day, the clothing choices of a woman shouldn't cause people to become sexual predators. The real problem isn't the expression of the woman (with her choice of clothing), but rather the people who react violently to it.

Same things apply to this situation.

Personally, I wonder. If this is the floodgates opening for common, open ridicule of Mohammad (say it becomes just as common as ridicule of Jesus), would everyone eventually calm down? Become desensitized to it? I can see offended communities every few years decide to get offended and start so protests, but if the offense is constant, will people really spend the rest of their lives outraged over simple, foreign cartoons or films that really have no effect on their lives?

It's a cartoon. You can't live life walking on egg shells because you may piss off a group of hyper sensitive nutjobs. Society shouldn't have to live in such fear that you can't make a cartoon in fear of violence.Pirate700

I think of it in the same way people look at the issue of women who are sexually harassed for wearing suggestive/revealing clothing. Yes, on one hand, I think parading infront of a bunch of known rapists (or to be a bit more realistic, walking home in a bad neighbourhood alone at night) half-naked isn't a smart or good idea. But at the end of the day, the clothing choices of a woman shouldn't cause people to become sexual predators. The real problem isn't the expression of the woman (with her choice of clothing), but rather the people who react violently to it.

Same things apply to this situation.

Personally, I wonder. If this is the floodgates opening for common, open ridicule of Mohammad (say it becomes just as common as ridicule of Jesus), would everyone eventually calm down? Become desensitized to it? I can see offended communities every few years decide to get offended and start so protests, but if the offense is constant, will people really spend the rest of their lives outraged over simple, foreign cartoons or films that really have no effect on their lives?

_BlueDuck_

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]It's a cartoon. You can't live life walking on egg shells because you may piss off a group of hyper sensitive nutjobs. Society shouldn't have to live in such fear that you can't make a cartoon in fear of violence.Sajo7

[QUOTE="Sajo7"][QUOTE="Pirate700"]It's a cartoon. You can't live life walking on egg shells because you may piss off a group of hyper sensitive nutjobs. Society shouldn't have to live in such fear that you can't make a cartoon in fear of violence.Pirate700

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]

[QUOTE="Sajo7"] I don't think anyone is disputing that, but I think there is a difference between not being able to express an opinion versus being deliberately antagonistic. Sajo7

I wonder if French flag will be burned in the same magnitude as American flags.

I wonder if French flag will be burned in the same magnitude as American flags.

jimkabrhel

some french ambassador is now gonna get shot, somewhere, by somebody :lol:

some french ambassador is now gonna get shot, somewhere, by somebody :lol:

indzman

[QUOTE="indzman"]

some french ambassador is now gonna get shot, somewhere, by somebody :lol:

Pirate700

not sure. Seems french publication provoking muslims. Lets wait for a day or two to see how it ends up lol

some french ambassador is now gonna get shot, somewhere, by somebody :lol:

indzman

It shows that there are those that will refuse to be intimidated or scared into submission.

People need to chill. It's just a cartoon.

[QUOTE="indzman"]

some french ambassador is now gonna get shot, somewhere, by somebody :lol:

FMAB_GTO

or they can burn down french flags, throw stones on french embassay, boycott french products in retaliation.

Muslims will just have to get over it. If they want to commit violence because of a CARTOON that only goes to show(even more) that Islam is a barbaric religion deserving of the ridicule it receives.

That would be sad and wrong if it happened,but let's face it,if it happened,they kinda brought this upon themselves.FMAB_GTO

Brought what upon themselves? Are you seriously suggesting the act of making a cartoon of Mohammed should be punishable by death? Or that members of a free society should be punished because of someone else's actions?

I'd be amazed if this doesn't caused huge problems in there. France's Muslim population is, IIRC, notoriously poorly integrated, and there's a lot of social tension between them and the French people.

[QUOTE="FMAB_GTO"]That would be sad and wrong if it happened,but let's face it,if it happened,they kinda brought this upon themselves.airshocker

Brought what upon themselves? Are you seriously suggesting the act of making a cartoon of Mohammed should be punishable by death? Or that members of a free society should be punished because of someone else's actions?

no. Please understand what other people mean before quoting them.FMAB_GTO

So answer the questions so I can better understand what you mean.

meh, i dont find it offensive. muslims do forget why we dont depict the prophet mohammad, so he isnt worshipped like jesus and synonymously become god himself.

[QUOTE="FMAB_GTO"]no. Please understand what other people mean before quoting them.airshocker

So answer the questions so I can better understand what you mean.

While the world should not revolve around the whims of the butthurt, those that have never known violence should also stop trying to piss off the butthurt. Only than can there be peace.

well for once if they wanna kill someone,i said if,it would be the one who drew and not some random french or anything. What i meant by my post is,if a French ambassador was killed,i wouldn't be surprised since it is kinda expected after these actions. America made fun of the prophet,an ambassador gets killed. days later France make fun of him,what do you expect? Im not saying someone should pay for other people's mistakes. get what i meant?FMAB_GTO

France and America didn't make fun of anything. Citizens of those countries did.

I get what you're saying, even though I'm disturbed that you seem to think France and America should be held accountable for the harmless actions of their citizenry.

I always feel iffy about this stuff. On one hand, freedom of speech. On the other hand I wouldnt like seeing someone I revered as a hero slandered in the paper like that. Instead of killing, the offended should take it to court.Capitan_Kid

Wait, Kate Middleton is off limits but Islam is fair game ? :?