No Sense of Humor

Ah, those Muslims, no sense of humor!

On the way in to the office this morning, I heard a news report that a French satire magazine, Charlie Hebdo was deliberately publishing offensive cartoons featuring Mohammed. This is not their first rodeo. The last time they did something similar, their offices were firebombed.

This time there’s a cartoon on the cover page of a Jew pushing an (apparent) Muslim in a wheelchair, both saying “You must not mock us!” while, reportedly, there are “more shocking cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad inside the magazine ‘in daring positions’.”

France is preparing for riots by Muslim unemployed, disaffected youths.

Meanwhile, a cartoon was posted to the interwebs a few days ago depicting the Hindu god Ganesha, Buddha, Moses and Jesus “in daring positions” and nobody got firebombed, nobody rioted, and no one died. If you’re interested, that image (very, VERY NSFW) is here.

I’m reminded once again of one of the quotes on the masthead of this blog – the one by MaxedOutMama:

Liberty is an inherently offensive lifestyle. Living in a free society guarantees that each one of us will see our most cherished principles and beliefs questioned and in some cases mocked. That psychic discomfort is the price we pay for basic civic peace. It’s worth it. It’s a pragmatic principle. Defend everyone else’s rights, because if you don’t there is no one to defend yours.

Which reminds me, I’ve got another essay on Rights I promised some people a couple of weeks ago. I’d better get back to that….

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