(TOON) Steve Bell weighs in on the cartoon furore

[Greeby]

:evilgrin:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. ???

Ok, call me dumb, but what is meant by "Mo"?
Interesting that the pig has a Danish flag "brand", as swine are forbidden in Islam. Perhaps to underscore the repulsiveness of the cartoons to Muslims?

[tocqueville]

4. Mo = Mohammed

he's gonnat get a lot of shit for that one. Calling a camel Mohammed...

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. Ah!

You know what's really funny? I think the Beloved Prophet would probably have simply sighed if he had seen this or other cartoons and told people to go in peace. Many folks seem to think he was a bloodthirsty chap, but he endured several attacks upon his life without rising up to strike back. The early Muslims were shunned and starved for YEARS before there was any battle, and that battle was to get back stuff of theirs that was stolen by the pagans.

[Dhalgren]

2. I'm sorry, I may just be a little too thick today (right, "today");

but I don't get this cartoon. I understand that it is in reference to the bru-ha-ha over the Muhammad cartoons but I just don't understand this imagery. Any help?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

9. Perhaps I can help, now that my question has been answered

The camel represents Muslims, and the pigs represent the West-hence the "brand" on the pig that shows the Danish flag and part of the American flag. It is important to know that pigs are considered unclean and not to be eaten, just as it is in Jewish law. I think the cartoon shows the conflict that comes when Islam, especially conservative Islam, comes into contact with aspects of Western culture that Islam considers not only to be in poor taste (hence the dirt on the pigs) but absolutely forbidden.

[Atman]

3. Gotta admit, I don't get it.

And I'm a big Steve Bell fan, but this one lost me. Perhaps if I knew what the logo on the pigs ass is supposed to be it'd help.

[democrat_patriot]

6. Looks like a cross between Amerkan flag and

the Windows logo...


????

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. Half right

The "windows logo" is a representation of the Danish flag, though the cross is not drawn quite correctly. The dirty pigs, of course, represent Western cultural aspects that conservative Muslims consider not only in bad taste but forbidden.

[ikri]

15. Not entirely..

For years on British TV we were inundated with adverts for Danish Bacon (Official Danish Bacon Website) so for a lot of British people when they think of Denmark the first thing they think of is bacon, hence the pigs with the Danish flags.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

16. Thank you for that information

I wasn't aware of it...just makes the symbolism that much more complex, doesn't it?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

11. Danish/American flag hybred

I think the dirty pigs represent Western culture, especially those aspects that get conservative Muslims riled up. Pigs are considered forbidden in Islam, just as they are in Judaism.

[tatertop]

17. I still don't get the punch line

God save us all!
MO's got the hump!!

What does it mean?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

18. I assume it is an expression

meaning he's really angry. Perhaps British DUers can descipher the expression for us.

[tatertop]

19. I would never have guessed that

thnak you

[redqueen]

5. This one's way better.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. Amin!

This cartoon does not offend me, because it speaks a truth about many in Islam. The Beloved Prophet was a man, and said that what was important was the message in the Qur'an. The other cartoons bothered me because they perpetuated hatred and stereotypes against Muslims.

[mdmc]

13. God bless!

[malaise]

20. The Danish embassy in Syria

was burned this morning.

sp.

[crispini]

12. Nice!

It always amazes me how people are, just in general, very good at getting the words of the "greats" all screwed up. Happens to all of them.

[uppityperson]

14. Agree totally. Religions are guidelines to live by, not orders to worship

not an order to worship the one giving and showing decent guidelines to live by. Thank you.