Oh, the cartoons

BBC News article that I found interesting:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6960220.stm

First off, some general comments about the whole religious cartoons fiasco over the last year or so. I find the fact the people are rioting, threatening violence, killing each other, etc. to be an incredibly silly and immature reaction. Of course, I don't think it's just people acting foolishly. It seems to me that various media outlets sensationalise both the original offence and the reaction to it. Then again, nice little stories about normal, sensible people just don't sell as well on the evening news. Yet another good reason to not be that into the evening news.

Second, comments in particular to the cartoons: I'll start with the Mohammed one and then move onto the new Jesus cartoon. I can understand that Muslim's would take offense at the portrayal of Mohammed with a bomb for a turban. I can't understand why they would turn around and enact violence as a reprisal ("How dare they portray Mohammed as a violent extremist!!! Let's go find somebody to kill or something to burn!!! That'll teach them a lesson!"). In keeping with the comment about sensationalising media forces, I didn't hear too much at that time, especially not in the headlines, about the millions of Muslims, who saw the cartoon and disproved it by proving their own belief in leading a peace-seeking life, with non-violence towards those things that they protest.

Third, turnaround is fair game. If the Western world is going to take a jab at a streak of violent extremism that runs in Muslim culture, might we not expect to receive a similarly stinging response? I don't think anyone can deny that substance abuse is not a small problem in our 'Christian' culture. And I think that good, churchgoing people can take a bite of humble pie and admit that they and their children are often not often doing much better with the issue than the rest of the culture. Pastor's kids do have a reputation after all.

Personally, I find both cartoons to be excellent pieces of sociopolitical cultural art. They sting, they upset exactly because they are effective, because they point out the dirt under the carpet. I also think they are both funny. They contain an irony because they hold the figurehead of a religion responsible for the misdeeds and misinterpretations of the faithful, and arguably for a kind of behavior that neither would have condoned.

I hope that we can look at these cartoons, think about what is implied in them, take the sting, and then seek to make positive change. If we don't want Jesus represented as promoting substance abuse, then seek to live a life of responsibility, compassion, and freedom and seek to help others, through love, compassion,, and understanding, acheive the same. If you don't think that Mohammed would have appreciated being portrayed as a mad bomber, then seek to promote peaceful disagreement and non-violent resolution. After all, protest only goes so far as its fruit grows in our lives.