Muslims, how do you feel about the violent responses to the Danish Mohammad cartoons?

Question

Murders, assaults, burning buildings, death threats, million dollar bounties...all over a cartoon.
The cartoon was tasteless, tactless, and offensive, but please tell us why you either support or condemn the violent reactions.

icehot_pk, very good! I was comparing the reactions to DaVinci Code with the reactions to the Mohammad cartoons. That is EXACTLY what inspired my question. I don't see ANY reports of murders, violent protests, riots, assaults, burning of book stores or movie theaters, etc in reposonse to the DaVinci Code blasphemy...only peaceful protesting.
The ONLY violence surrounding DaVinci Code is in the book & film iteself!

"DID THAT EVER CROSS UR MIND???"
hahaha.
Peace

The oracle, thanks for your response, but I still can't determine whether you support or condemn the violence. It SEEMS that you are justifying it, so I'll assume you support it. By the way, you won't EVER see huge crowds of demonstrators in our streets burning Iranian, Iraqi, Saudi Arabian (etc) flags and chanting "DEATH TO so-and-so!"
Muslims are not targeted for their religious beliefs. Terrorists are. BIG difference. I hope that makes sense to you.

Answer 1

I am a Muslim. And when I saw the Danish cartoons about our prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H), I was very angry. However, I really disagreed with all the acts of violence that were committed because of some lame cartoon made by someone who could careless about the world. I mean, sure it was really bad and it does make people angry and I fully understand that, but there are other ways to act such as simply tell them to remove the cartoon, or start peaceful protests. Not everything had to end up violently. If you really respect our prophet then you must respect his ways. He was very peaceful and emphasized on being kind and generous to people, and NOT kill innocent civillians by burning buildings, etc.

For Example: Here's a story that occured during Mohammed's (P.B.U.H) time proved how he was very kind and caring. There was once this lady that used to throw trash at him everyday as he walked by her house to goto the Mosque to pray. Our prophet ignored her and instead smiled as he walked away. One day, when she did not come to throw trash at him, he became worried about where she might have been. He then went to her house to visit her to see if she was doing okay. He found out that the lady was really ill, and when she realized how regardless of what she did to him he cared enough to come to her house to see how she was doing, she converted to Islam.

So, I ask these people who are doing all these things in response to the cartoons. If you really believe in our Prophet and his ways, then why would you result to violence?

Answer 2

Unfortunately religion in any form is responsible for nearly all wars and fighting one way or another. The problem is, whichever faith you believe in, that if people were to be more open minded and look deeper into their faiths you would find it to be riddled with lies and contradiction (using my religion CofE as an example and one of the stories that God created everything is simply untrue as proved by science). All religions have a God type being. If you think about it this person is a dictator as they demand that you do this or you do that but if this happened in governments or leaders on Earth then usually the people fight it to get "freedom of speech" and remove them from power. Ironic really isn't it. People should just forget all this garbage about insults and tactless rubbish. We live on one planet, breath the same air. If we can't just enjoy life and have a laugh and see something as just fun or someone entitled to their own opinion without getting so uptight about it then the Earth is doomed as we will destroy it. As for the people causing this violence in response to these cartoons, similar things have been done to Christianity, Jewish and other faiths in the past, sometimes by the muslims themselves. Its just that some people think they can do it to others by can't take it themselves. These people should be wiped off the face of the Earth and let the normal open minded muslims and other faiths live peacefully. They should grow up.

Answer 3

I didn't agree with the actions (I'm not muslim btw). What a worse way to plead your case than to destroy, threaten and hate. Any good that may have come from protesting an offensive cartoon is negated by the violence and destruction.

That's like Christians who blow up abortion clinics killing people for having abortions. It makes no sense and does no good. It sends the wrong message. It doesn't say that the offense is wrong and why, rather it says we are violent over things we don't like.

Muslims aren't unique in having their faith satired. Every religion has had their faith used as punch lines in jokes, made fun of in comic strips. Catholics don't burn the city and give death threats when some political cartoonist draws an offensive comic of the pope. Jews don't revolt when someone pokes fun at them still waiting for a messiah.

It was uncalled for. Unfortunately there were people with alterior motives urging people to release pent up frustration and giving them an "excuse" to release it.

You've seen it, people going to rally's because they want to shout and throw things, not even caring about what they are rallying for. Union picketers picketing for the paycheck and because their leaders told them to, when they really don't know why their doing it.

Violence is never the way to get yourself heard, it is only a way to get yourself hated.

Answer 4

Sure the cartoon was tactless and tasteless,but are the Muslims so shallow in their beliefs that they could not show themselves to be above that cartoon. Is their religion so weak that a cartoon brought about the sounds of Jihad? murders burning and so on?
You do not see all the commotion when a cartoon appears of J C or the pope. that incident showed that Islam is NOT a tolerant Religion. The muslims say that Islam is peaceful but what resulted from a silly cartoon was anything but peaceful. It was only a bloody Cartoon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One has to be above these things. Freedom of speech,freedom of expression and all that **** we all fought for.
Sure the cartoon was tasteless and at best tactless but by george what reaction.
lighten up people. As the old saying goes: if you can't laugh at yourselves............!!!!

Answer 5

"Muslims arent targeted for thier religious beliefs- terrorists are" How naive! Wow.....im sorry but you're clearly unaware of whats really going on in the world. Why not do some research as to the way Islam was supressed, historically? And talk to all the Muslims who are spit at, sworn at etc simply because they are Muslims...isnt that being targeted for their beliefs?

Cartoons Question- Violence is not Islamic and someone has answered your question in a way that is very representative of most Muslims. However, to play devils advocate i have to add.......Everyone who wants to understand why those people reacted the way they did, think of the reactions a group of people would have if they all found out their mothers were similarly disrespected and they knew who had committed the act? Some would be maniacally angry; others violent; how many would react peacefully? Maybe 1 or 2. But out of a group of 5, some will act crazy. Maybe thats not RIGHT, but is it UNDERSTANDABLE? Imagine the situation yourself?

Now think- Muslims really LOVE the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. He is a mercy sent to all mankind. He was a wonderful person- really an amazing example of how great human beings can be; and this is a fact acknowledged by non-muslims also. Many Muslims love and appreciate the Prophet PBUH equally to the way they love thier parents and some love him MORE. So if it is understandable that a person would flip out if their mother was depicted in a crude, evil way and this was posted all around the world; cant you understand the reactions to the cartoons? He did so much for us and what, we're gonna sit here and let people slag him off and stay quiet?

I personally, as a Muslim, would not kill in response to this or commit violence towards innocents thats ridiculous but I refuse to have anything to do with Denmark now because they arent even sorry; they agree with the cartoonists AND they admitted that if it was something to do with Christianity they would react the same way (in an interview i saw on British news by a Danish speaker).

The depiction of the Prophet PBUH as a terrorist represents all Muslims as terrorists and Islam as a religion of terrorism. Was that fair? All muslims being depicted as evil terrorists? A whole religion was slandered there and you only need to look at Yahoo answers to see how bad an effect this untrue image of muslims-as-terrorists is having. We're suffering like you wouldnt believe. Many Muslims are living in fear....innocent Muslims, women and children included who are being terrorised by non-muslims. How would you feel if that was you? How would YOU feel if the representative of your religion is depicted as a preacher of terrorism, so you by default are a terrorist? In addition this person means as much to you as your parents...

Now.....tell me TRUTHFULLY, how would you all react?

Separate issue- Neil b - "stories that God created everything is simply untrue as proved by science" Er....what? Im going to ask a question about this- explain your evidence, because the evolutionist theory has been disproved- God created the world, not a single cell which appeared from NO-WHERE and which then evolved by itself...LOL, even saying it sounds silly...Check out www.harunyahya.com

Answer 6

I am a western educated non-practicing Muslim. Although too emotional and some May be manipulated but like everybody else if you mess with people's believes then there always would be consequences.

Isn't that the reason (at least so called) behind USA to go to war with terrorism or people dying for their countries and loved ones.

Answer 7

'cuz they can't take a joke.
I abhor violence. I saw the cartoons - they were not in poor taste. It is not anything to get so up in arms about.

A muslim, MF Hussain, painted pictures of Hindu Gods/Goddesses nude. The pictures were in many compromising positions of Gods. Did you hear anything about them in the media? Did you see violence erupt? Did you see beheading, embassy burning, death threats? It is still before the supreme courts and Hussain is being tried for various offences.

That's what the courts are there for - to seek justice.

Answer 8

well planed , politically controlled ,dangerous game !
"they" want the western world see angry muslim ,
so they can say "look how violent are the muslims".
Admit your self that Western World do not now theres own religion well , let alone Islam .How many of them read a Book about Islam ? .. They know only so much what BBC or Sun newspaper or Daily Mirror ect . ect tells them .
You know I know , they don't tell us the truth .. not just about Muslims or Islam , but about anything what matters to the Humans ...
I allways say " there are few FAT GUYS sitting around a round table and thinking how can we stir this planet ,so we can make some more cash , eighter by selling weapons or drugs ect. "

Answer 9

yes it was very very offensive but I don't think people should have gone that far-killing people, burning buildings even the prophet wouldn't have agreed upon these things.

The cartoons they drew are a sign of hatered toward every muslim in the world and because they knew how we muslims would react to this they drew the cartoons-to cause an uproar.

These are all plans of the Jews.

Answer 10

Compare the cartoons to the insults thrown by the italian footballer to the french...

the insult is and is felt as persanol by the footballer and so the obvious reaction.

Muslims Feel a similar personal insult was thrown at them via the cartoons.

no im not muslim.....so an unbiased comment this.