THE Seattle cartoonist who inspired Facebook’s hugely successful “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day” has apologised for sparking a row which had Muslims jumping up and down with fury, and culminated with the banning of the social networking site in Pakistan.
Interviewed on a local Seattle TV channel, NWCN, Molly Norris did not show her face, as she is now the object of a hate campaign by the bloodthirsty Magic Carpet people.
Norris drew a cartoon in April to protest against the decision by a US television channel to cancel an episode of the popular show South Park because of a contentious depiction of the “prophet”.
In her cartoon, she satirically suggested May 20 as international ‘Draw Muhammad Day’.
The idea inspired the establishment on Facebook of a separate group which rapidly gained in popularity, and attracted half-a-million fans.
The page contains drawings and cartoons of Big Mo and characters from other religions, including Hinduism and Christianity.
One of the hundreds of images uploaded to Facebook
Norris says that she had nothing to do with the page even though her name was posted on it.
I never started a Facebook page; I never set up any place for people to send drawings to and I never received any drawings.
She apologised for her role in the controversy and said that the content of the page was:
Offensive to Muslims who did nothing to endanger our right to expression in the first place.
Pakistan said it blocked the popular video-sharing website YouTube because of its:
Growing sacrilegious content.
NWCN sent a camera to the Aslam mosque for reaction. There Islam Wardak huffed:
Especially in this day and age that somebody would intentionally instigate a fire, IÂ don’t think it’s anything funny about it.
Hat tip: BarrieJohn
UPDATE (thanks to Douglas Withers & Ryan Goldblatt):
Muslim groups in South Africa tried unsuccessfully this week to bar the Mail and Guardian from publishing a cartoon by artist Zapiro. The cartoon depicts the prophet lying down on a therapist’s chair saying:
Other prophets have followers with a sense of humour!
The Jamiatul Ulama, an islamic theological body, tried to prevent the paper from publishing the cartoon by filing an urgent application to the Johannesburg High Court.
Jamiatul Ulama claim that the cartoon was offensive and could cause some violence, particularly in South Africa just before the World Cup.
The order, however, was not granted. Click on the cartoon for more on this story.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
May 21st, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Why are we always apologising to these people?
May 21st, 2010 at 10:31 pm
@barriejohn: Because they keep intimidating us for as long as necessary to make us apologise. And sometimes they even kill people to show that they mean it.
May 21st, 2010 at 10:35 pm
Why the hell is she apologising to these people? Was she threatened or something?
May 21st, 2010 at 11:30 pm
I applaud everyone fighting for freedom of speech; without it, we’re really screwed.
May 21st, 2010 at 11:37 pm
Yes,some Moslems are just plain scary,if this intimidation is allowed to continue deference to Islam will become second nature,if it isn’t already. Some people in the West,like that cartoonist, seem to have forgotten the price of liberty is often very high.
May 21st, 2010 at 11:37 pm
“The Objective Standard” (an Objectivist magazine ) invited people to send in their own cartoons and provided a special link for them. The list of cartoons is prefaced with a comment about what’s at stake. I quote an excerpt:
“But, to the extent that individuals are forbidden to express their views, their lives are throttled (as Stone and Parker’s have been). Recognition of this fact is what gives rise to the moral right to freedom of speech: the truth that people morally must be left free to express their views regardless of what others think or feel about those views. This right is not an opinion, nor a gift from “God,” nor a permission from government; it is the recognition of an immutable fact—the fact that a fully human life requires the freedom of expression.”
May 21st, 2010 at 11:49 pm
The link to the “Objective Standard” cartoons (mentioned above) is:
http://www.theobjectivestandar.....awings.asp
May 21st, 2010 at 11:53 pm
You’re right, RussellW. This continual “outrage” is supposed to condition otherwise reasonable and rational people to be always asking themselves: “Is this going to offend the Muslims?” We mustn’t give an inch on freedom of expression, as, like other totalitarian megalomaniacs, they see all compromise as weakness and a sign that they are getting their way.
May 21st, 2010 at 11:57 pm
Wish I could get a stencil of some of them.
May 22nd, 2010 at 12:05 am
Remember this one from the earlier thread?
The real purpose of freedom of speech is to provoke the sentiments of Muslims.
Paranoia or what?
May 22nd, 2010 at 12:20 am
You know what? Take this fucking religion and shove it up your ass.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali Responds To American Policy On Genital “Cutting”
http://jezebel.com/5544527/aya.....al-cutting
No concessions, accommodations, or cultural sensitivity should be given on this issue, ever. This is child abuse, child sexual abuse, period. LIberal policy makers (peace be upon them) – if you give one inch on this issue in order to be inclusive, I swear I will resurrect Andrea Dworkin and sic her on you.
May 22nd, 2010 at 12:27 am
The NSS newsline linked to a Times article where a rather rambling debate was under way. Someone put readers right about Islam’s history of slaving, without being censored, but when I submitted an on-topic post asking whether a blank illustration – reflecting perhaps a professor of Islamic Studies’ conclusion that Mo may not have existed – would be considered offensive, it never got through.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/t.....132388.ece
May 22nd, 2010 at 12:51 am
Aside from the administrator we can’t pontificate about the reasons this woman retracted. Islamic-Fascists who have will and continue to kill those who insult their Iron Age death cult are serious. They will kill anyone who they think is responsible for blasphemy. Another sign of the religion of peace
May 22nd, 2010 at 1:12 am
Well, I remember the shit that went down in Denmark,
after the publication of a cartoon of the pedophile prophet. Breaking windows and setting fires. It seems like the politicians are in the “these fucking people are crazy” mode, instead of the “this shit has to stop” mode.
You deal with them the same way you deal with a drug cartel. If they want to play big boy games, you bring out the big boy toys, like assault rifles. When they are crying like babies calling “foul”, you ask them point blank whether or not they got the message, or whether we need to repeat ourselves.
NeoWolfe
May 22nd, 2010 at 1:32 am
BJordan said,
“It didn’t get past the mods, even though a splendid off-topic post about Islamic slavery was allowed.”
This site uses “word press” software, and it is FUCKED UP!!!! Before you submit your post, select your entire text and hit Control C. Then if the site puts you back to the threadhead and your comment doesn’t post, go back to the reply box, create a cursor, hit Control V and submit again. If you get a message that you have submitted a duplicate, the post will probably eventually surface out of sequence. But, all you have to do is add a single letter, number, or punctuation, and word press will accept it again. If your post surfaces in quadruplicate, BDuke is very good about cleaning up the mess. He may not like it, but, so far, he has never bitched at me about it.
NeoWolfe
May 22nd, 2010 at 4:52 am
Though I am somewhat loathe to encourage violence, I have to agree with NeoWolfe on this one. As long as these bastards do it within the confines of their own countries and their own laws, I will decry and speak out against it. But the second these guys step on our soil, they must respect that we have our own traditions, views, and rights, namely protected freedom of speech. If they feel it is right for them to threaten and kill in order to get their way in our homeland, they must be roughly disabused.
May 22nd, 2010 at 5:33 am
Thank you, Janstince.
Evil always has the advantage of dragging any opponent to fight on its own level. Then respectable men and women come home with scars on their psyche, and live down the carnage they have seen and shared in creating. The horror of war.
Question. What do you see as a solution to the human condition?
NeoWolfe
May 22nd, 2010 at 5:44 am
NeoWolfe – We could always become inhuman, whether raving beasts or cold calculational machines. Either way, you would lose much of what you fight to keep. The human condition is precisely that, human.
May 22nd, 2010 at 6:20 am
Janstince,
That’s a cop out response. What do you see as the issues we need to face and resolve in order to not destroy ourselves as a species? Those are the questions real freethinkers ask themselves. And you can’t look up GW Foote, no help, he didn’t even support birth control. Talk to me, brother.
NeoWolfe
May 22nd, 2010 at 6:57 am
I totally wanted to put up something on the Facebook “Draw Mohammed Day” page, but it looked like maybe it got hacked or something…there was no way to put up new pictures and a lot of the pictures that were up there were either nonsense messages sent dozens of times to clog up the page, or “pictures” of hateful text directed at either Christians or Muslims, pictures of porn, links to youtube videos, etc. I noticed an awful lot of Muslims putting up things offensive to Christians and promoting Islam.
There was one good one…a picture of Moe of the Three Stooges superimposed on that original “Mohammed with a bomb turban” cartoon. “Oh, wise guy, eh?”
May 22nd, 2010 at 9:43 am
So free speech is threatened one again by this group of camel shaggers? So where are the ‘moderate muslims’ that we always hear about, but never actually see, to tone them down?
May 22nd, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Tony e: read suras 1 -9. Islam does not exhibit,nor does it preach moderation. The ‘moderate’ ones have either left (and now have a death sentence on their heads) or are terrorized into keeping quiet and obeying the imams. This is known as ‘the peace of Islam’
May 22nd, 2010 at 9:33 pm
sailor1031 – thanks for clarifying that then!
May 22nd, 2010 at 10:41 pm
NeoWolfe – The obvious answer, to me anyway, is growth and dispersion. We grow beyond this planet, solar system, even galaxy, and then no one thing below the destruction of the universe could threaten the entire human race, not even itself. I think that evolution has produced us to survive, no matter the cost or consequence, and we have the simultaneous abilities of creativity and logic to enable us to do so. I don’t pretend to have all the answers myself, but I think that harmony, or at least more peaceful coexistence, will grow as the world becomes smaller through technological advances. The Internet is a frightening tool, especially considering the rapidness with which it has come into being. Being able to communicate over vast distances near-instantaneously is still a very new concept in terms of humanity. This current situation, I feel, is something of a natural backlash to the rapid exchange of ideas between cultures that before were very unaware of the other except as exotic stories. The more freely the information moves, the greater resistance until something gives. Many didn’t know, for instance, just what the governments of the west were doing around the world. Now, though of course there is misinformation and secrecy still, it is much harder to hide. I say this not as an accusation that the US is to blame for all the recent troubles, but merely to give an example. As things progress and people become used to the idea of many across the globe being able to see what is going on in remote places, especially the younger generations that have always been more adept at change, they will begin to realize that the information cannot, and should not, be contained in the hands of a few. This, I think, is the next step.
May 23rd, 2010 at 1:33 pm
@NeoWolfe: It wasn’t this site losing a post about Mo’s non-existence, it was the Times. It definitely got through, because I got the “not all posts will be published” message. So it was moderated, not lost.
May 23rd, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Janstince said:
“I think that evolution has produced us to survive, no matter the cost or consequence, and we have the simultaneous abilities of creativity and logic to enable us to do so.”
That was a well thought out, and well written post. I think it is subjectively hopeful and optimistic. I say that, because, scientists believe that 95 percent of every species that ever existed on the planet are extinct. I find the number dubious, because since evolution is an extremely gradual process, I must ask, at what point do you call an animal a new species? But, the real point I want to put to you is that every one of those species was designed by evolution to survive, and it was only the changing environment and disease that extinguished them. Evolution was too slow to help them.
Now, humans are living in a metaphoric bottle of wine. Either yeast or bacteria are added to change the carbohydrates in the bottle into alcohol. But, at a certain point, (approx. 12%) the organisms die out completely. Dying in their own piss. Yet, China is the only one to proactively curb population. The rest of the world stands in horror of the immorality of telling people how many children they can have.
And while modern medicine has eliminated natural selection, basically condemning us to a degrading gene pool, a common sense necessity like eugenics is labeled as a Nazi horror.
The nuclear genie is out of the bottle, and despite best efforts, you know it is a matter of when and not if, a viable bomb falls into radical hands. 9/11 to the tenth power.
So I don’t share your optimism about our fate. I don’t believe in any saving hand of destiny upon our shoulders. Rather than killing each other, breeding like rabbits, ignoring genetics, and letting greed rule the western society, we should be looking past Einstein’s absurd idea that space is a stationary grid and that nothing can travel faster than light. Then, maybe your dream of colonizing the universe can come true.
Current indicators project that we are toast.
NeoWolfe2
May 24th, 2010 at 12:22 am
You can offend all you like. Have nothing better to do with your lives than take pot shot at more than 1 billion people. You sad losers. If it wasn’t wasn’t for the muslims teaching you to bathe you would probably have all died from the plague. You lunatics even had to be tought to count. If it wasn’t for muslims you probably still be throwing Sh*t at each other.
May 24th, 2010 at 12:36 am
Saj,
We don’t want to offend your hygiene, we meant to offend your stupidity. Yeah, the ottomans were pioneers in steam and hydraulic power. Since then you have been killing each other faster than we know how to build rockets. Sunnis and Shiites killing each other over which son bears the seal of the true prophet. That’s of course true enlightenment???? So, while you stand looking down on us, the shit we pitch at each other came out of your brain. The prophet has spoken.
NeoWolfe
May 24th, 2010 at 12:40 am
@ NeoWolfe, both you and Saj should check out this video:
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/295289
May 24th, 2010 at 9:57 am
From the King James V Bible:
1) In Leviticus 25:44-46, the Lord tells the Israelites it’s OK to own slaves, provided they are strangers or heathens.
2) In Samuel 15:2-3, the Lord orders Saul to kill all the Amalekite men, women and infants.
3) In Exodus 15:3, the Bible tells us the Lord is a man of war.
4) In Numbers 31, the Lord tells Moses to kill all the
Midianites, sparing only the virgins.
5) In Deuteronomy 13:6-16, the Lord instructs Israel to kill anyone who worships a different god or who worships the Lord differently.
6) In Mark 7:9, Jesus is critical of the Jews for not killing their disobedient children as prescribed by Old Testament law.
7) In Luke 19:22-27, Jesus orders killed anyone who refuses to be ruled by him.
May 24th, 2010 at 10:12 am
Have any one of you read bible ? what it says ?
May 24th, 2010 at 10:26 am
You and European countries discourage talking about Holocaust because this hurts feeling of people even there are laws in France and other countries where you get fined for talking about these topics but when it comes to feelings on Muslim the pope inside you starts dancing and jumping around. Muslim respect every prophet be it be Jesus or Mouses. In fact a person can’t be Muslim until he/she respects all the Prophets. Japanese attacked you port and attack on military and you attack civilians in return ? this is you history and you are telling us what is humanity ?
May 24th, 2010 at 10:46 am
Who was Hitler, Mussolini ? Christian … Who killed Jews in Holocaust? Christians
May 24th, 2010 at 10:47 am
Kill Nonbelievers: From bible
They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB)
May 24th, 2010 at 11:37 pm
La Kin – For the record, man, you’re barking WAY up the wrong tree. Read some of this site, maybe you’ll see what we’re about.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:46 am
Wao .. when you are barking against Muslims that Ok. When you are reminded of your own history and Bible you start to feel awkward. Look what your bible says about “Freedom of Speech and Expression” When you are killing other than thats Democracy and helping others when other kill you than its terrorism.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:49 am
Go and check independent sources to know what you B$sta$ds are doing in Iraq. What u did in Guantanamo? Guantanamo show ugly face of you democracy and freedom.
May 25th, 2010 at 8:36 am
U, Westerns, should redefine free speech.
U cannot understand to what extent,we love our Prophet.
We Love him more than our lives.
We also respect Jesus, Moses, David, Adam and all others. They are integral parts of our religion.
Don’t see one side of the picture only. Go and learn about Islam before opening ur mouths.(REMEMBERLearn about ISLAM not MUSLIMS for most of muslims are not practicing acutal Ismamic fundemetals)
Although we (Muslims,Christian and Jews )have many controversies, But we never disrespected any of ur religion or made fun of ur belives then why do u do thsi
U only saw the picture which ur media has shown u and ur world is confined to this only. huh
U only saw what hollywood has shown u but in reality facts are totally different.
u r just puppet in hands of ur media. and don’t know nothing beyond this limited range.
Religion is more important in our culture. Islam is not merely a religion its a way of life.
And and U don’t have any religion at all, so have no right to invade our religious believes.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Zoha, if Muslims want our respect, let them do something to earn our respect. When you stop behaving like spoiled children, and stop setting fire to stuff and blowing up shit, we may stop pointing at you lot and laughing. To you Islam may be “a way of life”, but to us it is just another mad religion – one of many crazy belief systems which simply crumble in the face of critical examination.
June 9th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
@ Zoha! I agree with Barry Duke. As per you Muslims, it’s hard to believe after critical examination that your Allah has created multiverses and all species including human. After critical examination, science says that humans are accidently mutated from monkey with a fact that none of any human has ever mastered how we accidently created….not even a single biological system in us. So your Allah could know that all. You must have been created by Allah but we non-believers are sons and daughters of monkeys and we are proud of it. So it should not be your problem if we think like monkeys, act like monkeys and behave like monkeys. You can never teach us as we can be trained, not taught. We are jug heads puppets to our media with crouched potatoes instead of brains so we will never believe in you Muslims even if you are true. So don’t waste your time.