Muslims Outraged Over Blasphemous Garfield Cartoon
MUNCIE, DENMARK- Cartoons have the power to make us laugh. Some cartoons can even make us think. Then there those which transcend the printed page itself and enter the realm of fatwas, flaming effigies, and death threats. For years, fans have enjoyed the zany antics of the lovable xenophobic cat known as Garfield. The popular cartoon character is rooted in a love of napping, a passion for lasagna and, as readers of Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten learned earlier this month, an abiding hatred of Islam.
In response, conscientious Muslims all over the world are vigorously protesting the newspaper for carrying the cartoons they say defame their religion and blaspheme against Allah. In the interests of easing tensions, the besieged newspaper tried to apologize for the strips, but due to some confusion over which ones were most offensive, editors republished them on Tuesday under the 100 point headline "ARE THESE THE CARTOONS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT?"
Unfortunately, this gesture of goodwill did not satisfy the outraged Muslim community. In fact, they seem even madder than ever.
In their angry letters to the media, Islamic groups claim the cartoons portray the prophet Muhammad as a terrorist, but cartoonist Bjorn Davis says nothing could be more ridiculous. In his estimation, the offended parties are reading too much into the simple four-panel strip. The cat dressed in a turban & false beard is merely doing a comical impression of Muhammad, he explained, and is not intended to be a representation of the revered prophet himself. Those who follow the strip regularly picked up on that subtle but important distinction right away.
"It seems to me that these folks are way too easily offended," said Davis. "All we did was have a cat depict their faith's founding prophet sodomizing a goat while instructing his followers on the finer points of pipebomb construction. Where's the harm in that?"
He went on to challenge the angry Muslims to prove that Muhammad did not blow things up and commit unnatural acts with domesticated livestock during his lifetime. That's probably a safe bet since, having died more than a millennium ago, records of Muhammad's personal habits are somewhat hard to come by.
Throughout the twelve part series, Garfield, aka the "voice of Allah," plays whimsical japes on his pals such as stoning Jon to death for refusing to grow a beard and placing C-4 in Odie's food bowl. But more than just a fun romp through the foundations of another culture's faith, Davis says the Muhammad cartoons were intended to convey a vital lesson about diversity and the global village.
"Oh, Garfield," sighs Jon as the electrodes are attached to his genitals in one strip, "when will you learn the value of religious tolerance?"
Meanwhile, anger over the cartoons [and subsequent reprinting of said cartoons] has reached a fever pitch. Just yesterday an unidentified man became so upset over the unfair stereotypes in the strip that he attempted to blow up the newspaper's offices. In a note attached to the improvised explosive device, he explained the reasoning behind his desperate act: "This will teach you people to to automatically assume that Muslims are terrorists- oh, wait."
During a press conference on Wednesday, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa offered another side to the Islamic community. He told reporters that Muslims can, indeed, take a joke. The problem in this instance is that, like virtually all comics in print today, the Garfield Muhammad series just wasn't funny.
"I'm partial to PBF myself," said Moussa. "Did you see the one with the hammer and the board with the screw in it? After someone explained it to me, I laughed a good long while."
He explained that incidents like this perpetuate the inaccurate perception in the Western world that Muslims have no sense of humor. Sadly, the stereotype is now more difficult to eradicate with this new dis from Northern Europe, long known as the comedy capital of the Western world for having inspired Hamlet and the screwball comedies of Ingmar Bergman.
"In fact, I think I speak for all Muslims when I promise not to blow anything up as long you promise not to make us watch that horrible Albert Brooks movie again. I'm not even kidding. It's that bad."
http://www.ridiculopathy.com/news_detail.php?id=1506