Near the end of April 2010, Matt Parker and Trey Stone, the creators of South Park, celebrated their 200th episode. In it, the focused on the fact that no one is allowed to make fun of the Islam Prophet, Muhammad. Several people wanted this power for themselves, so they demanded Muhammad be turned over to them. But because ANY depiction of Muhammad is considered blasphemy in Islam, punishable by death, Muhammad had to be dressed in a bear suit, from head to toe, to prevent anyone from seeing him.

Apparently certain members of the Muslim community took exception to even AVOIDING showing their Prophet, and issued death threats to Parker and Stone. Just to drive the threat home, they included a picture of Theo Van Gogh, who was murdered by Muslims for similarly "insulting" Islam. Comedy Central, where the show is aired, buckled to the threats and inserted CENSORED signs and, in the second half of the two-parter, bleeped out Muhammad's name, and even the closing monologue, where they discussed the foolishness of caving into the demands of cowardly thugs.

Yes, this happened in our country, the United States of America, where our First Right is that of the Freedom of Speech.

I personally watched both episodes. Muhammad was not insulted, in fact, he was one of the only people on the show that wasn't. Jesus was accused of being addicted to internet porn, and the Buddha was shown snorting cocaine at least once. Furthermore, this was not even the first time Muhammad was featured in South Park episode; several years ago he was in the Super Best Friends episode. At no time was he insulted or depicted in an insulting way. He was one of the good guys and helped save the day. There was no outcry from the Muslim community, not even from the terrorists, in response to that episode.

In response to this threat, and to the cowardice of Comedy Central, many people on Facebook decided to organize an Everybody Draw Muhammad Day, for May 20th. As of this writing, there are more than 50,000 people worldwide participating. We do so on the premise that while Muslim extremists are so very brave threatening one artist here and there, en mass, they will be powerless against so many more people drawing pictures of Muhammad all at once. It is also to point out the utter hypocrisy of a group that routinely murders any one who so much as disagrees with them, to claim victimhood when someone draws a picture.

We have the freedom of speech, simply by being born. Other countries may suppress this right, but they can not, while a single human being lives, remove it. Here in the US, we exercise that right. Sometimes what is being said is something you don't agree with. Sometimes it is offensive. But if we allow one group to shut down one aspect of this freedom, it will be far easier for someone else to shut down another part, and another, and another, until that freedom is forgotten.

You may question why I chose to not only depict Muhammad, but to do so in an insulting manner, particularly in the second panel. I certainly hope you all found it extremely offensive. It offends me as well; not my drawing of it, or the words I chose, but because these things I wrote in this panel, of Muhammad asking if it would be okay to murder, rape, steal, and molest children, are all things Muhammad did, according to history and the various holy books of Islam. He did commit murder and rape; not always by his own hand, but he is still guilty of these things. He was a thief, given to banditry. And he married a girl named Aisha when she was SIX years old, and consummated that marriage when she turned NINE.

By all means, be offended...but not because I simply told the truth. Be offended that THIS is the spiritual leader of the people we are currently at war with. In this scum's name, over three thousand people were murdered one Tuesday morning in September. I'm very offended by that. This religion practices female circumcision, a ghastly practice whose only purpose is to keep women from experiencing full sexual stimulation, to keep them docile and avoid cheating on their husbands. This offends me, and should offend every woman on the planet. This religion allows pedophilia, as this was practiced and encouraged by their Prophet. This GREATLY offends me, and should offend any sentient being on Earth. There are hundreds of aspects of this religion that are offensive to any sane person.

So Muslims are offended by a CARTOON? Tell you what. Stop acting like rabid dogs, and I'll no longer have a reason to offend you.

JBYP
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UWSFA
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