I Will Not Draw Muhammad

I don't care about offending radical extremists... but the modernization of Islam is not going to come about through our efforts--it's going to come about through the efforts of moderate Muslims. And "Draw Muhammad" day is just going to (a) upset them and (b) make it harder for them to be a moderating influence in Islam.

Assimilation is the key to modernization.

I referred to coughlan666 's excellent "Alliance of convenience?" in this video, check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNKKN3nUQsU

Category:

Education

Tags:

• religion
• atheism
• islam
• respect
• discussion
• commentary

[KingObould]

@PlasteredDragon I am not really a fan of DMD, but it does seem like many atheists respect islam more than Christianity, when it comes to ridiculing. We make a hell of a lot of fun of creationists, showing them no respect what so ever and basically saying what we want to them even, making cartoons sometimes. this surely offends some moderate Christians as well. I don't see why we should make a difference. It often feels like people are scared of being labelled racist or islamafob.

[PlasteredDragon]

@KingObould I think both religions are pretty much nonsense. But when someone is half a world away it's easy for both sides to demonize the other, and I see no reason to hand them ammunition.

[JusSomeGuyOnInternet]

I get what your saying and I kinda agree with you (kinda), but I'm pretty sure you just compared drawing a picture to death threats and blowing up embassies. You're saying that drawing a picture is not going to change them just like violence is not gonna change us. You see what I'm saying?

[PlasteredDragon]

@JusSomeGuyOnInternet Only in the sense that doing something to someone that hurts them (whether physically or emotionally) in order to change them simply builds their resolve. Since there's no argument that Islam MUST change, then change should be what we are aiming for. Why then use tactics which are ultimately self-defeating? Hardliners are the minority. We'll make far more progress with the moderates. Offending them doesn't seem to be in line with our goals.

[CondorDM]

Draw Mohammad day was aimed at defending freedom of speech and expression. It was not done to ensure a better way to moderating muslims. We have tried that forever and most seem not to wanna open there eyes to reality, enough of kissing others asses, either they get to being moderate or be laughed out the back door.

[PlasteredDragon]

@CondorDM as noted I believe in free speech, and I'm not letting a thug with a threat stop me from speaking. That said I'm taking the long view here--there needs to be a *realistic* path to the future for the relationship between cultures that have embraced modernity and Islam. There are ~1.6 billion of them in the world--they aren't going to be laughed out of anywhere. Such a viewpoint is simply unrealistic. This is why I talked about not taking a tribalistic position. No future there.

[oldcomic1]

I feel the same, draw muhammed day strikes me as smug

[chipoo100]

How stupid u sweater is so r u

[ScepticalCynic]

Exactly what I was thinking. This event did not prove anything. It was not even a victory for free speech. Anyone thinking that is deluded. Bravado grows tall when you are anonymous over the internet.

[Maler78]

@PlasteredDragon

I accept what you're saying, but I'd somewhat disagree: the radicals (activists) establish core ideology, the moderates merely follow along (I'm one of 'em). This issue here is really 'territoriality by substitution'; asserting some possessive ideal within a supposedly unassailable model of reality only to create contention. The ONLY effective way to counter it, is to challenge it head-on; and that challenge will be violently resented -- otherwise it loses the implied value.

[newsradiohead]

Brilliant. I wish you had 10 million views. Thank you for your video.

[Cimbolic]

Excellent video.