Last Thursday, an article was published in the Weekender section that readdressed an issue most people were glad was over. I was not looking forward to another debate regarding depictions of religious icons in popular media, but here I am, again forced to say something on it.
You have heard a lot of things, but please try hearing something from your average Muslim guy.
My stance is clear on this matter: I am totally against comic, slanderous or controversial portrayals of the prophet Muhammad or any other religious figure in popular media. It is not because I am a very strict Muslim, but rather, because that is how a rational society should act.
Last year, a cartoon depicting the prophet Muhammad was published in a Danish newspaper. Muslims all over the world expressed shock and rage. It was not because non-Muslims are not allowed to use the prophet for any of their "artwork," but even Muslims are not allowed to draw or represent the prophet Muhammad in any form, even if it is purely reverentially.
The idea behind this is simple: Our religion tells us that we should only worship God and no one else. In my opinion, reducing the Prophet to a representation could lead to people starting to worshipping him and believing he was more than a man. This would undermine the very basic teaching of Islam.
As Muslims are not allowed to draw him respectfully, such a disrespectful representation caused a very violent reaction. In some sense, it makes perfect sense for Muslims to express outrage. However, that in no way justifies the mindless violent rage seen all over the world that proved to be counterproductive to the initial cause.
Some may point out here the issue of freedom of expression. They say that everyone has a right to express him or herself in any way they want. They might also say that the cartoon is a type of "art" and that it reflects the basic values of democracy and freedom.
But does freedom of expression allow the typing out of slanderous comments about someone in the newspaper? Does it allow racial slurs on mass media? I believe there is a term called "political
correctness" that prevents just that. Even if it's not political correctness it is common human decency to respect someone's privacy, personal beliefs or outlook. That is what we were taught to do as we grew up; that is what we should do as civilized people.
Religious values count a lot to people. For some people, religious values are the only values they have and, thus, they are prepared to live their entire lives by it and die by it. I am not justifying it, but I am just telling you what a personal thing this is.
Yes, I agree that in the name of religion mass murders are committed. Yes, I also agree that religion has become so institutionalized that you cannot help but feel angry with them.
But don't disrespect the values. Don't disrespect the founders who had nothing but the goodness of humanity at heart. I am a Muslim, but I strongly believe that all religious leaders give us the same message of peace, tolerance, love, and respect. We have no right, nor a basis on which to judge them and portray them in hideous ways and hurt the people who believe in them and see them as their saviors.
If you are still not convinced by the decency argument, just call it political correctness or common courtesy. Just think of this as spreading rumors about a politician. It can at least get you sued for defamation and make you poorer by a few million dollars. You can't wriggle yourself out of it using the "freedom of view and speech" rhetoric, can you?
Does that mean religion should be completely out of the reach of criticism?
No. Absolutely not.
But, there should be a mutual understanding on what you can criticize. For example, I would never stand for someone criticizing Jesus for being a coward or Muhammad for being a terrorist leader. But I would be open to the question of whether my religion does actually foster terrorism or whether the Qur'an actually tells people that they will go to heaven if they kill themselves defending their country.
My religion openly tells people that they must always question and criticize to deepen their understanding. But you shouldn't slander. What does that solve? It only leads to more hate and violence.
Rezwan Khan is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.
