Muhammad cartoonist: Nothing too holy to mock
The point of a caricature depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a dog was to show that artistic freedom allows mockery of all religions, including the most sacred symbols of Islam, the Swedish artist who created it tells the Associated Press.
Lars Vilks — the target of an alleged murder plot involving an American woman who dubbed herself "Jihad Jane" — said Wednesday that he has no regrets about the drawing, which is considered deeply offensive by many Muslims.
"I'm actually not interested in offending the prophet. The point is actually to show that you can," Vilks told the AP in Stockholm. "There is nothing so holy you can't offend it."
Vilks made his rough sketch showing Muhammad's head on a dog's body more than a year after 12 Danish newspaper cartoons of the prophet sparked furious protests in Muslim countries in 2006.
Islamic law generally opposes any depiction of the prophet, even favorable, for fear it could lead to idolatry.
Vilks submitted the drawing to an exhibit at a Swedish cultural heritage center, which turned it down, citing security concerns. The issue went largely unnoticed until a Swedish newspaper printed the drawing with an editorial defending the freedom of expression.
The publication led to protests from Muslim countries, and briefly revived a heated debate in the West and the Muslim world about religious sensitivities and the limits of free speech.
It also led to numerous death threats against Vilks, who was temporarily moved to a secret location after al-Qaida in Iraq put a $100,000 bounty on his head in September 2007.
The 63-year-old artist told AP he has now built his own defense system, including a "homemade" safe room and a barbed-wire sculpture that could electrocute potential intruders. He also has an ax "to chop down" anyone trying to climb through the windows of his home, in southern Sweden.
"If something happens, I know exactly what to do," Vilks said.
Comments
The fact that Muslims are so upset about it shows that they dont follow God. God's Son says to forgive. Is Christ too holy too mock? Well, yes, but He will take care of that. As Christians, we dont have to be concerned about it and such things as revenge. It makes it a lot easier to concentrate on love. It does make it harder when love towards people is seen by non Christians as some kind of revenge, as some do here. However, we get through it because the only true God is with us.
Posted by: Clay | March 11, 2010 9:43 AM
The Islamic world is filled to the brim with self-centered conspiracy freaks who have nothing better to do than lash out at anything they don't understand. They would make great Republicans.
Posted by: Rick | March 11, 2010 11:53 AM
And even better Democrats.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 11, 2010 12:54 PM
The Muhammed cartoonists have done the world a huge favor in opening the dialogue about Muhammed and who he really was.
Was Lars Vilks wrong when he portrayed Muhammed as a dog?
According to the Islamic 'holy' texts, Muhammed had 13 wives (including Aisha who was only 6 years old when he 'married' her, and 9 years old when he raped her), and counless sex slaves.
I'd say by proof of his actions, Muhammed was definitely a dog.
~ The Infidel Alliance
Posted by: The Infidel Alliance | March 12, 2010 10:12 PM
The Koran uphold Muhammed as "an exalted model of conduct", and Islamic tradition upholds Muhammed as 'al-insan al-kamil' or 'the perfect man' whom all Muslims should emulate.
The politically incorrect yet hard truth, as recorded in Islam's 'holy books' the Koran, Ahadith and Sirah Rasul Allah, is that far from being a holy man, Muhammed was a sadistic sociopath.
Muhammed was a murderer, slaver, decapitator, mutilator, torturer, amputator, human trafficker, rapist, sex slaver, child rapist, sexual deviant, misogynist, a looting stealing thief, a perfidious liar, a genocidist, and a self proclaimed terrorist.
By any objective standard, Muhammed was one of the most vile, repulsive men in the pantheon of human history.
He was simply a successful 7th century Charles Manson, motivated by unquenchable sexual lust, material greed and abusive power, who ruled by fear, terror and false promises of riches in the afterlife.
Like Manson, Muhammed should be reviled not revered, and incarcerated not venerated.
Yet, this is the man who set the moral standard for Islam and his minions. Is there any wonder why there is so much violence in Islam?
Muhammed is the man responsible.
~ The Infidel Alliance
P.S. - don't take my word for it. Read the Islamic 'holy' texts for yourself. You will quickly find that what I write is true, as it is recorded there in black & white for the whole world to see.
Posted by: The Infidel Alliance | March 12, 2010 10:36 PM
MUHAMMEDS GIFT TO HUMANITY - THE ISLAMIC WORLD WAR
The Free World is finally waking up to the fact that Islam's prime directive is the militant conquest of the entire world, mandated by Allah & Muhammed in the Koran & this hadith: Bukhari (8:387) – Allah’s Apostle Muhammed said, “I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: ‘None has the right to be worshipped but Allah'" CAN IT BE ANY MORE CRYSTAL CLEAR?
Muhammeds minions have been dutifully following this mandate for 1,400 years, since the time Muhammed left Mecca for Medina. What we are facing is nothing less than an ISLAMIC WORLD WAR that rages on every continent except Antarctica, against everyone and everything “non-Islamic”.
Let’s look at the FACTS. Islam against:
- the Catholics in the Philippines (routine slaughter & beheadings)
- the Christians in Indonesia (routine slaughter & beheadings)
- Australian tourists in Bali (blown up…twice)
- the Buddhists in Thailand (routine slaughter & beheadings)
- the Hindus & Sikhs in India (hundreds of years battling the Islamic Jihad)
- the Jews in Mumbai (slaughtered)
- the Zoroastrians & Baha’i in Iran (virtually exterminated)
- Islamic converts to Christianity in Afghanistan (death fatwa)
- ancient Buddhist statues in Bamiyan, Afghanistan (blown up)
- the Chaldean Christians in Iraq (routine persecution, slaughter & church burnings)
- the Jews in Israel (routine attacks against civilians, threat of 2nd genocide)
- the Jews in Yemen (nearly exterminated)
- S. Korean & German tourists in Yemen (blown up)
- the Coptic Christians in Egypt (routine persecution, slaughter & church attacks)
- the Christians & animists in Sudan (genocide)
- the Christians in Kenya (constant Jihadist threat from Obama’s homies)
- the Christians in Nigeria (routine Jihadist attacks)
- U.S. embassies in Tanzania & Kenya (blown up)
- the athiests in Europe (the prime target)
- the native French in Paris (torched car terrorism)
- Jews in Paris (read the grisly story of Ilan Halimi, a Jewish shop clerk who was kidnapped, tortured and killed in 2006)
- the native Swedes in Malmo (Islamic rape brigades)
- the native Dutch in Amsterdam (routinely terrorized)
- Dutch politicians (Geert Wilders & Ayyan Hirsi Ali – death fatwa)
- Dutch cinematographers (Theo vanGogh savagely murdered by an Islamist in broad daylight)
- Dutch cartoonists (Kurt Westergaard – death fatwa)
- Dutch newspaper editors (Flemming Rose, Jyllands-Posten’s culture editor – death fatwa)
- Train commuters in Spain (blown up)
- Tube commuters in London (blown up)
- Airports in Scotland (blown up)
- Jews in Argentina (blown up)
- Jews in Caracas (blown up)
- Twin Tower office workers in N.Y. (blown up – twice)
- Defense workers in the Pentagon (blown up – airliner jihad)
- Army/Navy military recruiters in Little Rock (gunned down by an Islamist)
- Soldiers in Ft Hood Texas (gunned down by an Islamist traitor)
- Pedestrians at the U. of N. Carolina (run down with an SUV by Islamist)
- Journalists like Daniel Pearl (savagely decapitated by Islamists)
- Nick Berg, Kim Sung-il, Piotr Stanczyk, Jack Hensley, Eugene Armstrong, Paul Johnson (savagely decapitated by Islamists)
- Jewish centers in Seattle (slaughtered by Islamist Jihadist)
- Jewish centers in Toronto (slaughtered by Islamist Jihadist)
- Infidel Delta Airlines passengers (underwear bomber)
And on, and on, and on……….
It is Islam against everyone, everything, everywhere that is not Islamic.
It is Dar al-Islam against Dar al-Harb. Islam against us, not us against them.
Let’s face the facts and call it what it is. It is not a ‘War on Terror’ against a few ragtag misunderstanders of Islam. It is nothing less than: THE ISLAMIC WORLD WAR.
THE ISLAMIC WORLD WAR – Muhammed’s legacy.
~ The Infidel Alliance
Posted by: The Infidel Alliance | March 12, 2010 11:11 PM
We appreciate what you are pointing out, but you need an answer, and the answer is Christ. He will take care of all this anyway. It is a shame that we have to live with it and all the mess in Iran. However, everyone will stand before Him to be judged at one time or another. We will be taken in the air with Him, or we will face the great white throne judgement. So have hope! Thanks.
Posted by: Clay | March 13, 2010 11:45 AM
@ Clay:
Even in the Bible & Quran it is mentioned that Jesus will return on the day of judgment and lead the good ones to heaven.
Posted by: concerned citizen | March 14, 2010 10:00 PM
Maybe that could help people put down the Quran and follow Christ.
Posted by: Clay | March 15, 2010 5:36 AM