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The Double Standard....aka DIAF ACLU!!
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| LazFX |
Frankly I am growing so sick and tired of this crap!
| quote: | Washington Post, Other Newspapers Won't Run 'Opus' Cartoon Mocking Radical Islam
Tuesday , August 28, 2007
By Catherine Donaldson-Evans
FC1
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A popular comic strip that poked fun at the Rev. Jerry Falwell without incident one week ago was deemed too controversial to run over the weekend because this time it took a humorous swipe at Muslim fundamentalists.
The Washington Post and several other newspapers around the country did not run Sunday's installment of Berkeley Breathed's "Opus," in which the spiritual fad-seeking character Lola Granola appears in a headscarf and explains to her boyfriend, Steve, why she wants to become a radical Islamist.
The installment did not appear in the Post's print version, but it ran on WashingtonPost.com and Salon.com. The same will hold true for the upcoming Sept. 2 strip, which is a continuation of the plotline.
• Click here to see the Aug. 26 "Opus" strip about radical Islam.
The Washington Post Writers Group syndicates "Opus," and the Post is the cartoon's home newspaper. The syndicate sent out an alert about the two strips in question, according to Writers Group comics editor Amy Lago.
Sources told FOXNews.com that the strips were shown to Muslim staffers at The Washington Post to gauge their reaction, and they responded "emotionally" to the depiction of a woman dressed in traditional Muslim garb and espousing conservative Islamic views.
There was also considerable alarm over the strip at the highest echelons of The Washington Post Co., according to the sources.
Lago said she flagged some of the syndicate's newspaper clients for two reasons: because of the possibility that the jokes about Islam would be misconstrued and because of the sexual innuendo in the punchline.
"The strip came in and I knew we would have to send out an alert to all the newspapers," Lago said. "I do that fairly regularly with materials that might pose issues for local areas. ... We knew that because it was a sex joke, it could raise issues. And there is another client that has issues with any Muslim depiction whatsoever."
Editors from The Washington Post declined to comment on why they made the decision to pull the two comic strips.
In the Aug. 26 "Opus," Lola — who asks to be called Fatima Struggle — tries to talk Steve into accepting her latest phase.
"Steve, think about what you're not getting," she says from behind her hijab and veil. "You're not getting a girlfriend obsessed with decadent Western crud. You're not getting a girlfriend blathering about 'American Idol.' And you're not getting a girlfriend who resists a man's rightful place."
Steve thinks about it, looks pleased for an instant and then looks disturbed again.
"Anything else I won't be getting, Fatima?" he asks sardonically.
"God willing," she replies.
A series of political cartoons that featured the prophet Mohammed were published in Denmark last year, sparking violent protests throughout the Muslim world. Those cartoons spurred a debate about the satirical depiction of religion in comic strips and other media.
The Aug. 19 "Opus" ended with a joke about the late Jerry Falwell. In that strip, Lola, fresh from a quest to become an Amish nudist, is doing yoga and talking to the penguin character Opus about who goes to heaven.
"Liberals? Evolutionists? Feminists? ACLU lawyers?" Opus asks incredulously. "Yep," replies Lola.
"Kennedy Democrats? French people? Manly women who don't shave ... they're all up there?" Opus wonders. "Yep," Lola repeats.
"With Jerry Falwell?" asks Opus. "Yep," Lola says again.
Opus looks up in an aha! sort of moment. "Goodness, must HE be annoyed!" the penguin exclaims.
"Eternally," Lola replies.
Lago said she didn't flag newspapers about that strip because she didn't think readers would misunderstand the humor.
"They're not going to take it seriously," she said.
But she did alert newspapers about the Muslim-themed cartoon because there was a question about whether Muslim readers would be offended.
"I don't necessarily think it's poking fun [at Islam]," Lago said. "But the question with Muslims is, are they taking it seriously?"
The "Opus" strip in question takes swipes at Islamists — a term used for radical Muslims — as opposed to moderate Muslims, she pointed out, but there was concern that the distinction wouldn't be clear. And, she said, racy jokes sometimes draw fire, too.
"There have been a lot of complaints coming in about sex jokes lately," she said.
In this case, Breathed, who also drew the popular “Bloom County” strip, took the somewhat unusual step of alerting fans to the fact that the current and upcoming "Opus" cartoons had been withheld by a number of newspapers.
"Note to Opus readers: The Opus strips for August 26 and September 2 have been withheld from publication by a large number of client newspapers across the country, including Opus’ host paper The Washington Post. The strips may be viewed in a large format on their respective dates at Salon.com," the notice reads on Breathed’s Web site, www.berkeleybreathed.com.
The comics editor at a competing syndicate, King Features — which handles the "Mallard Fillmore," "Mutts," "Zits" and "Blondie" strips, among many others — said flagging newspapers about possibly objectionable content is fairly standard, especially since the funnies pages historically have been kid-friendly.
"The comics page in the paper is a very safe place traditionally," Brendan Burford said. "There are a few lightning rods, and a few lightning rods are good ... but there could be kids reading things."
It's also important to consider the deliverer of the message, he said. In this case, Breathed is known to be a satirical political cartoonist who tackles taboo topics.
In general, when there is a question about possibly offensive content, the cartoonist is involved in how to "soften the blow" if necessary, according to Burford.
As far as whether the Post and the Post Writers Group syndicate treated content about conservative Christians differently than it did content about conservative Muslims, it certainly could be taken that way.
"It appears on the surface to be a double standard," Burford said, "but at the same time, the climate of the world probably informs their decision with how to go forward with it." |
so, so tired.....as an ex-Christian, it bothers me that Islam is given a pass on so many issues, but yet, the Christian religion is attacked daily....
Why??
Freedom of the press?? Yeah as long as you don't offend Islam... where the is the outrage?? Where is the bombings and riots for the same comic that ran an swipe at Christianity??
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| pkcRAISTLIN |
i think its probably a good idea not to run them, but i agree- its ing ridiculous to see religion get such preferential treatment in these kind of stakes. all because a group of followers sees it as necessary to respond to perceived sleights with irrational violence.
honestly, there's no ing way any deity would introduce religion into the world if they knew what ed up individuals we would become.
what a joke. religion of tolerance my arse. |
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| LazFX |
you know though, as bad as christanity has/is.... no other religion has had the doors slammed in its face other than christanity.
I mean really think about it..... x-mass displays are almost gone except in the homes... the 10 commandments... gone from any state, federal buildings. Fock you can't even say merry x-mas at work, or hang up any Christian related picture. Schools installing wash basins for feet washing?? Change the plot line of a major TV series just not to offend??
Maybe I just am an ignorant redneck with a jock mentality (beat you to it Shaolin) |
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| LazFX |
And this is why I just stopped contributing JUST NOW!
and please, don't think I am some focking Racist or what ever, its the myth, not the people. any way, these religions that came out of this one area of the world are all pretty much based on the same god, they all came from one fella.... pretty messed up..... Focking New Religions :rolleyes: just as bad as New Money ;)
but seriously this right here set me off.....
| quote: | Where Is The ACLU?
BY ALICIA COLON
August 15, 2007
URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/60520
Now that Dhabah aka Debbie Almontaser has resigned as the principal-designate of the Khalil Gibran International Academy and has been replaced by a Jewish woman, Danielle Salzberg, some assume the opposition to the school itself is over. That supposition would be false. Commenting on the new principal, the Stop Madrassa Community Coalition released this statement: "Salzberg is completely implicated in Almontaser's radical designs for KGIA. She should be permitted to return to New Visions to work on other schools, and KGIA should not open in September."
The demand for information from the Department of Education continues. The big question is why isn't the ACLU involved in this issue?
The last I heard, this legal civil liberty organization was seeking removal of a cross in a Louisiana courtroom and threatening a lawsuit in Connecticut because a public school was using a cathedral for its commencement ceremony. Meanwhile New York has created an Arabic public school which has several religious clerics on the advisory board. That's as incongruous as if the city had established a Gaelic school with Cardinal Egan on the Board.
The New York Sun has been reporting the existence of this school since March 16th when our education columnist Andrew Wolf wrote, "The city's Department of Education is wrong in establishing any school that focuses exclusively on one culture." In April, Daniel Pipes warned that a Madrassa was growing in Brooklyn and by the time my May column calling it a monstrous idea appeared, a grassroots community group seeking to end this project was formed. Stop the Madrassa Community Coalition sent a Freedom of Information Law request to the governor and the mayor. One of the representatives, Sara Springer, went on the "Hannity & Colmes" program to explain that the DOE had not responded to requests for information on the proposed curricula or why the school has a religious advisory board. Another panelist on the cable show was Hussein Ibish, executive director of the Hala Salaam Maksoud Foundation for Arab-American Leadership, who supports the school and asserted that the coalition's Web site, www.stopmadrassa.wordpress.com, was filled with bigotry and hatred. In her resignation, Ms. Almontaser said the critics' "intolerant and hateful tone has come to frighten some of the parents and incoming parents." It's so easy to toss that word, "hate" when confronted by opposition to one's agenda but I found nothing on that Web site or in any of the critics' (who include Diane Ravitch and Randi Weingarten) statements that compares to the fury of supporters of the school. Once my column was quoted by the New York Times, I received what can only be described as evil correspondence condemning me in vivid detail to the same fate as certain Holocaust victims. It certainly made me wonder what kind of person still reads the New York Times. Reuters also accused me of inflaming Islamophobia. That was a mild curse, but Reuters is hardly a credible news source anymore since they were once again caught using fake photographs to illustrate their news.
All parties agree that we do need more Arab language instruction, if only for our national security. When I was in high school during the Cold War, our school offered Russian as an after-school program. Ms. Springer told me, "Students should take languages as electives. Our American way of life, principles, and Constitution cannot be allowed to dissolve in multiculturalism and sensitivity training."
The question is, where is the ACLU? If a cross is anywhere to be found on public property, the ACLU will file a case to have it removed. Yet, clearly, this zeal is nonexistent when it involves Islam.
The University of Michigan-Dearborn is spending $25,000 to build footbaths for Muslim students. In San Diego, an experimental school, Carver Elementary, has morphed into one with accommodations for Muslim prayers and dietary needs not previously made for Christian and Jewish students. In San Francisco, the Bryon Union School District held a three week "How to be a Muslim" program wherein students prayed to Allah and took Islamic names. When the case was taken to court, the liberal Ninth Circuit ruled for the school.
Perhaps the ACLU requires someone to initiate the complaint and atheists only seem interested in targeting Christian artifacts. Exactly what is it about the religion of peace that makes it immune from litigious nonbelievers?
>>SOURCE<<
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I do not care if its the religion of the flying spaghetti monster, no religion, nothing... not even a separate wash basin or area for prayer..... but the one group that I really believed that was really there for true separation has missed the boat. |
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| ResonantDrag |
There should be a free pass granted the week after drawing up this gem.
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| LazFX |
| quote: | Originally posted by ResonantDrag
There should be a free pass granted the week after drawing up this gem.
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one would think that .... but...
that is pretty funny though... but if there is an afterlife; falwell is not in heaven, that SOB is burning in hell. |
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| DJ Shibby |
| quote: | Originally posted by LazFX
you know though, as bad as christanity has/is.... no other religion has had the doors slammed in its face other than christanity.
I mean really think about it..... x-mass displays are almost gone except in the homes... the 10 commandments... gone from any state, federal buildings. Fock you can't even say merry x-mas at work, or hang up any Christian related picture. Schools installing wash basins for feet washing?? Change the plot line of a major TV series just not to offend??
Maybe I just am an ignorant redneck with a jock mentality (beat you to it Shaolin) |
It's natural progression.
Just like Christianity slowly slammed the doors on paganism, the trend continues. No idea, no matter how unique and fresh, can escape human nature forever. |
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| Krypton |
| The ACLU in my opinion is the equivalent to the Christian Coalition but for secular humanists. |
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| Fir3start3r |
| Interesting that all the apologists should be so quiet on this issue... |
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| occrider |
| quote: | Originally posted by Fir3start3r
Interesting that all the apologists should be so quiet on this issue... |
:haha:
Are you really in a position to make such a statement?
To address the issue in a very broad sense yet make the effort to get towards a definitive end result, what civil rights violations are being violated to warrant the intervention of the ACLU such that there are inconsistencies in the application of their charter? To be honest I don't know the answer so I'm looking forward to a very spirited discussion. |
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| LazFX |
| quote: | Originally posted by occrider
:haha:
To address the issue in a very broad sense yet make the effort to get towards a definitive end result, what civil rights violations are being violated to warrant the intervention of the ACLU such that there are inconsistencies in the application of their charter? To be honest I don't know the answer so I'm looking forward to a very spirited discussion. |
ACLU Mission Statement:| quote: | The mission of the ACLU is to preserve all of these protections and guarantees:
* Your First Amendment rights - freedom of speech, association and assembly; freedom of the press, and freedom of religion.
* Your right to equal protection under the law - equal treatment regardless of race, sex, religion or national origin.
* Your right to due process - fair treatment by the government whenever the loss of your liberty or property is at stake.
* Your right to privacy - freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs.
We work also to extend rights to segments of our population that have traditionally been denied their rights, including Native Americans and other people of color; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people; women; mental-health patients; prisoners; people with disabilities; and the poor.
If the rights of society's most vulnerable members are denied, everybody's rights are imperiled. |
Now I ask, going freak on one religion and obviously turning your head at another........ does this jell with the above statements??
We have all heard how well the ACLU goes after Christian intrusions: Statues of the Ten Commandments, Prayer in School, Faith Based Oranizations and getting christmass trees and manger scenes taken down in airports and city town squares, but why not the same approach to Islam?
| quote: | Islam And Public Schools: Accommodate, But Don’t Promote Religion, Says Muslim Activist
July 30th 2007
The interminable debate over religion in public schools flared recently when an elementary school in San Diego, Calif., built a short prayer break into the school day. The school believed it was accommodating Muslim students, whose faith requires them to pray five times a day. Critics argued the break amounted to unconstitutional school-sanctioned prayer.
Rob Boston of Americans United, Edina Lekovic of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and Richard Thompson of the Thomas More Law Center discussed the topic Sunday on Fox News’ “Big Story Weekend.”
MPAC’s Lekovic said, “It would be a huge disservice to all Americans if there was school-sanctioned prayer, no matter which religion was being represented…. Schools have a responsibility to provide the opportunity for students to take care of their religious obligations, but it certainly shouldn’t be school sanctioned.”
Americans United’s Boston agreed that public schools could accommodate, not facilitate, student prayer. All three panelists suspected that a school creating a special period for Muslim students to pray crossed the church-state line.
“The idea here of this school creating an entire recess period simply for Muslim prayer is not something that I think even most Muslims support,” said Lekovic. Religious exercise shouldn’t “happen as a matter of school policy.”
Lekovic and Boston said the problem could be easily remedied by following current law, which allows students to discuss and practice religion on their own time.
The conversation then turned from religious exercise to religious objects. The Los Angeles Times reported today that the University of Michigan at Dearborn will install two footbaths for Muslim students to use before they pray. Lekovic disagreed with such an “accommodation.”
“The idea of Muslims needing special footbaths in schools or in public places is absolutely not required in any way,” she said. “I don’t have a footbath at home, and I certainly wouldn’t expect there to be one in another place.”
I can understand how difficult it is for public school officials to serve children from many different religious backgrounds (and none). They should remember, though, that the reason it is so difficult is because America is home to some 2,000 religious groups. It would be impossible for schools to teach reading, writing and arithmetic while catering to even a fraction of this number. Schools, therefore, should leave decisions about children’s religious upbringing to their families and houses of worship.
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>>Americans United for Separation of Church and State<< |
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| Fir3start3r |
| quote: | Originally posted by occrider
:haha:
Are you really in a position to make such a statement?
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Not sure what you're trying to say here, but if you mean from the position of noticing a huge hypocrisy on the liberal side, then yea of course.
Why would the anti-Christian (anti-religion) types be so invisible on such an issue when they're so vehement on another religion?
Could it be they don't fully understand Sharia, are afraid of it so won't touch it with a 10' pole?
Their ignorance is giving backwards Sharia Law a paved road to continue their creep into Western society under the guise of 'tolerance'. |
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