Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Once again, Charlie Hebdo provokes Muslim sensibilities

Dear abolaji

I agree on freedom of satire, although the U.S. made fun of black people in the most distasteful of ways in public media, feeding revolting images to children, imparting the notion of the inferiority of black people, of Mexicans, and of foreigners. When you assert a claim like this, ask what would be the worst case scenario. In Rwanda, mocking tutsis was part of the public media that encouraged genocide. Would you permit that? Americans believe in first amendment rights, and I'd support that but only up to limits, i.e., when the speech leads directly to harming people it should be stopped. Canadians, French, limit speech along those lines. Perhaps Nigeria might see reason in not celebrating genocidal speech, just as Rwanda does.

In any event, the limits have to be conceived and debated for the claim to be meaningful

Finally, I believe many people misunderstood Charlie hebdo's cartoons. That too is a problem, since the islamists acted on their own interpretations and shot people as a result

ken

 

Kenneth Harrow

Dept of English and Film Studies

Michigan State University

619 Red Cedar Rd

East Lansing, MI 48824

517-803-8839

harrow@msu.edu

http://www.english.msu.edu/people/faculty/kenneth-harrow/

 

From: usaafricadialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Abolaji Adekeye <blargeo.dekeye@gmail.com>
Reply-To: usaafricadialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Date: Wednesday, 8 November 2017 at 00:29
To: usaafricadialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Once again, Charlie Hebdo provokes Muslim sensibilities

 

I want to ask like Salman -Is nothing sacred? 

I'll answer by posing another - Who determines what is allowed and what is hallowed? 

 

It is rather complex but I believe nothing should be immuned to satire. Nothing should curtail freedom of expression except superior expression. We should look at the brighter side of things. We appear too uptight when our totems,  our sacralised absolutes are interrogated, critiqued or lampooned. The Life of Brian and Jesus christ superstar did not provoke bombings or any killing spree. Although there where boycott of the movies by the offended.

 

I believe personally that the provocateurs are those who prevent freedom of expression and aim to foist their creed and belief on the rest of us from their temples, mosques,  madrasal or churches. They espouse their divisive messages from compromised lecterns and pulpits but are quick to convulse in apoplectic fits of righteous indignation at any positions or expositions opposed to theirs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Nov 7, 2017 12:03, "Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju" <toyin.adepoju@gmail.com> wrote:

terrible

 

On 6 November 2017 at 19:47, Cornelius Hamelberg <corneliushamelberg@gmail.com> wrote:

There's provocation defined as "action or speech that makes someone angry, especially deliberately" and there's madness , the sometimes seemingly mad / insane reaction to certain types of provocation as in the old Saro Krio saying, of my Yoruba grandmother's King James Bible generation, that "provocation is next to madness"

 

In accordance with Sunnism there are The Five Pillars of Islam and there's the five roots/ principles the Usul al Din of Shia Islam ( ie.Tawhid ( the unity of God)  Adl ( God's Justice)  Nabuwat ( Prophethood), Imamat (The Holy Imams), Qiyamah (The Resurrection)

 

With pavlovian expectations, Charlie Hebdo is at it again – this time their so called satirical illustration is that of an erect giant penis , said to be "the sixth pillar of Islam.".

 

A new provocation from Charlie Hebdo , new death threats

 

They are of course expecting Muslims to react violently  as Muslims have done in the past, with the Muhammad Cartoons ( Denmark)  Lars Vilks canine portrait of the Prophet of Islam  (Sweden) and the earlier Charlie Hebdo attacks ( France)  which prove that Charlie Hebdo know what they are doing  and are doing what they do because they expect the same results , so that they can all shout in unison : TERRORISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!

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