A discussion of religion can branch into any number of topics, over any number of denominations and sects, about its effects on law and politics, and its role within society. However, mention religion today, and one subject arises universally: Danish cartoons. Out of context, this sounds ridiculous, but within a sound framework, the subject broaches religion at every possible entry. Perhaps no event in recent history, excluding 9/11, has provoked such a universal and rapid backlash. Retaliation against the publication of these comics stunned and shocked the world and led to the mass proposition of one question: Why? This line of thought sprung many queries. Why are Muslims so offended? Why did the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten publish the comics in the first place? Why is Islam seemingly out of control? Simple minds propose that Islam just can't handle a few jibes, and that the religion produces lunatics. However, sift through the misconceptions and the prejudices, and a more complex answer lies within, one that includes surprisingly little Islam and a far greater amount of oppression and subjugation. The heart of these protests lies not within Islam, but in the molding of the ignorant by power and the makings of history.
The explosion of protest began on September 30, 2005, when the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published twelve cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Mohammad in a variety of settings, many deemed offensive by Muslims and others. The most controversial cartoon depicts Mohammad wearing a bomb in his turban, which is a blatant reference to Islamic suicide bombers. The cartoons have since been reprinted in fifty countries, ("Jyllands-Posten Muhammad Cartoons Controversy") ensuring that the major...
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Terrorism has been a worldwide problem this past year causing mixed feelings, anxiety, and more awareness. Political cartoons are said to be an exaggerating and categorizing opinion of a persons’ point of views. In the drawing by Nate Beeler, Trump is unfairly prejudicing Muslims which seems to be acceptable by Adolf Hitler. The exaggeration could be understandable, but the truth underlying it could just be the obvious. The artist gives the impression of saying Donald Trump’s statements and ideas leave him to be identified with Hitler. The work is representing the idea that Trump’s discriminatory views towards all Muslims, including innocent, is no different than Hitler’s ideas pertained to the innocent Jews, making them to be in the same category. The artist can cause so many opinions, emotions, and thoughts just by adding this simple character to his work.
Muslims, Sikhs, and many other religious affiliations have often been targeted for hate crimes, racial slurs, and misfortunate events. We are all different in our own ways some are good and some are bad yet one event changes everything for everyone affiliated with the group. The book The Politics of the Veil by Joan Scott a renowned pioneer in gender studies gives a detailed and analytical book of about the French views towards the Muslim females in France during 2004. The author talks about why the French governments official embargo of wearing conspicuous signs is mainly towards the headscarves for Muslim girls under the age of eighteen in public schools. The main themes of book are gender inequality, sexism, and cultural inequality historical schools used in the book are history of below, woman’s history, cultural history, and political history. In this essay, I will talk about why Joan Scotts argument on why the French government’s ban on wearing conspicuous signs was
Freedom of speech is an expected universal freedom. It is a legal expectation in the countries that have signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights. Both of these documents grant freedom of expression and opinion across all frontiers. However, free speech is a western ideal that is subject to restrictions explicitly stated in these documents, as well as a universal understanding that others should not infringe on someone’s safety, rights and freedoms based on the idea that it is morally wrong to do so. Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine that “often targets radical Islam,” has become a case study for arguments over freedom of speech. (Sherwin, 2015).While Charlie Hebdo’s
Islam in America has historically been misunderstood, and this is due to the misconception of culture and religion as well as lack of education and incorrect portrayal in the media, which gives a skewed idea of Islam. Especially in the United States, Islam has been seen as the “terrorist religion” or a religion for the extremists and a religion in which freedom is not an option. Among the countless misconceptions, the basis of stereotypes by Americans is due to the mix up between religion and culture. Furthermore, the media only fuels fire to these misunderstandings and lack of factual information about Islam causing Americans to lash out on American Muslims without reason.
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 changed America and the world forever. When we hear about terrorists in the news, most often the media is referring to a person of the Islamic descent. The actions of a small group of radicals caused society to generalize about the entire Muslim community. Research done by Jack Shaheen, a professor of Mass Communication from Southern Illinois University and a consultant to CBS News, showed that the media has the ability to create false stereotypes of Muslims. The government enforces stereotypes here at home, which influence policies. During times of conflict, the media functions as the carrier of government policies. (Alexandar, Hanson, 64). Through this form of mediatization, prejudice and misconceptions about the Muslim community has risen.
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In numerous countries, particularly in the West, Muslims are currently looked upon with terror and suspicion, just as they are not by any means a part of the communities in which they live in. The Muslim veil, a long way from being the wonderful clothing of humble and devotion as Muslims see it, is viewed as an image of some dangerous religion. Young Muslim men wearing a facial hair are seen as extremists, and are stopped and searched as possible terrorists. Indeed, even government officials now talk about Islam and Muslims just as if they are considered to be hidden enemies inside these countries, who must be observed carefully.
Post September 11, 2001 the life of a Muslim women living in America changed forever. Islamophobia is the prejudice against Islam or Muslims. Islamophobia is not a new concept, it has roots hundreds of years ago, however after 9/11 it became much more prevalent in America. Following 9/11 Western media used Islam and Muslim women who covered to inflict fear in American citizens. Western media framed Islam as a dangerous and hateful religion that needed to be stopped. At the same time the media became obsessed with Muslim women who veiled and wanted to save these women from their oppression. However, these articles written about the oppressed Muslim women did not feature Muslim women and their experiences veiling. They were not given a voice
After 9/11 has induced negative attitudes towards Muslim peoples who tend to be strongly associated with any act of terrorism. The media has played a colossal role in developing such negative association wherein it constantly portrays Muslim people in combination with violent terrorist acts. It does so in a way that they both go hand-and-hand. In other words, it has made it as though the Islamic religion is synonymous with terrorism. The media has perpetuated Muslim stereotypes over the years that followed the 9/11 incident. Because of this, society has developed, and still has developed, this prejudiced mindset about the Islamic religion and the Muslim communities around the world. People immediately assume that any violent act being depicted through the media is the direct result of Muslims. They automatically generate this idea that the act was performed by a Muslim terrorist even when they were not involved whatsoever. Regardless of whether it was true or not, Islamic religion and its Muslim adherents are at the top of societies’ agenda just waiting for the evidence to be generated so that they can then safely blame them for such world affairs. Again, this has led to the attack on the Islamic religion itself wherein people have come to postulate Islam as an act of oppression, violence and hatred towards non-Muslims. Anti-Muslim sentiments and campaigns have resulted from such misinformation the media has been generating and feeding its viewers.
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Ms. Amin says the show named a key terrorist character after the former Pakistani ambassador to the US. She was annoyed and insulted by the show’s false accusations. Millions of viewers have inaccurate views on the Middle East because of the show. The artists said their plan began in June with the help of a friend. Ms. Amin admits it was easy to plant the message because facts were not well checked, which is most likely the reason for so many inaccuracies in the