http://globalvoicesonline.org/2006/02/16/pulse-of-the-saudi-blogosphere-6/ The world is talking. Are you listening? Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:49:29 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://globalvoicesonline.org/2006/02/16/pulse-of-the-saudi-blogosphere-6/comment-page-1/#comment-26933 Pedro Almeida Thu, 16 Feb 2006 19:11:48 +0000 http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/?p=6760#comment-26933 I think infamous are the ones who use religion, faith, and so on, to their fight against their ennemies. In Portugal and Spain,in the decades 30-70 of the XX century, fascist used religious simbols like Christh, Mary-mother of Christh, and Catholic dogmas to atack democracy, comunism, capitalism, etc. And the Church in these countries was not innocent of these aproach. Fortunally, many clerics and believers fought this association. So, in those times, if some caricaturist draw a Christh in some way related to the fascists organizations, certainly would be put in jail ou forbidden to publish in these countries. But, if that would hapenned, could be interpreted as a critic to those who mixture their political intolerant fight with the creed of millions who not share their views. When I saw the picture of a supposed Prophet Mohammed with a bomb, I understood the goal of the caricaturist: to criticize those who use islamic religion to support their terrorist attacks to innocent people im the United States, in Europe, in Irack, in Pakistan, etc. I don't see in the picture neither an attack to the real Prophet nor the islamic faith (by the way, in the same group of pictures there is one mocking the dannish newspapper for their inniciative). Indeed, I'm as shocked with suicide-bombers wherever they attack as with the recents attacks to the xiites in Pakistan or sunnites in Irack organized by sunnites in Pakistan and by xiites in Irack, and I don't blame the whole community for the wrongdoings and crimes of some who claim belong to them. As I'm shocked about the crimes in Abu-Graibh and in Guantanamo by american soldiers/authorities. So, I think the least of the troubles are some drawings, but the infamous reality we live and these cartoons and many others simply reflect. And yes, I do believe it's a blessing to discuss this matters openly and with fear of beeing harassed ou killed. If we are offended, there are many ways to express our feelings and our views, as pacific demonstrations in the streets, boycott goods, writting and drawing, debates on the media, even claimming in courts, if one feels so. I think infamous are the ones who use religion, faith, and so on, to their fight against their ennemies. In Portugal and Spain,in the decades 30-70 of the XX century, fascist used religious simbols like Christh, Mary-mother of Christh, and Catholic dogmas to atack democracy, comunism, capitalism, etc. And the Church in these countries was not innocent of these aproach. Fortunally, many clerics and believers fought this association. So, in those times, if some caricaturist draw a Christh in some way related to the fascists organizations, certainly would be put in jail ou forbidden to publish in these countries. But, if that would hapenned, could be interpreted as a critic to those who mixture their political intolerant fight with the creed of millions who not share their views.
When I saw the picture of a supposed Prophet Mohammed with a bomb, I understood the goal of the caricaturist: to criticize those who use islamic religion to support their terrorist attacks to innocent people im the United States, in Europe, in Irack, in Pakistan, etc. I don’t see in the picture neither an attack to the real Prophet nor the islamic faith (by the way, in the same group of pictures there is one mocking the dannish newspapper for their inniciative).
Indeed, I’m as shocked with suicide-bombers wherever they attack as with the recents attacks to the xiites in Pakistan or sunnites in Irack organized by sunnites in Pakistan and by xiites in Irack, and I don’t blame the whole community for the wrongdoings and crimes of some who claim belong to them. As I’m shocked about the crimes in Abu-Graibh and in Guantanamo by american soldiers/authorities.
So, I think the least of the troubles are some drawings, but the infamous reality we live and these cartoons and many others simply reflect.
And yes, I do believe it’s a blessing to discuss this matters openly and with fear of beeing harassed ou killed. If we are offended, there are many ways to express our feelings and our views, as pacific demonstrations in the streets, boycott goods, writting and drawing, debates on the media, even claimming in courts, if one feels so.

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