seems to me like it's just trolling, but thats my perspective

Ipm certain for most it's an attempt to show that they're not going to be intimidated by violent fundamentalists. Personally, I'm not doing it because there are plenty of perfectly nice people out there who believe making an image of Muhammad is sacrilegious, and I don't intend to make pointless blanket statements about people's belief systems

If the information I have is correct, then it was a day started by some upstart American cartoonist woman (who has now backed out and tried to distance herself from it out of fear, or so I here), with the intent-keyword there-of exercising people's right to free speech. Because after all, people draw Jesus and other religious figures in any position they want all the time, and in my opinion I do agree it is odd that a single person is untouchable while everyone else is fair game.

However, exercising "Draw Muhammad Day" on FA is a farce at best. It's all anonymous, which means there's no actual protest going on. At best, it's misguided and pointless idealism, and at worst, an ignorant attack on many people.

And on the flipside, there's all the "Draw Muhammad Day" naysayers who are just as annoying and full of themselves, not realizing how hilariously ironic it is that they're calling all the supporters children, because clearly insulting people and trying to make them look stupid isn't childish if you're right, everyone knows that.

So in other words, today has been a circle jerking holier-than-thou day for two different groups of immature people.

What you have just said pretty much is so how I've felt about this day mainly due to seeing too many of those naysayer journals.

I should clarify though that of course there are people on both sides of the argument who are well-reasoned, and not being dicks, just trying to make sure we don't all make asses of ourselves. My point just being that unfortunately that does not seem to be the norm.

I think if a person takes it light heartedly, its just a way of showing that we should be able to draw something as simple as "mohammed playing with a gameboy" without living in fear.

moreso, i hold respect for religious people who have tolerance for everyone in the world, a religion is to help people cope, live, and die. not to hate anyone who goes against your beliefs

at least thats what i think ;O

i say it all about equality

everyone gets ridiculed evenly, yes?

Not on, like, Earth.

yeah but thats the ideal being strived for ^.<

Well, in the real world, right here and right now, Muslims are already crapped on in the US. So the majaroity culture crapping on them is like the bully several grades ahead beating you up because it thinks it sends a message, and because he can

Amen.

I was too lazy to read the other comments so if no one else stated it the Kuran (Quran?(Koo-rahn?)) forbids the illustration, sculpting, or any other visual representation of the prophet Muhammad, I might be lying though.

I tried to state that in the forum/my journal and got flamed all to hell.

Someone posted this video in another journal and I thought it was a very good video on the subject.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEsX9rj4w-0

Bandwagon jumping?

internet people trying to be cool about something they don't understand, business as usual

Internet nerds are happy to find someone they can pick on to make themselves feel bigger.
I, for one, am completely ashamed of what I've seen and read the past 24 hours. Apparently, I hate the 1st Amendment.

It's all silliness. While I agree with the integral 'free speech' theme, the method being used is counterproductive. You don't render impotent the threats of violence from followers of skewed religious dogma by acting boisterously contrary and drawing as much attention to it as possible. If anything, it escalates the frowny face levels on both sides, and makes both parties resent each other for no good reason. (For those who seek to argue that point, religious views are NOT a good reason to hate or cause harm, regardless of what you believe. Anyone who says otherwise is a douche.)

Simplest and most efficient way to whittle this nonsense down to its proper size: ignore the threats, and draw whatever the fuck you want.

It was a demonstration to express that artists will not be imitated by religious fundamentalists. The Islamic law in question forbids the depiction of *any* prophet of *any* religion. When South Park depicted Jesus or any other religious figure, there were no outcries or threats. Lars Vilks, the artist who started this controversy in 2006, is definitely poking the anthill to make a point about free speech by doing sacreligious depictions, but I think the threats and intimidation speech has shown the violent, negative side to religious fundamentalism that many people have grown tired of, and feel the need to make a stand. Doing so on the internet expresses that the threats are meaningless to those you can't reach, and that the voices of defiance cannot be silenced if there is no specific person to threaten or kill.

Draw Muhammad Day was trollling for some, and sophmoric expression for others, but was also a skirmish in a larger culture war. An entire generation was promised a future with reason and hope, a world were hate and ignorance were supposed to be waning. However, we have grown up to see older generations propagating religious dogma, fundamentalists spreading lies in the face of facts, and trying to use fear to keep the control over a population they are losing, and that population is now global.

I drew Muhammad yesterday. I depicted him smiling, a benevolent holy man reaching out to shake the hand of his fellow man. A modern muslim would disapprove, but respect my need to express myself. A fundamentalist muslim would want me dead.