Profile in Cowardice: Allah is Great! Die South Park Die!

Jonathan Bean

In recent years, threats from Islamic extremists have resulted in murder of those simply depicting Mohammed (forbidden by Islamic tradition, although not unknown to Islamic culture). From a prominent woman who fled Islamic death threats: "'South Park' and the Informal Fatwa" In a profile of cowardice, Comedy Central responded to a recent death threat by censoring the image of Mohammed on South Park You can "piss Christ," bash Buddha, mock the Pope, but humor is apparently not in the hadith.

Read: http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2010/apr/22/south-park-censored-fatwa-muhammad http://article.nationalreview.com/432601/self-censoring-isouth-parki/nina-shea

And here is the image (censored) that Comedy Central now allows:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SP-s10e04-censor.jpg

When Danish cartoonists published cartoons of Mohammed, Islamic extremists rampaged worldwide and killed 100 people. Those who published the cartoons in the "land of the free" (USA) lost their jobs or were forced to grovel with apologies. Others had to go into hiding. Academics, of course, led the way by rotting out the foundations of any reasoned defense of a free and civil society. "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Western Civ has got to go" was the chant during the culture wars. There isn't much left of "Western Civ" or any civilization, unless it is Nihilism with cowardly fear (but not reverence) for Islam. Case in point: Years ago, Yale University admitted "Yale Taliban"--the propaganda minister for the Taliban--despite the fact he had only a fourth-grade education. Then, when Yale University Press published a book on the cartoon controversy, they censored the images for fear of death threats. Now it is another sniveling retreat in popular culture (South Park). "Land of the free"? "Home of the brave? More of the same. Shame on you Comedy Central!

  • Share

Most Commented

May 7, 2024

1.

Creating Students, Not Activists

The mobs desecrating the American flag, smashing windows, chanting genocidal slogans—this always was the end game of the advocates of the right to protest, action civics, student activ......

March 9, 2024

2.

A Portrait of Claireve Grandjouan

Claireve Grandjouan, when I knew her, was Head of the Classics Department at Hunter College, and that year gave a three-hour Friday evening class in Egyptian archaeology....

April 20, 2024

3.

The Academic's Roadmap

By all means, pursue your noble dream of improving the condition of humanity through your research and teaching. Could I do it all again, I would, but I would do things very differently....

Most Read

May 15, 2015

1.

Where Did We Get the Idea That Only White People Can Be Racist?

A look at the double standard that has arisen regarding racism, illustrated recently by the reaction to a black professor's biased comments on Twitter....

October 12, 2010

2.

Ask a Scholar: What is the True Definition of Latino?

What does it mean to be Latino? Are only Latin American people Latino, or does the term apply to anyone whose language derived from Latin?...

September 21, 2010

3.

Ask a Scholar: What Does YHWH Elohim Mean?

A reader asks, "If Elohim refers to multiple 'gods,' then Yhwh Elohim really means Lord of Gods...the one of many, right?" A Hebrew expert answers....