Seattle cartoonist launches “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day”
By JAMIE GRISWOLD h/t Diana West
MyNorthwest.com
After Comedy Central cut a portion of a South Park episode following a death threat from a radical Muslim group, Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris wanted to counter the fear. She has declared May 20th “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day.”
Norris told KIRO Radio’s Dave Ross that cartoonists are meant to challenge the lines of political correctness. “That’s a cartoonist’s job, to be non-PC.”
Producers of South Park said Thursday that Comedy Central removed a speech about intimidation and fear from their show after a radical Muslim group warned that they could be killed for insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
The group said it wasn’t threatening South Park producers Trey Parker and Matt Stone, but it included a gruesome picture of Theo Van Gogh, a Dutch filmmaker killed by a Muslim extremist in 2004, and said the producers could meet the same fate. The website posted the addresses of Comedy Central’s New York office and the California production studio where South Park is made.
“As a cartoonist I just felt so much passion about what had happened I wanted to kind of counter Comedy Central’s message they sent about feeling afraid,” Norris said.
Norris has asked other artists to submit drawings of any religious figure to be posted as part of Citizens Against Citizens Against Humor (CACAH) on May 20th.
On her website Norris explains this is not meant to disrespect any religion, but rather meant to protect people’s right to express themselves.
© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
Comments
By Molly on April 26th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
Hi!
I just made a cartoon of a fictional poster that I thought would stay local.
This whole viral phenomenon has overwhelmed me.
Here is the statement I have issued on my site:
Statement:
I make cartoons about current, cultural events. I made a cartoon of a fictional ’poster’ entitled “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!” with a nonexistent group’s name — Citizens Against Citizens Against Humor — drawn on the cartoon. It was in specific response to the recent censoring of a South Park episode, a desire to bring home the importance of the first amendment. I did not intend for my cartoon to go viral. I did not intend to be the focus of any ’group’. This particular cartoon has struck a gigantic nerve, something I was totally unprepared for.
Personally I can feel afraid of Muslims because I really have no idea if in their hearts they hate non-Muslims. There are so many interpretations of the religion that I hear told — sometimes it is a very extreme translation (that’s the scary part, the radicals that believe that Westerners should die), then at other times it sounds more peaceful.
I hope for the sake of this country that moderate Muslims will speak out with everyone else against any violent members of that or any other religion. That way I would know that there is a difference. Maybe this cartoon I made, this fictional poster of “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!” had such a wildfire effect because it is finally time for Muslims and non-Muslims to understand one another more.
I am going back to the drawing table now!
Thanks,
Molly
By PAGE on May 5th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
RE: MOLLY NORRIS AND’EVERYBODY DRAW MOHAMMED DAY’
hEY! I Know: let’s have “Scream Stupid After Watching an Episode of South Park (and Dan Savage) Day!”…AND JON STEWART, EMMY FOR
“Stating the Obvious”
The point of South Park, if you ask me, is male prepubescent humor in adult bodies. It’s cowardly and stupid to poke fun in such an obvious and juvenile way. At least they could be clever, like Molly Norris’ cartoon was.
By Hasanah on May 15th, 2010 at 2:15 am
Hi, Most poeple don’t think before they do something. Being disrespectful and arrogant in that disrespect will get you not respect in return because it puts all you say in to doubt. Molly you should have thought before you acted.
Drawing Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is offending every single Muslim out there, even the applogetic ones are offended, ie ‘moderate muslims’. I am offended and now you have encouraged all whole stream of idiots out there to do something highly offensive. You have encouraged disrespect for Islam further. If there was the Islamic authority in the world then there would not be this disrespect of Islam. You know when Islam was a powerful State the West turned to Islam for comfort and protection. The West should be respectful and kind to Islam for offering them protection for some many years.
Hasanah.
By James Cohen on May 15th, 2010 at 2:44 am
If this was about Muslims not being offended, then Muslims wouldn’t have gone to the lecture and made a majority of the audience. To be clear, the audience at this particular event, of a man who is famous for drawing degrading representations of Mohamed, the founder and creator of Islam, where in fact Muslims who knew full well they where going to see material which is offensive to them. Therefore, since all they had to do to not be offended, was not go to this event, then clearly it is not about that, but actually is about Muslims enforcing their particular values on the infidels and destroying the sacred traditions of the countries and peoples they have chosen to move in with. Again, to be clear, Muslims where not forced to move to Sweden. They chose to. And now, they demand that their Swedish hosts, abandon what is sacred to them, the destruction of irrational religious authority, and adopt Muslim values.
So in that more accurate light Hasanah, I call nonsense on your post.
By JeepersWeepers on May 15th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
“Producers of South Park said Thursday that Comedy Central removed a speech about intimidation and fear from their show after a radical Muslim group warned that they could be killed for insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
The group… included a gruesome picture of Theo Van Gogh, a Dutch filmmaker killed by a Muslim extremist in 2004, and said the producers could meet the same fate. The website posted the addresses of Comedy Central’s New York office and the California production studio where South Park is made.”
Hasanah, stop trying to minimize, justify, explain or psychoanalyze how “offended” you and your kind are, say it like it is: you premeditate murder of anyone who doesn’t see your prophet or islam the way you do.
By your sincerest on May 19th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
I would personally like to fuck all the non-Muslim mothers of those who draw the Messenger of Allah. Young or old, i wouldnt wear a condom, bring more bastards to the world.
By Assassin on May 20th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Fuck u all bastards u mother fuckers non muslims if u hav courage face us come in front and face us u fuckin pussy asshole i sware 2 GOD 1 muslim is enough to kill 100 of bastards like u …..
By James Cohen on May 20th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Another art critic.
Trackbacks