Thoughts on Hurt Feelings

No doubt you've all heard about what happened today in Paris. People who worked for Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine were shot and killed by Islamists after they published cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad unflatteringly. Well you all know my views on religion and not long after I ranted at the largest religion in the world, I need to have a go at the second largest. Islam is a religion that is covered in blood, just like Christianity. The big difference is that Christianity has certainly toned itself down in recent times. The same cannot be said of Islam.

While the shooters were killing their victims, they were shouting "We have avenged the prophet Muhammad" and "God is great". Well let's take these one by one. They apparently avenged Muhammad. The only way that could possibly be true is if these French cartoonists went back in time to the 8th June 632 and killed Muhammad themselves. Since time travel has not yet been invented, I feel confident in saying that this is not the case. They instead made cartoons mocking Muhammad and for some reason this means they deserve to die. For someone who is supposed to be perfect, the prophet Muhammad is a sensitive one isn't he? Surely someone so great would be able to suck it up. God is also great apparently. No, if he demands that cartoonists be put to death for insulting his favourite human, he's an evil fucker.

Here's what really makes me sick. This is not the first time Muslims have killed people over a damn cartoon. In 2005 a Danish newspaper called Jyllands-Posten published similar cartoons also depicting Muhammad unflatteringly. Were the cartoons offensive? Yes, they were. Did Danes deserve to die because of the publication? No, of course not. These cartoons published by Charlie Hebdo are probably offensive to Muslims, but that doesn't justify murder. How many atheists kill cartoonists because of the way they depict Richard Dawkins? How many Christians kill cartoonists because of the way Jesus may be depicted? I could go on and on asking these questions, but my point is, it's Muslims who seem to think that cartoons can justify murder.

It's not just cartoons either. A Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh (whose's great-grandfather was Vincent van Gogh's brother) directed a short film called "Submission" in 2004. "Submission" is a short film about how women are mistreated in Islam and how such mistreatment is justified by the Quran. That same year, he was killed. Authors too aren't safe. British-Indian author Salman Rushdie wrote a book in 1988 called "The Satanic Verses" which was critical of Islam. The then Supreme Leader of Iran Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for his death. Mr. Rushdie even today receives a Valentine's Day card from Iran informing him that they still want him dead. Anyone who dares insult Islam receives death threats from these people.

We live in enlightened times and we have certain ideals that we hold dear. One of which is freedom of speech. Anyone has the right to say anything they want to. If I want to say that blasphemy is a victimless crime, than I can say that. If you want to say that I am full of shit and I should just shut up and die, then you can say that. Sure it may hurt my feelings, but because I'm all grown-up I think I'll be able to get over it without going to your house and killing your family.