More Censorship Through Intimidation by Islam

Sadly, another cartoonist has been censored by Islam.  Wiley Miller of "Non Sequitur" has had his latest cartoon pulled because it might offend Muslims.  I hate saying that , but it is all too common behavior now, and one of many portents of things to come.

See the link to the original story here, and be sure to read it all.

Another Cartoon censored by Islamic Threats.

The Register-Guard publishes many cartoons, one of my favorites, and maybe yours is the single panel “Non Sequitur” by Wiley Miller.  Witty, thought-provoking and wickedly funny at times it has been a staple of the comic page for years.  Unfortunately we didn’t see one of his latest, as it was deemed too much the poke-in-the-Muslim-eye cartoon and thus was cancelled by numerous papers. 

   The Washington Post, bastion of biased news within the beltway explains the reasons behind their decision to cancel this cartoon as just being safe.  Safe from what, exactly?  This from the article explains it all “…it might offend and provoke some Post readers, especially Muslims.”   There is a real fear here about provoking Muslims, and it is abundantly clear the publishers of the Washington Post believe that they, and other employees could be injured or possibly murdered if they print a cartoon about Islam or Muslims.

   The pulled cartoon was a send-up of the kids’ book series “Where’s Waldo”.  The scene was one of a Sunday at the park with children frolicking, pets running around and adults relaxing.  The caption reads “Where’s Muhammad?”

Insulting?  Discriminatory?  Disrespectful?  Yes, if you’re the Washington Post and the gaggle of papers who thought this was enough to cause bodily harm and refused to run it.

   Not only is Millers cartoon satirizing the world-wide chaos as a result of the Danish cartoons mocking Muhammad released in 2006 but he also was poking fun at the hypocrisy of being insulted by a cartoon, highlighted by the Molly Norris “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day” campaign.  Unfortunately, Ms. Norris is now a nobody, her identity changed due to the threats from Muslims on her draw Muhammad plan.  Maybe this is why the Washington Post decided to withdraw the offending cartoon: what happened to Molly could happen to them. 

    The main question is: why pull a cartoon that doesn’t even show Muhammad?  Style editor Ned Martel said he decided to yank it, after conferring with others, including Executive Editor Marcus W. Brauchli.  The reasoning was that "it seemed a deliberate provocation without a clear message….the point of the joke was not immediately clear" said Martel, and that readers might think that Muhammad was somewhere in the drawing.  Most political cartoons fall into the category as stated by Mr. Martel, but so what?  Cartoons are meant to send a message, sometimes more than one.  Most people have a hard time deducing what a political cartoon means, and usually must ponder a bit on the subtleties of the message.  The editors of the Post seem intent on keeping the message, whatever Miller intended, away from the easily-led sheeple, for their own good and the good of the Post and its staff. 

   Wiley Miller is not happy at all, saying his cartoon was meant to show "the insanity of an entire group of people rioting and putting out a hit list over cartoons," as well as "media cowering in fear of printing any cartoon that contains the word 'Muhammad.' "  He points out the Post was a paper of record who went after Nixon during Watergate, but refuses to deal honestly with Muslim angst,  “thus validating the accuracy of the satire," he said.

    CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations through their communications director, Ibrahim Hooper said that this cartoon “…was so vague that I don't even know if offense comes into it."  A nice breath of fresh air from a group which is an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation/money to Hamas trial a few years ago. 

   No one is immune from being poked fun at, except Islam.  Everyone is fair game for being joked about, except Muslims.  This latest perceived insult to Islam and Muslims may not result in riots and protests, it may only provoke mild condemnation.  The decision of the editors at the Post to pull Millers cartoon due to concerns over possible violent reactions is most disturbing.  The best way to shut done free speech and honest debate is to threaten, and Islam is very good at that.