Monday, August 27, 2007 | Reason : Wingnut News | print version

Anger at Malaysia 'Jesus cartoon'

by Jonathan Kent

Reposted from:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6960220.stm

A Malaysian newspaper is facing calls to shut down after it published an image of Jesus holding a cigarette and what appeared to be a can of beer.

Malaysia's Muslim-led government closed two publications last year for carrying controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Now some members of Malaysia's minority religions say they want the same treatment over this latest incident.

Religion is a famously sensitive subject in Malaysia.

So when Tamil-language newspaper, Makkal Osai, published a picture on its front page apparently showing Jesus smoking and drinking it was bound to cause offence.

Christian groups said that although the Jesus of the Bible was a compassionate figure - who turned water into wine, shared a flagon with his disciples at the Last Supper and mixed with tax collectors and prostitutes - action should still be taken.

The paper has since issued an apology, explaining that a graphics editor had mistakenly taken the image from the internet. Most of Malaysia's churches appear to have been appeased.

Not so though the Malaysian Indian Congress, an ethnic Tamil political party in the governing coalition, most of whose members are Hindu.

A senior party official has demanded that Makkal Osai's editor be sacked and the paper closed.

Interestingly, Makkal Osai has been very critical of the Malaysian Indian Congress, which owns a rival Tamil-language newspaper.

Non-Muslims are also waiting to see how the government responds, given that it took tough action over the publication of the Prophet Muhammad cartoons.

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1. Comment #65863 by Mango on August 27, 2007 at 6:54 am

Malaysia's Muslim-led government closed two publications last year for carrying controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Now some members of Malaysia's minority religions say they want the same treatment over this latest incident.

They also want the same level of ignorance. Quite a race to the bottom.

Other Comments by Mango

2. Comment #65873 by Solarium Solaris on August 27, 2007 at 8:09 am

It seems that all these religious people are very thin-skinned. One would think that if any of their gods was "The One True God" then He wouldn't need such defending.

Other Comments by Solarium Solaris

3. Comment #65874 by steveroot on August 27, 2007 at 8:13 am

Poor babies. Mommy will kiss the boo-boo and make it all better. What a load of whiners.
I agree with Sol (#65873): let god take care of himself if he's so all-powerful.
Steve

Other Comments by steveroot

4. Comment #65878 by oxytocin on August 27, 2007 at 8:26 am

We have now entered the censorship Cold War.

Other Comments by oxytocin

5. Comment #65880 by John Turner on August 27, 2007 at 8:39 am

"Religion is a famously sensitive subject in the world"

Other Comments by John Turner

6. Comment #65885 by ksskidude on August 27, 2007 at 8:50 am

I'm afraid that the world is going to blow up and the religites are going to have a world war and we rational atheist are going to be in the middle of it.

Hopefully after all the death and carnage, people will finally come to their senses. Oh wait a minute, I forgot were dealing with nutjobs who avoid reason and logic.

We are all doomed!!!

Other Comments by ksskidude

7. Comment #65894 by cincyatheist on August 27, 2007 at 9:28 am

ksskidude -

Yes, I agree. Unfortunately, I doubt anyone will make it out alive.

Other Comments by cincyatheist

8. Comment #65899 by scooternyc on August 27, 2007 at 9:43 am

Again, I couldn't give a sh*t if anyone is offended or not, get over it and grow up.

Other Comments by scooternyc

9. Comment #65906 by PaulJ on August 27, 2007 at 10:05 am

Here

We

Go

Again ....

This is so tiresome. Religions of all kinds are obviously so tenuously based that they can be toppled - or at least seriously endangered - by the slightest criticism or satire, or even a suspicious look.

Other Comments by PaulJ

10. Comment #65912 by Tyler Durden on August 27, 2007 at 10:33 am

Hiya,

Just wondering if ye guys can place this quote for me:
"The world never became a worse place for being too rational"

Is it Betrand Russell? Is that the full quote? I can't find it on the web.
Thanks.

Other Comments by Tyler Durden

11. Comment #65914 by J.C. Samuelson on August 27, 2007 at 10:53 am

10. Comment #65912 by Tyler Durden

I'm not aware if anyone made a similar observation, but Sam Harris wrote the following in this article :

"I know of no society in recorded history that ever suffered because its people became too reasonable."

Hope that helps.

Other Comments by J.C. Samuelson

12. Comment #65916 by Tyler Durden on August 27, 2007 at 11:04 am

Cool, thanks J.C. - that works!

Other Comments by Tyler Durden

13. Comment #65944 by Yorker on August 27, 2007 at 1:42 pm

Let's all have Muhammad avatars! Someone must know what he's supposed to look like even though we're not meant to. It would be a good way of knowing your enemy, the closet Islamists would spurn the avatar. :)

Many have said that it's time to mock and riducule religion, seems like this is a good place to start. They'd have a hard time beheading thousands of us with those kitchen knives they use and I for one would put up a fight.

Other Comments by Yorker

14. Comment #65949 by USA_Limey on August 27, 2007 at 2:23 pm

Comment #65944 by Yorker:

Let's all have Muhammad avatars!

Yorker... You're on!

:-)

Other Comments by USA_Limey

15. Comment #65950 by ? on August 27, 2007 at 2:25 pm

Come on! If Jesus drank wine he could drink beer, too. Lower alcohol content actually. :)

And as for the 'smoking Jesus', that's pretty funny:

"...and if a man ask thee for a cigarette, give him thine entire pack and also thy lighter."

[after the scribes and priests have criticized him and his disciples for smoking]"Fear not the smoke that kills the body, but fear only the smoke from the fires of Hell. Oh ye hypocrits; your lungs may be clean, but your souls are filthy!"

The miracle of the loaves, fishes and cigarettes?

Other Comments by ?

16. Comment #65957 by Yorker on August 27, 2007 at 3:15 pm

14. Comment #65949 by USA_Limey

Excellent! I must admit you took me by surprise, now I'll have to make one and perhaps start a little web business making them!

Other Comments by Yorker

17. Comment #65959 by Yorker on August 27, 2007 at 3:18 pm

15. Comment #65950 by ?

Hey that's pretty good, you're not the descendant of a biblical commitee writer are you?

Other Comments by Yorker

18. Comment #65962 by steveroot on August 27, 2007 at 3:25 pm

16. Comment #65957 by Yorker on August 27, 2007 at 3:15 pm
14. Comment #65949 by USA_Limey

...now I'll have to make one and perhaps start a little web business making them!

How 'bout one of the Big M playing Pocket Pool?

Hope everyone has seen this tasteful site:
http://www.zipperfish.com/free/yaafm12.php
Steve

Other Comments by steveroot

19. Comment #65965 by Will in Aus on August 27, 2007 at 3:43 pm

Jesus Christ! Doesn't the world have better things to worry about than some stupid cartoon. If I was sure that I was going to heaven to be with Jesus, and everyone else was going to spend eternity burning for their sins, I wouldn't give a shit about some crappy cartoon. Idiots.

Other Comments by Will in Aus

20. Comment #65969 by USA_Limey on August 27, 2007 at 3:57 pm

Yorker...

That's too funny.

Other Comments by USA_Limey

21. Comment #65972 by DNAtheist on August 27, 2007 at 4:03 pm

Beer I can understand, but how could he be smoking a cigarette? Tobacco only grew in the Americas until a few centuries ago, so he would have to have traveled to the New World and...

Holy carcinogens! The Mormons were right!

Other Comments by DNAtheist

22. Comment #65974 by Russell Blackford on August 27, 2007 at 4:11 pm

That wasn't Jesus. That was Christopher Hitchens. It wasn't beer, either.

Other Comments by Russell Blackford

23. Comment #65975 by neilcreek on August 27, 2007 at 4:17 pm

Is anyone else reminded of the brilliant "Cartoon Wars" double episode on South Park? All you have do do is get one episode (newspaper) pulled, and pretty soon everyone will be wanting an episode pulled because it offends them, and soon the series (all newspapers) will be pulled.

"It's what happened to Laverne and Shirley"

Other Comments by neilcreek

24. Comment #65977 by The Schuermannator on August 27, 2007 at 4:33 pm

Now, would Jesus be a Marlboro Man?

Or would he smoke... Camels???

At least I amuse myself. =)

Other Comments by The Schuermannator

25. Comment #65979 by Yorker on August 27, 2007 at 4:42 pm

24. Comment #65977 by The Schuermannator

Let me know if you want to see...

Other Comments by Yorker

26. Comment #65998 by coretemprising on August 27, 2007 at 6:34 pm

Drinking? Smoking? C'mon!
I guess the Malaysians don't know that Jesus can DANCE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kumT3Q59xFI

Other Comments by coretemprising

27. Comment #66001 by coretemprising on August 27, 2007 at 6:51 pm

you folks have been at this a while surely, but have you seen this one?
http://www.hedning.no/humor/flash/jesusfinal.swf
and the falling bvds--priceless!

Other Comments by coretemprising

28. Comment #66013 by steveroot on August 27, 2007 at 8:23 pm

I downloaded the image of the Danish cartoons and separated them into their 12 bits. If I could figure out how to post them... or anyone who wants them email me at sweeks1@mac.com
They may need "tweaking" for use as avatars.
Steve

Other Comments by steveroot

29. Comment #66029 by Veronique on August 28, 2007 at 12:54 am

16. Comment #65957 by Yorker

Terrific idea, but I'll need some help:-). Can we have some variety of avatars?

Smart (little - no I didn't say it out loud or in CAPITALS:-)) bugger aren't you? It's a great idea. I see you are changing your avatar with alacrity - are you bored???

I can't be bothered commenting on the article. Sigh!!
V

Other Comments by Veronique

30. Comment #66042 by BMMcArdle on August 28, 2007 at 3:18 am

What about the Zig-Zag man? He looks jesus-like.

Other Comments by BMMcArdle

31. Comment #66044 by Philip1978 on August 28, 2007 at 4:27 am

Its only Jesus for goodness sake, its not like they have taken Quetz's or Billy's image and used it in a cartoon!

Praise be to Quetz and his Prophet Billy!

Philip

Other Comments by Philip1978

32. Comment #66048 by Quetzalcoatl on August 28, 2007 at 5:06 am

Indeed Philip, anybody who reproduces my image without permission will be shortly thereafter plagued by a swarm of rather camp fruit flies, with optional laser beams.

I Bless you for your continuing ministrations in my name.

Other Comments by Quetzalcoatl

33. Comment #66054 by pewkatchoo on August 28, 2007 at 6:08 am

Seems to be an awful lot of offense around these days, what with blasphemous balls and pissed up jesuses.

Other Comments by pewkatchoo

34. Comment #66057 by Nebularry on August 28, 2007 at 6:26 am

Isn't there some remote, obscure place to which we could banish all these religious nutjobs?

Oh, yeah . . . that is Malaysia!

Other Comments by Nebularry

35. Comment #66061 by Yorker on August 28, 2007 at 6:41 am

29. Comment #66029 by Veronique

Yes, a little bored but I feel another change coming on...

Other Comments by Yorker

36. Comment #66063 by elfinabout on August 28, 2007 at 6:57 am

That's it - that's the limit - I've now officially had enough of this crap.

It will henceforth my sworn duty to piss off, offend , harass and harangue as many religious idiots as possible. I'm going to be as sarcastic, offensive and unforgiving as I can be, and at all opportunities explain WHY.

Enough!

Other Comments by elfinabout

37. Comment #66064 by Philip1978 on August 28, 2007 at 7:11 am

Yorker, you have excelled yourself sir, I take my hat off to you, that is a fine avatar!

Philip

Other Comments by Philip1978

38. Comment #66075 by SRWB on August 28, 2007 at 10:50 am

OK, cigarettes aside (only because they hadn't been invented), what did Jesus drink at the last supper? Oh yeah - wine!

For my money, beer is better!

Other Comments by SRWB

39. Comment #66099 by dhweaver on August 28, 2007 at 4:56 pm

Friend at the wedding: Forgive me Jesus, but this "so called" wine tastes like piss. What exactly did you do to the water?

Jesus: My mother made me do it.

Other Comments by dhweaver

40. Comment #66102 by robhackman on August 28, 2007 at 5:15 pm

Can someone please tell me how to put up an avatar. Preferably the most offensive one possible.

Other Comments by robhackman

41. Comment #66105 by Rational_G on August 28, 2007 at 7:40 pm