OpinionBug.com

The Daily Tar Heel—a University of North Carolina student newspaper—ran an opinion cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed Thursday.

The cartoon is here »

The Muslim Students Association at North Carolina State University (MSA) has demanded an apology from the newspaper. “To rectify the situation, the MSA requests that the DTH issue a formal public apology for publishing degrading and insulting material. We also ask that the DTH exercise a greater measure of responsibility by not repeating such bigoted actions. We also ask the University community to join in signing a petition representing the unified condemnation of these intolerable actions,” the MSA said.

Ryan Tuck, editor of the Daily Tar Heel, said, “And, though I apologize to anyone personally offended by the image’s publication, I will not apologize that it was printed.” Tuck said, “The problem, as McFee and I, among others, see it is the selective application of the tenets of the 1st Amendment. Why was their little stir when the Pope was depicted as a gay-bashing Nazi in this year’s paper? How about the infamous image of a Crucifix in a vial of urine? Either political cartoons, indeed all aspects of the newspaper, are used as discussion sparkplugs, a force through which to challenge belief systems and standards, or as a PC entertainment medium. It can’t change from one to the other willy-nilly.”

Living in a vacuum free of challenges and offenses isn’t an option for 21st century Muslims, unless they succeed in converting the world into the “land of peace.”

Islam, as a major world religion, must realize that it will face many challenges and offenses just as has Christianity and Judaism, and many other world faiths.

I despise seeing pictures of Jesus Christ in urine or the Virgin Mary in feces. And from time to time someone will produce just such a blasphemous work. But though I may peacefully protest them, I will not take away the right to produce such abominations.

I thank God I live in America where people are free to challenge my faith, to provoke me, to offend me, but where I am also free to share my faith in Jesus Christ.

Many blessings to all.

Resources:

The Muslim Students Association response to the cartoon, [ click here ]

The Daily Tar Heel’s response, [ click here ]