South Park Controversy

[Balder]

I'm not much of a fan of South Park -- I used to delight in their brand of irreverent humor back in high school and my early years of college, but haven't been that interested in that sort of thing since then -- but I still think the recent controversy surrounding their 200th episode is interesting and worth talking about.  They obviously wanted to stir up controversy -- pick at an old scab, I think Boing Boing put it -- and get a reaction, and they've gotten what (or more than) they were looking for in the response from the radical muslim group, Revolution Muslim.

Here's the CNN story on the controversy.

And here's a video put out by the radical muslim group, essentially calling for violent retribution against the creators of the cartoon.

And lastly, here's an excerpt from the group's general mission statement:

Revolution Muslim’s purpose is to invite people to proper Islam (Aqeedah (creed) + Shariah (path)) and command the good (justice and peace), while forbidding the falsehood (lies and deceptions) of society. Our mission is to one day see the Muslims united under one Khalifah and under the commands of Allah (SWT). We focus on educating Muslims and Non-Muslims alike about the actuality of the religion and thereby work to preserve traditional Islamic values for Muslims across the globe. We pray that we may witness the dismantlement of western, secular dominance across the world as we hold it to be pagan and idolatrous in the majority of its presumptions. We seek a resurrection of the just example set forth by centuries of Islamic rule throughout the ages and we hold it to be self evident for the objective soul and mind that Allah is One and that Muhammad ibn Abdullah is His Prophet and that the religion offers the solution to all of the world’s ills and afflictions.

 

 

[Christophe]

Pffft... these guys are radical idiots, nothing more. Bloody frikkin Camel Dung Eaters. Retarded believers of outdated myths. Worshippers of Stone Age Customs. Ueber-ashamed Weaklings suffering from inferiority complexes...

This is a good reminder for me that Islam is just as stupid worthwhile as any other religion. No more No less. Stone and Parker are absolutely right to make fun of them. If we don't defend our freedom of speech now, we let them believe they can get away with their Fatwas and Shit. I don't want to live in a Kalifath Theocracy. Forget it. There's just no way this is gonna happen. For Real, Dude.

These guys should listen to their own finest scholars, like Al-Jabri for example, who condems this kind of Idiotic Anti-Western Resentment, which is really nothing but a desperate cry for acknowledgement from a Culture who was once great and lost its glory long time ago.

!Ptah! (mood: angry)

[xibalba]

obviously the islamic world needs a profound reactualization and a reinterpretation of its dogmas in order to be able to survive as a convincing spiritual sysetm in the growing and alreadt existing post industrial and informational global village. The contingent transition from pre-modernity to modernity to postmodernity has already started in countries like Dubai, Indonesia, Kazakstan, and Lebanon - as healthy landscapes of orange meme quality-.and they are spreading now to the entire muslim world. old pre-modern forms like wahabism are condamned to disappear now because the horrendous radicalism of the years 90ies (in Algeria for example, with a civil war that cost 200 000 lives, and the crimes of Al-Qaida in Irak) have totally undermineded their claim to legitimacy.

[rltruthseeker]

This is an example of the puritanical branch of Islam, one that seeks to insulate itself above criticism and fault, labeling itself as one of the "pure" faiths...and thus above reproach in it's adherants. The traditional Amber level of religions is NOT the problem. Amber-red IS. Amber-red gives rise to terrorism. Changes have to come from inside and outside the system of Islam as it currently stands. There are increasingly more modern and post-modern Muslims...but they need to speak out against the puritanical and revolutionary groups. Muslims need to speak out, condemn, and not allow it's unhealthy expressions to flourish. The traditionalists are caught in the middle. As the entire middle-east becomes more and more modern and post-modern (It's not already, the wealth of the middle east has paradoxically insulated their habits, and given rise to pseudo-democracies like the scandal of Ahmadinejad stealing votes), more and more muslims will either become secular, pluralistic or turn people towards the mystical side of Sufism and generally foster healthy forms of spirituality, and it will benifit their society as a whole. Puritanical muslims use what is know as "the culture of indignation". They use this resentment and indignation in order to create and milk hostility, along with the idea of jihad (struggle) in order to create combatants. They love the idea of "a war" like atmosphere, and thrive in that enviroment, because it fuels recruitment. Once people believe that there is a "war" against Islam, people automatically start defending their faith...instead of analyzing it. I agree that Islam needs a profound reactualization and reinterpretation. Along with bringing in it's past transrational mystical expressions of Sufism.

In most any religion, certain passages are referred to while de-emphasizing other passages or reinterpreting them. This was in the video where the passage of the killing of the poet was talked about. Also there are various hadiths that paint a war-like picture of the prophet Muhammad. However, other passages should be emphasized (because I doubt they'll jettison problematic scriptures), and promoted among the Muslim community...as well as promoting more scientific and pluralistic interests. The United States has no choice in dealing with the Muslim problem...but this will come from both an exterior (defending and taking action against radical Muslim terrorists) and an interior (promoting healthy expressions and scholars) approach.

I will repost my essay on Islam and Integral theory.

[rltruthseeker]

I think that the most insidious "threat" to american shores is the burquini

vs. the american bikini. :P

Here's a story about that.

[Christophe]

^_^

yeah that pretty much sums up what it's about. hey, that burquini doesn't look so bad after all. Maybe it will make its way into the Prêt-a-porter Catwalks of the world?

RL:
this will come from both an exterior (defending and taking action against radical Muslim terrorists) and an interior (promoting healthy expressions and scholars) approach.

Yes I agree with this. I disagree however that the Arab World needs to listen more to the Sufis. Al-Jabri makes it absolutely clear that the Sufis contribute to the magical/mystical drift, thus strengthening the tendency to escape from the bitter-sweet reality into an imagined glory and temporary blissful states. What is needed instead is a shift up to rational worldcentric orange, and a more realist view on things. Outside forces can try to kick this off, but ultimately it's an inside job. That's how I see it.

[rltruthseeker]

I agree that the Sufi's really can't be depended on politically. I also said that in my essay

...but I think that more and more people will eventually turn towards Sufism later. Your probably right. Orange and Green human values need to be emphasized heavily.
Yes, I also agree that it's an inside job, or it can only come from within the Muslim world. If Westerners try to meddle in, it will be seen as more secularism and as a threat. One of the ideas that I thought might be good would be to have maybe a scholarship for Muslim/Arab people in the U.S. Most progressive Muslims come from the United States. That way, the United States would be encouraging this in a roundabout way, yet still maybe contribute to that grow.

Yeah....maybe your right. The bodysuit might not look so bad. :P