Religion of pieces of human flesh

[mantra]

You are such a pathetic little kid IQ. Go to bed - you're overtired.

[Aussie]

Hand/glove............again.

[IQS.RLOW]

All those who are allowed to stay in a western country should have to sign a declaration saying that they will assimilate, will not consort with known radicals and will not attend hate sermons by radical...

Sounds like every Greens and ALP members night too.

[IQS.RLOW]

Hand/glove............again.

Hand/cock........again

[Jovial_Monk]

When that Danis cartoonist drew and published those critical cartoons of Mohammad we were treated to the sight of protests all over the ME. I remember thinking, gee, not many protesting considering the 1.2Bn Muslim population.

[Super Nova]

Let's have an image of the prophet on this site then.

[Rorschach]

I watch SBS mantra... you need to get out more or research more just because you don't know something or haven't seen something doesn't mean it hasn't happened or doesn't exist.
That's Arsie thinking... if you can call it that.

[Rorschach]

When that Danis cartoonist drew and published those critical cartoons of Mohammad we were treated to the sight of protests all over the ME. I remember thinking, gee, not many protesting considering the 1.2Bn Muslim population.

Correction... there were protests all over the world. Not just the ME.

[Rorschach]

[Super Nova]

This is an interesting read......

2 extract from this link are below....http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/thin ... ic-art.htm

Depictions of Muhammad

The outrage and violence occasioned by the infamous "Danish cartoon controversy" perhaps had more to do with disrespect for Islam than depictions of the Prophet. But many of today's Muslims consider any public depictions of the Prophet Muhammad offensive and objectionable, no matter how respectful, and frequently request their removal.

The reasons for this sensitivity to depictions of Muhammad are not immediately clear, since Muhammad is as human as anyone else, Islamic sources do not prohibit depictions of him any more than other images, and past Islamic art has depicted Muhammad.

Islamic scholars have explained that the main reason for the ban on depicting Muhammad is the fear that the images of Muhammad might be worshipped. Political scientist As'ad AbuKhalil, visiting professor at the University of California at Berkeley, explained:

"In the Holy Koran of Islam, the one sin unforgivable is that of polytheism. The prohibition is intended to protect the faithful from that sin. The fear was that intense reverence for the prophet might if unrestrained cross over into worship. In the 8th and the 9th centuries a general consensus banning such depictions arose among the clerics, but not all Muslims knew of it, paid attention, or obeyed." {3}

According to Imam Talal Eid, director of the Islamic Institute of Boston:

"He [the Prophet] instructed his companions not to draw a picture of him, and this has been taken as a general prohibition. He also told them not to pray in places that have images. There also is a general prohibition against full statues. And -- though today, of course, we find photos in all passports -- many Muslims have felt some hesitance about permitting portraits of any kind." {3}

Juan Cole, a professor of Middle Eastern history at the University of Michigan, told NPR.

"The fear was, both in Judaism and Islam, that if you represented a holy figure like a prophet who had discussions with the divine, there would be a danger of people worshipping the image." {4}

Muslims certainly do revere the Prophet extremely highly. As Professor of Islamic Studies John Esposito put it,

"To criticize the prophet Muhammad is as direct an attack as mocking or attacking the Koran, which is seen as the word of God or the sacred Scripture. Muhammad is seen as the living Koran. His life Muslims are to emulate." {4}

and this had some elements that I was never really taught.... not that I care.

Context: Religious Images in Judaism and Christianity

At least when it comes to their official teachings, Judaism, Christianity and Islam agree that (1) there is one great God who cannot be seen and that (2) idolatry (worship of images) is one of the worst sins. These shared fundamental values have been interepreted in a variety of ways over the course of history when it comes to religious art, historical illustrations, and depiction of human religious figures.

In Judaism and Christianity, the creation of images for worshipping is specifically forbidden by the Second Commandment. Jews do not use images in religious rituals and never depict God, but have occasionally painted pictures of the prophets and biblical stories (for example in the 2nd-century synagogue at Dura Europos, Syria).

Christians began to depict Jesus as early as the 2nd or 3rd century AD (see our Jesus Image Gallery) in the catacombs, on tombs, and eventually in churches. The practice became widespread and common. But for a period in the 8th century and again in the 9th century, some Byzantine emperors and bishops condemned images of Jesus and the saints, calling it an innovation introduced by the devil that breaks the Second Commandment: