The Rants of Issachar

Stephen Schwartz has some interesting comments on ancient Islamic depictions of Mohammed. (via Damian Penny) I'd been told that all Muslims regarded depictions of Mohammed as blasphemous. I'd assumed that the use of such images was forbidden somewhere in the Qur'an, but apparently not. They're in the Hadith and are the interpretation of those parts of the Hadith are not universally agreed upon.

Also interesting...

The Saudis are currently engaged in extensive vandalism of ancient Islamic architecture on their own territory; recently they demolished five ancient mosques in Medina, including one built by Fatima, the prophet's daughter.

I wish he'd put in a foot to let us known which Mosques were being vandalized.

Also interesting...

Although more sinister, the aim of intimidating Westerners into silence about any aspect of Islam by this outbreak of fanaticism and brutality is actually secondary. The third and worst piece of the puzzle is an obvious effort to maintain control over the most backward and marginal elements of the Islamic community, especially those living in the West, so that the benighted outlook of Saudi-financed Wahhabism will go unchallenged among those who represent the greatest threat to Islamic extremism: moderate Muslims.

Posted by:  Katinka

Intriguing article by Schwartz!

By the way, according to Amir Teheri, humour has long been present in Islam. (See link included in my last comment) He cites several examples in classic Islamic literature where satire is featured; as in Rumi, "where a shepherd conspires with God to pull a stunt on Moses; all three end up having a good laugh." Apparently even "Mohammad himself pardoned a famous Meccan poet who had lampooned him for more than a decade".

Whilst the Danish cartoons are mostly "obnoxious" (the exception being a blatantly provocative image of a prophet wearing a bomb as a turban) it is possible to empathise with why these may have caused offence...Especially given the current climate of distrust that exists between the West and its Arabic neighbours.

What IS interesting, is why this particular gesture has incited such a retaliatory response from extremist Islamist groups. As you indicated, there seems to be a number of shrewdly concealed political objectives at work here. I think you may be onto something, Issachar.

Posted by:  salty cracker

Very good point on the extremists taking aim at the moderates.... there are a few google videos you may find informative (I didn't agree with everything in them, but they were substantial food for thought):

The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear (by BBC news -- there are 3 parts and they're easy to find in a search)