If you want to bark, bark with a reason
"There’s a lot of bark. When one dog barks, the others bark and howl, not knowing what they’re barking at. But they don’t bite." George Joseph, radio talkshow host at Trinidad and Tobago, as printed in Colors 65 on Media and Journalism.
When 11 people are shaved botak on Chinese New Year, it became hot news.
The barking of dogs immediately starts. Everyone barks.
Politicians, NGOs, Policemen, Uncles, Aunties, Datuks, Neneks and little kids.
Do they know what they are barking at?
Who does the actual biting?
Who understands the system thoroughly, enough to bite it and change things?
The Prophet’s caricature in Danish newspaper is regarded as offensive and insensitive.
It is a very basic thing to learn to respect in other people’s faith. It is wrong to use the media to ridicule people’s beliefs. Inconsiderate and arrogant. There should be no arguments over this, not even with the "freedom of speech" justification.
What troubles me most is actually not of the cartoons, but of the boiling rage that is shown around the world. All it takes is a little survey to know that many are embroiled in this, without knowing what they are involved in.
4 questions.
1. Which Danish newspaper is this?
2. Have you seen the caricature?
3. Do you find them offensive?
4. Should you start burning Danish embassies around the world because of a Danish newspaper?
I would like to further probe on cultural-social conditions of Denmark in regards to Muslim community. I am curious about how a series of cartoons on a fairly unknown newspaper sprung into an international crisis. Perhaps I should also asked what has the Danish paper done to resolve this (if they actually do apologise). And what does the Danish Muslim community think about the whole episode? Were there frictions already building in that society, or just a one-off arrogant fun?
Questions that need answers before actions.
Wong Chun Wai at Star puts this in his commentary - "JUST key in the right words in the Internet search engine and with a
few clicks of the mouse, the offensive cartoons of Prophet Muhammad
will appear on your screen."
This is the Internet age. Info is accesible.
If you want to bark, bark with a reason.
