Thousands of British Muslims gathered near Downing Street to protest against cartoons showing the prophet Muhammad and voice opposition to “insulting” depictions.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/08/british-muslims-london-protest-against-muhammad-cartoon-charlie-hebdo

Shaykh Tauqir Ishaq, a senior spokesman for MAF, said: “Perpetual mistakes by extremists, either by cold-blooded killers or uncivilised expressionists, cannot be the way forward for a civilised society. The peace-loving majority of people must become vociferous in promoting global civility and responsible debate. At this time of heightened tension and emotion, it is crucial that both sides show restraint to prevent further incidents of this nature occurring.”

Men and women standing in separate groups.

It’s not only about communication, it’s also about integration.

I don’t get what the participants felt this rally would help achieve… it really seems retrograde. The UK press (at least mainstream press) has shown (what seems to me to be) a reasonable degree of sensitivity in this – was it only channel 4 who showed the Hebdo post massacre cover, and then briefly?

There’s already a general acceptance that religious sensibilities should be respected and this kind of thing – frustrated is where I’m at!

I do find it very ironic that they are using the right of freedom of expression to protest about other people exercising that very same right.

It’s not good. People getting highly emotional, combined with extreme dogma and limited empathy, a clash of values and a sense of grievance. Tends to end in fisticuffs…
We need our very best diplomats all over this stuff… it’s all getting a bit ideological

I do find it very ironic that they are using the right of freedom of expression to protest about other people exercising that very same right.

I think there exists a certain level of religiosity beyond which one cannot regress without an irony bypass/brainectomy.

Any belief in religion/God/supreme being/ultimate designer is up for ridicule, some may take offence at that but that’s your right to take offence and my right to express my belief that you’re a small step away from fully fledged bat shit crazy whilst hanging upside down by your feet.

March all you want.

being/ultimate designer is up for ridicule

I agree but lets compromise

We will do it without cartoons of the prophet and they will STFU and let us criticise their beliefs.

Deal?
they really do find pictures of the prophet the most offensive thing imaginable and a disrespectful insult.

We can either respect this or not GAS.

I know which I would pick and I know which option Binners would pick.

What about an effigy or doll of the prophet, is that allowed?, or I used to be pretty good at those pictures we made at primary school by glueing pasta shapes to paper, i could use some Hoover fluff for a beard?.

Quick test:

Which of these is most offensive and why?

Done this topic to death and you can be as rude , offensive and disrespectful to them as you please but, to them, a picture is worth a thousands words and is a thousand times more offensive.

What we really dont need is people on both sides seeing who can be the biggest **** to the “other” side.

I’m not sure I’d want a please murder me sign on my website. Should be interesting…

they really do find pictures of the prophet the most offensive thing imaginable and a disrespectful insult.

The human form in general is banned; illustrations of the prophet are considered offensive and profane as a result.
You won’t find any human figures in Islamic art, some animals, flowers and especially geometric forms, and calligraphy in particular are high art.

I remember the primary school teacher a couple of years back who got all her 8 yr old pupils to draw a picture of themselves and put their names on them. She hung them on the wall. “That’s nice Kylie, that’s nice Jason, that’s nice Mohammed…”

Any belief in religion/God/supreme being/ultimate designer is up for ridicule, some may take offence at that but that’s your right to take offence and my right to express my belief that you’re a small step away from fully fledged bat shit crazy whilst hanging upside down by your feet. in anything tends to lead to a skewed perspective.

There was a lot of debate about 10 years ago or so when Jerry Springer the Opera appeared. A lot of Christians found it very offensive (though I doubt many of them actually went to see it) and as a result protested, wrote angry letters etc.

I can’t help but feel this is the same, if your going to follow a religion you need to accept that other people will ridicule you and your faith and that you do not have the right to not be offended.

That said, a bit of restraint and respect from everyone wouldn’t go a miss. It’s bit chicken and egg at the moment. People get annoyed at Muslim protests so print offensive images which annoys Muslims who protest which annoys people who print offensive images…etc

failure to communicate? is the mainstream press not pushing the idea that people should integrate and embrace ‘britishness’? surely a peaceful non effective protest is british to the core. where they politely mumbling “down with this sort of thing”?

Remember a few years ago?

What was it St Gerry of Adams said! They haven’t gone away you know

It’s our long lasting failure to nip this in the bud (back to satanic verses days) and allow people to get away with transcending freedom of speech by inciting violence that got us here!

You won’t find any human figures in Islamic art

There are a fair number of historic documents that contain portrayals of Mohammed.

Bit of background here;

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/10/drawing-prophet-islam-muhammad-images

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depictions_of_Muhammad

Remember a few years ago?

Yes. And I’ve just had a good snigger at the “Behead Those Who Say Islam is Violent” photoshop jobs. 🙂

It’s all a bit odd that extremist wahhabism is actively exported globally by Saudi Arabia

Yet our leaders are very cosy with Saudi Arabia, even after their extensive links to 9/11

Quite aside from the oil and arms trade and extensive links between western intelligence services and Saudi Arabia, perhaps the export of wahhabism and the beheadings, stonings and lashings might ring a few alarm bells with our great and principled leaders?

I do find it very ironic that they are using the right of freedom of expression to protest about other people exercising that very same right.

Maybe they are protesting to those who are doing the insulting, rather than the establishment who are protecting the rights of both sides?