Thanks to Facebook fame, May 20 is the pseudo-official "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day". There are lots of odd holidays out there – some official and some not. Some see this web meme a harmless way to spark debate. However, Everyone Draw Mohammed Day runs the risk of building more anger than understanding.
Article Resource: Everybody Draw Mohammed Day – Making a free speech point By Personal Money Store
The events that spurred Everyone Draw Mohammed Day
The essential questions that lie behind Everybody Draw Mohammed Day have been building for years. The Muslim religion has a specific ban on images of the prophet Mohammed. The controversy over non-Muslims drawing the prophet really began in about 2005, when a Danish newspaper printed 12 images of Mohammed. Most recently, the creators of “South Park” have faced death threats for their episode that satirizes the prohibition on showing Mohammed. Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of lawsuits and a couple of hundred deaths are blamed on the controversy and the surrounding riots. Rather than get quick cash to hide from the threats or hire bodyguards, numerous people are facing the threats head-on.
The point of Everybody Draw Mohammed Day
On April 23, Everyone Draw Mohammed Day was announced on the Portland Mercury site. This "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" was created as a way to respond to the death threats against "South Park" creators. According to the Facebook page created for Everybody Draw Mohammed Day, the creators are hoping to "spark significant debate in international forums.”
Results of Everyone Draw Mohammed Day
The popularity of Everyone Draw Mohammed Day has sparked reactions from a wide variety of organizations and people. For a short amount of time, Facebook did block access to the site, though it was eventually restored. In the United States, the majority are calling this day a way to celebrate free speech. Many groups focused on religious tolerance worry that this day could very easily mock all Muslims, not the intended extremist targets. In Pakistan, Facebook has been blocked until May 31 in response to Everybody Draw Mohammed Day.
Tell me your opinion? Is Everybody Draw Mohammed Day offensive and dangerous? Or is Everybody Draw Mohammed Day a way to spark debate and peacefully express free speech?
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