Zapiro cartoon gets SA talking…….again
A court rejected an overnight bid by Muslim advocacy groups for an injunction to prevent the Mail & Guardian from printing a controversial cartoon by Zapiro. The Prophet Muhammad was depicted, complaining to a psychologist that his followers lacked a sense of humour.
Now to you or me, this type of content would be classified as some light hearted political banter, but Muslims consider any depiction of the founder of Islam to be offensive.
Zapiro being Zapiro, has marched to the beat of his own drum before, with some controversial drawings of some of our very own high ranking South African comrades. Who can forget the caricature depicting President Jacob Zuma with an actual shower head permanently attached to his body or Ju Ju being portrayed as an ill-disciplined, over-fed puppy that’s completely out of control.
But Muhammad……..are you crazy!
Some people are saying that the Mail & Guardian was irresponsible for printing the cartoon so close to the World Cup and this could raise the possibility of a terrorist attack during the tournament.
But others are supporting the paper and its right to free speech.
What are your views?
Free Speech is a wonderful thing…except when you have to deal with extremists!
I agree with freedom of speech too. But as our constitution says, we have complete freedom of speech as long as it does not incite racial, religious or any other type of hatred towards individuals, ethic or minority groups. I suppose they have a right to be peeved. Just as Afrikaaners had the right to complain about Julius’s singing of ‘shoot the boer’
I wonder if dear old Zapiro is brave enough to draw a cartoon of that well known paedopile the prophet Mohammed marrying his nine year old bride?