Cartoon Wars

• In 1988 a book was published in Britain that offended many Muslims. Muslim leaders like the Ayatollah of Iran called for the assassination of the author, Salman Rushdie. Many deaths resulted, though Rushdie is still alive today. In the 2000s, other European publications such as Jyllands Posten and Charlie Hebdo published satirical representations of the Muslim prophet Muhammad. A Dutch filmmaker named Van Gogh also lampooned Islam. Insofar as makers of images of Muhammad are condemned by most Muslims, the cartoonists and filmmakers were targeted for violence. Many bombings and assassinations connected to these cartoons followed. A filmmaker named Van Gogh was assassinated. Terrorists attacked the offices of the Charlie Hebdo newspaper and killed twelve employees.

• A sharp dispute arose everywhere as to whether images of Muhammad should be officially banned internationally so that people everywhere would be safer from terrorism. Americans were particularly concerned about their soldiers deployed in Islamic regions.

• The problem loomed large in the U.S. when the creators of a cartoon called "South Park" expressed the opinion that it is ridiculous and hypocritical to say everyone has the free speech to criticize and mock Christianity, Mormonism, or Buddhism, but we no longer have the freedom to make fun of Islam.

• The creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, decided that they were going to make an episode of South Park that not only ridiculed people who want to protect Islam from criticism, but they were also going to include images of Muhammad in the episode.

DECISION: You are either the executives at Comedy Central, or even perhaps the Federal Communications Commission, and you have final say over what goes on the airwaves. Do you prevent Matt and Trey from offending Muslims in order to keep people safe (especially American soldiers overseas), or do you stand on First Amendment principles so as to not embolden terrorists, acknowledging that some Americans will probably be killed because South Park insisted on making a point?

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