Current Events III: Draw Muhammad Events

Je suis Charlie/Je ne suis pas Charlie

On May 3, 2015 two men opened fire on in the middle of a ‘Draw Muhammad’ contest taking place in Garland Texas. On May 29, another ‘Draw Muhammad’ contest was held directly outside the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix where these gunmen worshipped. The organizer, Jon Ritzheimer, encouraged people to bring guns to this event in order to defend free speech. This protest ended with police forming a line between Ritzheimer’s group and protestors.

Approximately seven months ago, Al-Qaeda’s Yemen branch claimed credit for an attack on the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo, a French satire magazine, which resulted in twelve deaths and several injuries. The reason? Charlie Hebdo featured drawings of the Prophet Muhammad, which many Muslims believe are blasphemous. Immediately after the attack, Charlie Hebdo asserted its freedom of speech and press by featuring another picture of Muhammad with the statement Tout est Pardonne (all is forgiven).

       

This turned out to be divisive. Hebdo supporters cried “Je suis Charlie,” while others responded “Je ne suis pas Charlie.” In a recent interview the editor-in-chief has announced that Charlie Hebdo will no longer draw pictures of Muhammed.

       

Michael Moynihan from Politico, Daniel Payne from the Federalist, and others would like this vacancy filled. Payne specifically asks: “Who will draw Muhammad?” Apparently, they have already forgotten about the Garland, TX and Phoenix, AZ events.   

        

People will be drawing Muhammad for the foreseeable future, but I have a different question: how does drawing Muhammad contribute to society? Free speech, you say? I am free to say “nana boo boo hele alhei bek,” but its gibberish. I am free to say “I hate Klingons” and that would actually offend a small segment of people; it doesn’t add anything substantial.

       

Neither does drawing Muhammad. Inspired by M.C. Escher, the winner of one ‘Draw Muhammad’ contest featured The Prophet saying “you can’t draw me” and a representation of the artist’s hands responding “that’s why I draw you.” Based on a google image search, many of the less vulgar submissions seem to be centered on this theme.

       

The meaning behind this art is simply: “I don’t care that I am deeply offending you. I am doing it anyways, because freedom.” It’s the equivalent of having an art contest to see who can draw the rudest picture of the deceased at their funeral despite the family’s wish to have no images shown. It is simply disrespectful.

       

To be clear, I do not condone the attacks on Charlie Hebdo or at Garland, Texas. These were heinous acts of violence and the journalists at Charlie Hebdo should not have died as a result of their art. Also legal action should never be taken against those who choose to draw Muhammad; just as the hateful Westboro Baptist Church pickets should remain legal as long as all relevant laws are followed. Nevertheless it is shameful that violence had such a large role in the cessation of Charlie Hebdo’s drawing of Muhammad, instead of decency.

I need freedom of speech and assembly to live my life as I please and to criticize what I want to criticize, even if some find my criticisms offensive: Je suis Charlie. But let’s get over the fetishization of free speech. Instead, we can use free speech to create and promote ideas that make a contribution to our understanding of the world: Je ne suis pas Charlie.