Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying

In his column today, Howard Kurtz discusses (sort of) the uproar over Stephen Colbert’s weekend verbal ambush of President Bush at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. Mr. Kurtz complains that the liberal blogs are claiming a cover-up of the weekend’s goings on:

What’s more, you may be interested to know that there’s a MEDIA COVERUP of the Colbert performance. The MSM don’t want you to know about how the Comedy Central man made them look bad! (Never mind that the thing was carried on C-SPAN and the video is widely available online. I played two clips of Colbert on my CNN show, so apparently I didn’t get the memo.)

I am wondering how many people watch C-SPAN on a typical Saturday night. I will go out on a limb and venture that most people are probably not tuned to C-SPAN at that time. Mr. Kurtz also asserts that the video is widely available online. I believe the video is available on liberal blogs such as Crooks & Liars and on C-SPAN. Again, I will venture that the general public does not run to the C-SPAN website for the news. So, that leaves us the liberal blogs to give us the news that Stephen Colbert indeed was at the event and that he delivered a stinging commentary on this Administration’s policies.

Was there a MSM cover-up? I don’t think so. But did the MSM ignore the inconvenient Colbert segment at the dinner. Absolutely. Howard Kurtz might have considered, for example, the article by Elisabeth Bumiller in the New York Times about the dinner. How many times does this article in the paper of record mention Stephen Colbert? Zero. It does not even mention that he was there. Mr. Kurtz might want to spend another column discussing why it is that the MSM ignored Stephen Colbert. Now that would be biting media criticism.

Instead, Mr. Kurtz spends the remainder of the article discussing how the Stephen Colbert episode has become fodder for bloggers on both sides of the aisle. Although he does me the honor of citing my article on the topic (personal note: next time you cite me Mr. Kurtz, please cite my original post and not my cross post on Daily Kos. Thanks a bunch!), he misses the importance of the event by reducing it to a right-versus-left food fight.

It is a significant event when the leader of the free world is held at attention for 20 minutes and roundly rebuked for all the world to see. Whether it was funny or appropriate is debatable and quite frankly irrelevant. Whether it was news worthy is beyond doubt. This story will resonate in spite of the major news outlets’ general disinterest.

My suggestion to Howard Kurtz is that he get ahead of this story before this story runs him over.

Mash’s post has been censored by Mash.

Dear Comedy Central,

It is with great concern that I learn of your censorship of the show "South Park". Your refusal to allow "South Park" to broadcast an image of the Prophet Mohammed has caused great harm to the cause of Muslims in the United States and the rest of the world. You have inadvertently strengthened the hand of extremists on both sides of the issue. By your actions you have given further credence to the growing image of Islam as a religion of violence and hate.

While I understand your genuine concern about the safety of your staff in light of the recent hysteria in the Muslim world over the Danish cartoon controversy, your recent censorship of "South Park" over Scientology suggests that you are bowing more to your pocketbook than to your conscience or a desire for security. This censorship is particularly egregious in light of your airing of the offensive scene involving Jesus in the very same episode of "South Park" and your airing of an image of Mohammed on an episode of "South Park" in July 2001.

Your censorship of "South Park" also displays and propagates ignorance of Islam. The Islamic tradition of not portraying human beings, especially the Prophet Mohammed, stems from early Islam’s desire to change the culture of idolatry that was common in Arabia in the seventh century. Islam taught that God is divine and does not have a human image and any comparison of God to humans is considered blasphemous. Islam made the very clear distinction that Mohammed was only a man and a messenger of God, not God himself or a progeny of God. Therefore it was forbidden to worship Mohammed or any other human being as a God amongst men. Muslims should refrain from portraying the Prophet Mohammed if they choose in keeping with the tradition of no idolatry. However, there is no reason "South Park" cannot portray Mohammed if it chooses to do so.

This does not however mean that Muslims do not respect Mohammed and hold him in high esteem - we do. However, we also recognize that Mohammed was a man and thus susceptible to human failings; therefore, we do not worship Mohammed.

The depiction of the Prophet Mohammed in the Danish newspaper was also very different from that attempted by "South Park". The Danish cartoon’s portrayal of Mohammed with a bomb in his turban was an attempt to equate the religion of Islam with terrorism. In light of the recent resurgence of xenophobia in Denmark and the hatemongering of the right wing there, the cartoons had the force of political flame throwing. I was offended by the Danish cartoons for two reasons. First, it was attempting to advance the stereotype of Islam as a terrorist religion by painting all of Islam in the figure of Mohammed as terrorists. Second, it was a deliberate attempt at inciting hatred on both sides by a newspaper whose job should be to report the news and not make it. I was however more offended by the display of hatred and ignorance by some Muslims. The Danish paper got the response it wanted. Extremist Muslims obliged the paper by coming out of the woodwork and behaving exactly as advertised. It was a display of ignorance and hate that must have made the fear mongers on both sides very happy.

However, having the right to be offended should not be translated into forcing one’s offense on to the entire society. If you are offended, watch something else or write a letter. "South Park" has a long history of satire and poking fun at every segment of our society. Though at times offensive, more often it is just really funny. I reserve the right to be offended by "South Park" but I defend more strongly the right of "South Park" to satirize.

I urge Comedy Central to reconsider its decision to censor "South Park". By doing so you cause division in our society and give hate a platform to thrive. Thinking Muslims everywhere should protest this censorship louder than the fanatics who protested the Danish cartoons. It is time for Muslims to truly begin defending our religion against both the enemy within and the enemy without.

I thank Comedy Central for your kind consideration.

Sincerely,

Mashuqur Rahman

http://www.docstrangelove.com

Contact Comedy Central to protest the censorship of "South Park".

The Daily Show on Comedy Central had a hilarious skit about quail hunting last night. You can see it here. Just click on the "Bye Bye Birdie" video to watch it.