The South Park issue continues.

First, The Daily Show with their take. Jon Stewart and the guys at The Daily Show always rise up to the occasion, and they did it this time too. They usually pick on Fox News and related parties, but I liked the bit when Jon said that at the end, these were decent human beings he disagreed with. But extremists like the Revolution Muslim guys are enemies, not because they were offended by South Park’s depiction, but for issuing veiled death threats and going against free speech and expression — which Americans hold in high regard. In fact, those very laws that protect free speech, protect extremists from getting into trouble in the U.S.

Do watch it — you can’t possibly disagree.

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Then there is the Everybody Draw Muhammad Day on May 20th that I learnt of via Xeb.

I think the idea is in bad taste and here’s why : When South Park lampoons public figures, celebrities and holy figures, they are doing it as satire — something the creators think of as serving as a larger purpose. But drawing Muhammad is just to offend an entire community, without any other purpose.  It will include Muslims who were probably offended by South Park, but left it at that.

That being said, I have way less of a problem with it than with extremists issuing threats.

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Just to backtrack and make sure I am not being hypocritical, let me bring in M.F. Hussain. Had he painted nude goddesses with the sole intention of offending Hindus, I would have a similar reaction — that it is in bad taste. But I consider M.F. Hussain to be an great artist. I can’t possibly  apply my thinking to him, and that is why I don’t consider his paintings to be a deliberate offense. People are welcome to think otherwise, but their offence should stop at disagreement.

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Oh, and none of the above actions are or should be punishable by law.

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