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'Draw Muhammad' day lessons
Today's guest blogger is Dan Pawlus, Vice President of Communications for Interfaith Youth Core and co-host of "30 Good Minutes" a weekly interfaith program on WTTW 11 (PBS) in Chicago. He is an active member of Old St. Patrick's Church in Chicago.
I'm always interested in reading an inspiring personal story that emerges out of a major media event, especially when it comes to religious conflict. These pieces rarely seem to get prominently featured and many times go unnoticed after the first fervor of a news story dies down. Such was the case with the "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day" phenomenon of a few weeks ago.
It was hard to miss this headline grabbing story that began with a cartoon drawn by Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris to express freedom of speech and ended up going viral exploding into a Facebook campaign with over 100,000 fans and a geopolitical frenzy in Pakistan. Recall that Ms. Norris quickly distanced herself from the Facebook campaign after it attracted a number of Islamaphobic comments.
Interfaith Youth Core took a special interest in this story, hearing early on that groups of college students at Northwestern, Illinois and Wisconsin had chalked their quads with stick figures and labeled them 'Prophet Muhammad'. We viewed the events as a unique opportunity to call out the importance of making interfaith cooperation a priority issue on college campuses. In response, we blogged, facilitated student association discussions, and developed a resource kit for students to positively respond to the campaign and engage in productive interfaith dialogue.
As the "Draw Mohammad" Facebook group prepared to post its drawings on May 20, many waited to see what would actually happen. The mainstream media covered "the event" with great anticipation, but, as the drawings were displayed on various online venues and no violent events broke out, the media cycle quickly moved on.
A few weeks later, The Washington Post ran a brief follow-up piece about Molly Norris highlighting an offer she had received from the Pakistan Express Tribune to create cartoons about France's face-veil ban. The article cited her blog entry in which she said "she recently attended Muslim Association of Puget Sound annual Seerah conference and that "the people there could not have been more gracious in welcoming me." She was also quoted as saying, "Now that I am getting to know some Muslims in my area and learning about them both as individuals and about their culture, it's true -- I am acquiring a new layer of the world to dream up cartoons through."
Ms. Norris took the opportunity to meet and learn about her neighbors. She turned a series of negative events that had generated a great deal of hate into a positive personal growth experience of relationship building. She, in effect, modeled interfaith cooperation.
Few of us find ourselves embroiled in events that play out on the global stage. The intensity of the spotlight was likely a motivating factor in Norris' actions. Still, she certainly seemed to undergo an admirable personal transformation.
We'll certainly continue to hear about religious conflict in the headlines in the coming weeks, but taking a moment to reflect back on Norris' personal story is equally worthy of our attention. It's a fine example of how we can all learn through personal encounters if we have the courage to do so. May more of us seize the opportunity as Norris did.
By
Eboo Patel
|
June 29, 2010; 10:01 AM ET
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Posted by: AKafir | June 30, 2010 10:30 AM
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B R E A K i N G -- N E W S:
http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=179983
The Anti "W H i T E -- C R A C K E R" & "SATANiC -- VERSUS" Lover & [wannabe] Islami, Big-Mouth, G-D Player, Dr.? of ALLAH/G-D "Louis F A R R A K H A N" said (in Letters sent to targeted Jewish Orgs in U.S.A.) THAT
"We [Nation of Islam] could charge you [K A F I R or None-Believers//Gentiles/Heretics..] with being the most deceitful so-called friend, while your history [C H U M A S H//B i B L E] with us [Q U R A N//K O R a n] shows you have been our worst enemy," he wrote."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation_of_Islam
____ iMportant FACT: Ironically, Like the recently mass-massacred A H M A D i Y Y A (Heretics of Lahore, Pakistan or Massacred K U R D S by TURKEY, IRAN, IRAQ, SYRIA et al) THAT
The "Nation Of Islam" is considered as a "HERETiC"[NOt True Islami], a Break-away Religion believing in "U.F.O."s, Mother-Ships etc..; Yet are undergroundly, "FRiENDS" with the Outlawed HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH & other 'Enemy-Combatants, NETWORKs, Here, Within America's.
Secret: MEMBERS of the NOI, sell Heroin, Hashish, Pot & Other Smuggled Drugs to their None-Islami Neighborhoods (to poison KAFiR's of course) From:
various Islamic-Nations own secretive/sneaky clandestine Islami-Underground partnerships (who bring it to NOI Member/Dealers/Pushers in CHICAGO, ILL. et al) and inturn Launder/Wash their proceeds via NOI's 501 (3) c "Not For Profit (instead Prophet?) Privilege.
_____ Emergency Request To LOCAL, STATE & FEDERAL Jurisdictions & INTERNATiONAL Officials: THAT: The "Nation Of Islam" (NOI) must be "Illegalized/Out-Lawed" HERE in the United States Of America's. WHEREFORE:
"WE, The People" Pray that the "NOI", as 1st (first) step, to have it's I.R.S. Tax-Exempt Status Revoked. And Other Relief, Remedy Allowed under Current, Rules, Regulations, Statutes etc.. allowed under the Color-Of-The-LAW(s), here in U.S.A. & Elsewhere, ASAP!
ELSE: W A R N i N G: Death TO: Nation of Islami & Similar Situated HATE orgs; Here & Anywhere On OUR (not NOI & Islami Ummah.) NEBULA-Built, but Bless'th & Miraculous, a Sin/Curse FREE S.pace-S.hip Earth!
Lets Prevent Assassinations of Diabolical Dangerous & Insulting NOI Officialdom & or prevent a REVOLUTION or a Racist Hate War, Here in Sweet sweet (too much Freedom) America!
____ Note: "K A F I R" to US, is an insult against our Holyi-Cosmic-Feelers-Faith, Religion, Belief. Calling US "K" is worse than calling Afro-Americans the "N" Word. This is NO "CARTOON"! This is Serious Biz!
Posted by: shaheed-yahudi | June 30, 2010 9:36 AM
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Never heard of "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day" nor of Ms. Molly Norris.
Sorry to hear if some are expecting Muslims to rampage in the streets, issue fatwas and such over that.
Posted by: Jihadist | June 30, 2010 12:22 AM
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she must have been truely scared, her identity out, muslims know her. All the attention, all what she now says must be under duress. She will probably be harrassed by the "good" muslims the rest of her life. Bet you they are trying to invite her to islam. Muslims will rest only when they see her wearing the hijab and eating hilal foods.
Posted by: Arif2 | June 29, 2010 3:51 PM
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Give The Press Liberty Or Give U.S. Death!
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Hmm: ....♫..♪....72 Virgins?....O.K!....."Al Arkbark"
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........TRUTH & FREEDOM is OUR-Religion, not Islam!
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..................................... 1 Earth, 1 Life, 1 G-D, 1 i&T!
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..................................... '---------' ... By STAN & Family.
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PEACE, PAZ, SHALOM, SALAAM, MIR, FRIEDAN, AHIMSA, ZINGHYU ...
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Credit: "JJ" .....@...... http://onwapo.com
Posted by: shaheed-yahudi | June 29, 2010 2:48 PM
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Molly Norris received death threats. A fatwa for her beheading was passed by Muhammad's followers in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, among other countries. She was scared. As she said, she wanted her life back, and did not want all the publicity. There is a lesson to be learned from Molly, but it is not Eboo wants the world to learn. Islam has always worked with death threats on one hand, and loving dua on the other. Submit peacefully or the sword will make you submit. Those interested do a search on death threats for Molly Norris and see the developments of the psychology of fear for themselves.