Today is draw Mohamed day. This came about from a mix of ideas and events that have taken place the world over. This event has garnered a lot of eyeballs and comments all over the internet, both smart and derogatory.

Reaction can be boiled down into roughly three categories.

1) Outright censhorshop of the whole thing.  In places like Pakistan YouTube and Facebook are being blocked in a bid to “promote religious harmony and respect”.

2) Smart comebacks. Most notably:

Muslim students’ reaction? Add boxing gloves and re-label the drawings “Muhammad Ali.”

3) Whine incessantly about how horrible it is for people to be disrespectful like this.

First, some perspective.

In 2006, 50 people were killed in protests over the Dutch cartoons. Embassies were attacked, and lives were made forfeit – all over drawings of  Mohammad. In Islam it is considered a grave sin to make idols, most especially of their prophet Mohammad.

Of all three scenarios I find those barking about people being disrespectful the most ludicrous. These selfsame individuals go on that all ideas, most especially religious ones, should be respected.

Are these people daft?

Do you really believe that all ideas have equal merit or weight? What kind of illogical, irrational and screwed up world this would be if all ideas were respected.

Nothing would ever get done. Society would never advance. Life as we know it would come to a grinding halt.

Every day your mind processes ideas, weighs their value and tosses out the trash so you can get things done. You (hopefully) make choices based on the value, merit, efficiency, and efficacy of ideas and respect those ideas that improve your life and well being.

By what inane law in this universe should religion, much less any idea or philosophy, be given a special pass or consideration that would allow it to bypass those tests of worth?

It boggles the god damn mind.

Yes, Draw Mohammad day is about disrespect - disrespecting the idea that people should die over cartoon drawings.  Disrespecting the notion that people should live in fear of not following the beliefs of a religion that they couldn’t give two shits about. Disrespecting the concept that because Islam is a religion it should be given special shelter from critique. Fuck that lot, one and all.

If one’s base reaction is violence and the threat of death over a drawing, or in some cases what has become the reality of acting on that impulse, then there is no force on earth that should grant you respect or tolerance.

Your idea is crap, your notion is shit, your belief is worthless if it cannot be defended rationally or debated logically.

As such I present JPS er, I present Mohammad under a starry sky.

I drink your milkshake, I drink it up.