Texas Cartoon Contest

Texas Cartoon Exhibit    Link to Time Magazine article about the contest.


Cartoon by Mike Thompson/Detroit Free Press


The use of a contest to draw pictures of the Prophet Muhammad knowing that the contest would draw the ire of Muslims worldwide is ill-conceived, mean-spirited and a prime example of unabashed bigotry.   There are enough divisive issues in the span of ecumenical circles to keep all interested parties busy for years.  My contempt for this effort draws from the fact that this sham of a contest was put on merely to bait the Muslim community.  From a humanitarian, moralist, spiritual, Christian, Jewish, Ecumenical or other socio-political viewpoint, the interest in creating animosity against Muslims as outcome cannot be condoned or dismissed.

If the purpose is to avenge some wrong, it cannot achieve a reasonable end as greater and greater salvos against each other will prevent the achievement of peace.   If the Conservative Political Action Conference [led by far-right extremist Pamela Geller] feels that the contest can create equity or understanding with non-Muslims.  That logic is dismally flawed also.  I really don’t think that was their intent. 

It is not a misnomer to say that peace is desirable for all, and that groups habitually and purposefully gathering to disturb the peace, like the CPAC, are taking steps toward anarchy. The rally was proposed to defend and/or combat the “Stand with the Prophet” rally, created to change the minds of “Islamophobes”.  It is difficult to fathom why the response to a rally that dispenses a message “don’t hate us” would be followed by a response of “what you believe is laughingstock”. 

I realize that the “Stand with the Prophet” event was staged seven days after the terrorist shooting at the Charlie Hebdo offices in France.  I denounce the actions of those terrorists and there is worldwide backlash against those and similar actions. Hate mongering is a tremendous waste that always ends in tragedy.   But it is clear what the Bible says:   Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Rom 12:21 NKJV as sure as what the Quran says: “Good deeds repel evil deeds”  11:114.


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