Tuesday, May 25, 2010

The Newspaper That Stood Tall: Mail & Guardian, Johannesburg, South Africa

This story as a follow-up to last week's 'Everybody Draw Mohamed Day'.

The M & G's cartoonist, Zapiro, published a mild jab at the Prophet, depicting him on the psychiatrist's couch, wondering why his followers lack a sense of humor. You'll have to hit the link above to see it.

OS isn't familiar with Zapiro's work, but a quick check at Google Images demonstrates this guy's a pro, not some one-off amateur.

The Islamists went ballistic, heading to court to have the paper pulled off the streets, and the death threats came flowing in.

The M & G stood tall, the judge stood by the law, and the cartoon was distributed.

Three cheers apiece for  Zapiro, his paper, and the judge.

'Everybody Draw Mohamed Day' was a success, 'cuz it once again showed in bold relief where the problem lies--not with Western democracies, but with an Islamic fundamentalism who would use the very liberties of the West to destroy it.

Someone out there has a problem, and it ain't us.

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