NationStates Jolt Archive

Uh...
'Anime' stokes ire of Muslims

Shueisha freezes sales as critics slam 'JoJo's Bizarre' Quran scene Cairo

CAIRO (Kyodo) A scene from an animated version of a popular Japanese comic book has sparked an outcry in the Muslim world, where some fear it could fuel a backlash not seen since European publications carried cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Shueisha Inc., a Japanese publisher involved in the production of the "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" comic book and its animated versions, said Thursday it has suspended sales of some of the original "manga" and the DVD series.

A Shueisha press official said the material was not intended to be offensive and was the result of none of the animators knowing Arabic in 2001.

At issue is a 90-second "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" video segment that depicts Dio Brando, a villain, picking up a Quran from a bookshelf and apparently examining it as he orders the execution of the hero and his friends.

The animation is based on the widely popular manga by Hirohiko Araki that appeared in the weekly Shonen Jump from 1987 to 2003. The Japanese publisher said the Quran does not appear in the print version.

The scene in question is in episode six of the animated video "Stardust Crusaders," which was produced by A.P.P.P (Another Push Pin Planning) Co. in 2001.

A pirated version of the cartoon series with Arabic subtitles has been available on the Internet since March 2007.

Someone posted negative comments and a still from the video, sparking a groundswell. Messages on the topic have appeared in more than 300 Arab and Islamic Web forums, with some accusing Japan of insulting the Quran.

Sheikh Abdul Hamid Attrash, chairman of the Fatwa (religious edict) Committee at Al-Azhar, the highest Sunni authority, based in Cairo, called the cartoon an insult to Islam.

"This scene depicts Muslims as terrorists, which is not true at all," he said. "This is an insult to the religion, and the producers would be considered to be enemies of Islam."

Responding to the accusation, the Shueisha official said it was "a simple mistake."

"Neither the original comic nor the animation intends to treat Muslims as villains. But as a result, the cartoon offended Muslims," the official said. "We apologize for the unpleasantness that the cartoon may have caused and will carefully consider how to deal with religious and culture themes."

The official said one of the animators came up with the idea of using an Arabic book to give the scene a more authentic feel, as the villain was hiding out in Egypt.

With that in mind, the animator took out a library book, which turned out to be the Quran, and used it for the scene. No one realized the mistake because no one at the company could read or speak Arabic, the official said.

Reactions on the Web have included taking offense at the villain reading the Quran and the alleged underlying message suggesting children who read the Quran will become villains.

"There are prejudiced pictures about the greatest and purest divine book, our Great Quran, in a new cartoon series called 'JoJo's Bizarre Adventure' . . . what is the purpose of putting in these pictures?" a well-circulated Net message asks.

Qannas al-Jazira, one of the most active members of Al-Hesbah, a major Islamic Web site used as a clearing house for Islamic militants' statements, wrote: "There is a wicked man in a cartoon series called 'JoJo's Bizarre Adventure' and this villain appears in a clip while reading the Holy Quran . . . even the Japanese began to depict Muslims as evil persons and terrorists in their cartoon films."

Despite the apology from the publisher, some are not willing to accept the error.

Aly Yassin, owner of a Cairo Internet cafe, said he believes the object of the Japanese producers was to say: "This evil character derives its subversive ideas from this book, the Holy Quran. . . . This indicates the deep-rooted rancor against Islam and the misconceptions about Quran meanings. This is unjustifiable."

Still others, including Gamal Qutb, ex-head of the Fatwa Committee at Al-Azhar, were even tougher, suggesting Muslims should boycott Japanese products unless Japan takes action against the video.

The Japan Times: Friday, May 23, 2008
(C) All rights reserved
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080523a1.html

Ok, yes, the Japanese have a long history of using/saying/doing something offensive to other people (Personally I think this is due to naivety and ignorance of other people than malice), but honestly now... It's rather hard to think that this was done on purpose given that Japan has, at best, about 70,000 Muslims, 40 or so mosques, and in general tends to view Africans and Chinese as more of a terrorist threat (Not to mention that Japan has never HAD a non-Japanese terrorist attack). Given all that, I'm really inclined to support that the anime company really didn't know what it was doing.

But, the Japanese Government has apologized for any hurt feelers out there though.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080524b2.html

Thoughts on this one?

Over-sensitivity, much?

Bah, any faction of people who get their panties in a wad that easily should be required to have some serious psychological counselling and anger management.

What a shame Japan feels the need to apologize.

Well you see, sometimes they don't need terror groups to give themselves bad publicity...

...With some accusing Japan of insulting the Quran.

The Quran sucks and is gay, and also is a doodiehead.

"This scene depicts Muslims as terrorists, which is not true at all," he said. "This is an insult to the religion, and the producers would be considered to be enemies of Islam."

Nice.


I don't see why the government Japan is responsible for the actions of a Japanese publisher.

Maybe Japan should try to eliminate most of its oil consumption in retaliation. That might send the right message to the Saudis and the other clowns undoubtedly fanning the flames over this bullshit. Seriously, things like this make me want to roast a Quran over a fire of pig-fat while flying the world's largest Israeli flag...

Maybe Japan should try to eliminate most of its oil consumption in retaliation. That might send the right message to the Saudis and the other clowns undoubtedly fanning the flames over this bullshit. Seriously, things like this make me want to roast a Quran over a fire of pig-fat while flying the world's largest Israeli flag...

I like it!

Please tell me this is a joke. tell this is a joke so I don't lose all hope for mankind...

Please tell me this is a joke. tell this is a joke so I don't lose all hope for mankind...

The whole European cartoon thing didn't make you lose hope already?

:The whole European cartoon thing didn't make you lose hope already?
I still had a little optimism for mankind. I am now an empty, cynical shell, never able to love, only able to despair.:(

:
I still had a little optimism for mankind. I am now an empty, cynical shell, never able to love, only able to despair.:(

I tend to pretend stuff like this isn't actually going on.

Which is actually pretty easy to do, because fundamental Islam talks a lot of empty shyte. They talk a lot of not-empty shyte, too. But this is mostly empty, I imagine.

This has lowered my opinion of Muslims from below the floor to the magma level of the Earth.....

The whole European cartoon thing didn't make you lose hope already?

That made me lose hope in artistry. I mean, Muhammad looked like a friggin' Russian.

Jeez. Like villains are never shown with Bibles.

Uh...Thoughts on this one?

No one gives a damn when Muslims slam the Christians or Jews, but Allah forbid the Christians or Jews even hint of anything negative about Islam. A huge double standard which much of the West bought into in the name of the Almighty Political Correctness. :rolleyes:

The Quran sucks and is gay, and also is a doodiehead.

You do understand that a Fatwa calling for your death will be put out for making such a defiling statement against Islam!

No one gives a damn when Muslims slam the Christians or Jews, but Allah forbid the Christians or Jews even hint of anything negative about Islam. A huge double standard which much of the West bought into in the name of the Almighty Political Correctness.

Unfortuanatly, it's true :(.

Please tell me this is a joke. tell this is a joke so I don't lose all hope for mankind...

Don't lose all hope for mankind. Losing all hope for radical Islam and political correctness is acceptable.

You do understand that a Fatwa calling for your death will be put out for making such a defiling statement against Islam!

Which is worse:
Death? Or a life spent in hiding with Salman Rushdie, reading his books?

Bah, any faction of people who get their panties in a wad that easily should be required to have some serious psychological counselling and anger management.

What a shame Japan feels the need to apologize.
Japan tends to react strongly to anything that would show it in a negative light, anime is currently a, hmm, interesting point for Japan right now given how Japan discovered that it suddenly has a very large cultural impact on the rest of the planet. There's quite a number of debates within the Japanese government about how to use this new found soft power for Japan.

I tend to pretend stuff like this isn't actually going on.

Which is actually pretty easy to do, because fundamental Islam talks a lot of empty shyte. They talk a lot of not-empty shyte, too. But this is mostly empty, I imagine.

Pretend all you want and I hope you don't wake up with a Shite holding a gun in your face. :eek:

Maybe Japan should try to eliminate most of its oil consumption in retaliation. That might send the right message to the Saudis and the other clowns undoubtedly fanning the flames over this bullshit.
Er... Japan HAS no oil, period. Everything has to be imported which makes it not feasible what-so-ever to boycott.

Which is worse:
Death? Or a life spent in hiding with Salman Rushdie, reading his books?

Haven't read his books so given a choice I'll take the latter. :rolleyes:

No one gives a damn when Muslims slam the Christians or Jews, but Allah forbid the Christians or Jews even hint of anything negative about Islam. A huge double standard which much of the West bought into in the name of the Almighty Political Correctness. :rolleyes:
You know, your comment would make some sort of sense if Japan was either a Judea-Christian culture OR a Western nation. Since it's neither though...

Pretend all you want and I hope you don't wake up with a Shite holding a gun in your face. :eek:

I'll throw bacon at him.

Haven't read his books so given a choice I'll take the latter. :rolleyes:

I once read the Satanic Verses...it wasn't all that great.

You know, your comment would make some sort of sense if Japan was either a Judea-Christian culture OR a Western nation. Since it's neither though...

Well, if you slam Buddhism or Shintoism I doubt the Japanese will riot in the streets and burn flags and embassies. :rolleyes:

Don't lose all hope for mankind. Losing all hope for radical Islam and political correctness is acceptable.
Too late. If people can be delueded enough to do this every time something insulting happens to their religion, it's obvious mankind is doomed. *Cries*

Well, if you slam Buddhism or Shintoism I doubt the Japanese will riot in the streets and burn flags and embassies. :rolleyes:
Your previous comment still doesn't make any sense though. Political correctness (Whatever that actually IS) does not exist in Japan.

Knee jerk much?

And :rolleyes: yourself.

Your previous comment still doesn't make any sense though. Political correctness (Whatever that actually IS) does not exist in Japan.

Knee jerk much?

And yourself.
Political correctness is not USA only. It exists in every culture to an extent. Moreso in some then others.

You know, your comment would make some sort of sense if Japan was either a Judea-Christian culture OR a Western nation. Since it's neither though...

Funny, i've always thought of Japan as a hybrid between Western and Eastern cultures, even though it's a far Eastern country.

Political correctness is not USA only. It exists in every culture to an extent. Moreso in some then others.

I would describe Japan as being so PC that it's disturbingly unhealthy. Where else do elementary school kids kill themselves because they got caught cheating on a test? If that's not PC taken too far I don't know what is.

I would describe Japan as being so PC that it's disturbingly unhealthy. Where else do elementary school kids kill themselves because they got caught cheating on a test? If that's not PC taken too far I don't know what is.
Actually, I think that's more of a overacheiving perfectionism problem. But yes, Japan is PC, but it differs from what you consider PC. Like some anime comics that depict very bad things that have to do with tentacles O_o.

The company should have taken much more care in this. Everyone on here can scoff at the idea of people taken their faith seriously, but the fact remains people do. I can understand how people can take deep offense to this. You may say the Japanese do this out of ignorance rather than malice, but this is better how? Wouldn't that just mean they are backward and lack apathy rather than simply being hateful?

Actually, I think that's more of a overacheiving perfectionism problem. But yes, Japan is PC, but it differs from what you consider PC. Like some anime comics that depict very bad things that have to do with tentacles O_o.

Well yes, it's a different PC, but still...

I think PC is a good thing, keeps people polite and sounding half intelligent and not like ignorant nobs.

The company should have taken much more care in this. Everyone on here can scoff at the idea of people taken their faith seriously, but the fact remains people do...

Yes, people do take their faith seriously, but why is it the Islamic world can scoff all other religions and those religions do not go out an riot, attack embassies, and burn flags? Even when the Taliban destroyed the images of Buddha that were thousands of years old no one rioted in the streets. Yet, when a cartoon of Mohamed was published there were riots and protests all over the Islamic world. Why? Why can everyone except Islamists excuse such attacks on their religion

Yes, people do take their faith seriously, but why is it the Islamic world can scoff all other religions and those religions do not go out an riot, attack embassies, and burn flags? Even when the Taliban destroyed the images of Buddha that were thousands of years old no one rioted in the streets. Yet, when a cartoon of Mohamed was published there were riots and protests all over the Islamic world. Why? Why can everyone except Islamists excuse such attacks on their religion

For one thing in may places in the world, Islam is all people have. It's the source of their happiness, family and way of life. It's deeper than most outside the outside religion would understand. Second, in a lot of places they are repressed and aren't allowed to protest about anything else. Therefore, they take out their built-up hostilities where they can.

Er... Japan HAS no oil, period. Everything has to be imported which makes it not feasible what-so-ever to boycott.

You have 33,000 barrels per day of production. I should probably add that such a quantity is negligible. ;)

That being said, any significant cut in Japanese oil consumption would disrupt Saudi Arabia fairly considerably.

Political correctness is not USA only. It exists in every culture to an extent. Moreso in some then others.
Really? Then I'm sure that you can give me an example of it in Japan then.

Everyone should be angry about anime.

As to the OP.

It seems like the author/company/whatever did this unintentionally- and the action doesn't seem very insulting.

Really? Then I'm sure that you can give me an example of it in Japan then.
The OP's article is a good example. Forgive me for not living in Japan :rolleyes:

For one thing in may places in the world, Islam is all people have. It's the source of their happiness, family and way of life. It's deeper than most outside the outside religion would understand. Second, in a lot of places they are repressed and aren't allowed to protest about anything else. Therefore, they take out their built-up hostilities where they can.


I don't see it as deep in the least. In fact I think it must be terribly fragile if it is threatened by freedom of speech. When they can show they value everyone elses faith equally I may grant them the respect they seem to think they deserve. Until then, terrorists being depicted as Muslims doesn't bother me in the least...moreover it doesn't bother me in the least that Muslims are offended because who created the visual we all have of terrorists anyway? Muslims.

You have 33,000 barrels per day of production. I should probably add that such a quantity is negligible. ;)
Sorry, should have said negligible and not zero. The point is though that Japan is 3rd in the world in terms of oil imports, it is dependent upon those imports and 90% of them comes from the Middle East. Unless someone else decides to be nice to Japan and pick up the slack, it's not likely that Japan could actually boycott it.

That being said, any significant cut in Japanese oil consumption would disrupt Saudi Arabia fairly considerably.
Any significant cuts in Japanese oil consumption from Saudi Arabia would disrupt JAPAN considerably and the Government is in enough hot water with the voters over the gas tax issue.

No one gives a damn when Muslims slam the Christians or Jews, but Allah forbid the Christians or Jews even hint of anything negative about Islam. A huge double standard which much of the West bought into in the name of the Almighty Political Correctness. :rolleyes:

I believe Japan is mostly Shinto. Could be wrong.

<Insert joke about Islamic suicide bombers vs Japanese Kamikaze Pilots>

That being said, any significant cut in Japanese oil consumption would disrupt Saudi Arabia fairly considerably.

China, the US, and India would probably buy the oil that used to go to Japan.

The OP's article is a good example. Forgive me for not living in Japan :rolleyes:
That's not PC at all though, that's Japanese culture in action, one where giving offense is to be avoided.

But it sounds like that you really don't know what you're talking about in terms of PC being in Japan then.

That's not PC at all though, that's Japanese culture in action, one where giving offense is to be avoided.

But it sounds like that you really don't know what you're talking about in terms of PC being in Japan then.
*Nods with extremly fake smile* Yes, yes, and using the word "Financially challenged" instead of "poor" isn't PC. *nods in sarcastic agreement*

I don't see it as deep in the least. In fact I think it must be terribly fragile if it is threatened by freedom of speech. When they can show they value everyone elses faith equally I may grant them the respect they seem to think they deserve. Until then, terrorists being depicted as Muslims doesn't bother me in the least...moreover it doesn't bother me in the least that Muslims are offended because who created the visual we all have of terrorists anyway? Muslims.

You manage to betray your ignorance on subject with the very first sentence. Skillful, I'm sure.

You manage to betray your ignorance on subject with the very first sentence. Skillful, I'm sure.

Hardly. :p You claim it is deeper than those outside the religion can understand. Your presumption is nonsense.

*Nods with extremly fake smile* Yes, yes, and using the word "Financially challenged" instead of "poor" isn't PC. *nods in sarcastic agreement*

Guess Nervun is correct, no knowledge of Japanese culture

No doubt this will lead to another round of frantic appeasing and self-censorship.:headbang:

I just hope the people who made this don't get killed.:(

As Achmed the dead terrorist would say:

"You daresay my book incites violence ? I Kiiiill you !"

That's not PC at all though, that's Japanese culture in action, one where giving offense is to be avoided.

But it sounds like that you really don't know what you're talking about in terms of PC being in Japan then.

I'll step in and save Morality. I have a friend who taught English for a bit in a Japanese middle school. He related this situation to me after I questioned him about his experience.

The Japanese have a term, you've probably heard it: "Gaijin." It means foreigner, and was used until very recently by the Japanese to describe, well, foreigners. However, because it was used during the Bad Old Days™ of Imperial Japan to refer to people they had conquered (who were foreigners), the chattering classes in Japan think that people who are not Japanese are offended by it. So, they dug through the dictionary and found another word which has the same meaning and use that instead to describe foreigners. My friend said that the Japanese were mildly surprised/annoyed when the native-English speakers there would use the word Gaijin to describe themselves.

So, there you have it, unnecessary PC language manipulation in Japan.

I believe Japan is mostly Shinto. Could be wrong.

Japan is 75% Shinto, 75% Buddhist, and 75% professing no faith at all. :D

I'll step in and save Morality. I have a friend who taught English for a bit in a Japanese middle school. He related this situation to me after I questioned him about his experience.

The Japanese have a term, you've probably heard it: "Gaijin." It means foreigner, and was used until very recently by the Japanese to describe, well, foreigners. However, because it was used during the Bad Old Days™ of Imperial Japan to refer to people they had conquered (who were foreigners), the chattering classes in Japan think that people who are not Japanese are offended by it. So, they dug through the dictionary and found another word which has the same meaning and use that instead to describe foreigners. My friend said that the Japanese were mildly surprised/annoyed when the native-English speakers there would use the word Gaijin to describe themselves.

So, there you have it, unnecessary PC language manipulation in Japan.
That would be interesting, if it wasn't for the fact that you are not correct. Gaijin and gaikokujin has been around and used since Meiji where it replaced a number of other terms that were used to refer to foreigners. People who were a part of the Japanese Empire were never called gaikokujin or gaijin but were called naikokujin.

Gaikokujin remains the official term for foreigners for the Japanese government and is, among other things, stamped on the top on my gaijin card.

The best I could come up with is that some major media centers have asked their journalists to avoid gaijin when referring to gaijin... Which is funny as I can hear the term from NHK when I turn on the news.

I don't know why do NSGers find it so...okay when somebody insults the Koran. You might think it's nothing because it's not your holy book.

I don't know why do NSGers find it so...okay when somebody insults the Koran. You might think it's nothing because it's not your holy book.

Hey dude im christian and the bible is made fun of all the time, i just laugh about it.

Maybe muslims need to learn to do this.

Christians, obviously-based-on-Christians, and God aren't really rare as villains in anime. And for some reason they always like to put some nonsensical string of Hebrew letters on magic circles for good measure. Some bad guy happening to pick a Quran out of a selection of books is hardly something to be angry about (just as the above examples aren't).

By the way, I never heard about this anime, and so know nothing about what happens there, but I think it would be pretty funny if the villain in question ended up being a good guy.

I don't know why do NSGers find it so...okay when somebody insults the Koran. You might think it's nothing because it's not your holy book.
I'd question on if it was an actual insult through. I mean, in terms of insults, I'd give much more weight to someone who was trying to be insulting rather than someone who insulted me accidentally.

Hey dude im christian and the bible is made fun of all the time, i just laugh about it.

Maybe muslims need to learn to do this.

Or maybe Christians need to learn to take it more seriously when people make fun of the Bible?

I'd question on if it was an actual insult through. I mean, in terms of insults, I'd give much more weight to someone who was trying to be insulting rather than someone who insulted me accidentally.

Insult is in the eye of the beholder. I agree that sometimes the Muslim reaction is a bit over the board but it doesn't give third parties the right to tell Muslims how they should treat their holy book or how they should react at somebody else's treatment of their holy book.

So any time someone makes a cartoon he should be sure he doesn't accidentally give offense to anyone in some way? Research every single detail to make sure it won't hurt anyone's feelings?

Sheikh Abdul Hamid Attrash, chairman of the Fatwa (religious edict) Committee at Al-Azhar, the highest Sunni authority, based in Cairo, called the cartoon an insult to Islam.


Oh no! Quick, everyone give a shit! :rolleyes:

Or maybe Christians need to learn to take it more seriously when people make fun of the Bible?

Oh god please no. There would be an uprising almost every day. If you want to live in society you have to learn that some people dont like what you beleive in (this goes for everyone, not just christians and muslims).

Or maybe Christians need to learn to take it more seriously when people make fun of the Bible?


We do take it seriously. Seriously enough that when we don't like something we remember it is wrong to kill people over it...we are taught to forgive.

Something many Muslims could take a lesson in.

We do take it seriously. Seriously enough that when we don't like something we remember it is wrong to kill people over it...we are taught to forgive.

Something many Muslims could take a lesson in.

Well, the article doesn't mention any violent reactions, though I could have missed something.

Well, the article doesn't mention any violent reactions, though I could have missed something.


Oh no I wasn't referring to this incident, but to the past reactions when someone feels Islam has been insulted. I think that is why everyone is anxious over this whole thing.

I once read the Satanic Verses...it wasn't all that great.I used to sell books, and the Fatwah was the ONLY reason that book made the bestseller's list.

Or maybe Christians need to learn to take it more seriously when people make fun of the Bible?God, I hope not. NSG would be depopulated soo fast...

Oh no! Quick, everyone give a shit! :rolleyes:
and send it C.O.D.?

While I do say that the incident was more accidental than not, I am getting rather tired of this reaction. I mean, if they want to interact with the rest of the world, they will have to learn to tone down their sensitivity.

I used to sell books, and the Fatwah was the ONLY reason that book made the bestseller's list.

Exactly.

Rushdie actually did a talk at my uni, about a literary criticism. Can't remember which, I want to say some form of New Historicism.

Insult is in the eye of the beholder. I agree that sometimes the Muslim reaction is a bit over the board but it doesn't give third parties the right to tell Muslims how they should treat their holy book or how they should react at somebody else's treatment of their holy book.

Correct. Non-Muslims have no grounds to tell a/any Muslim how to treat their holy books or how they should react to an insult or what should be considered an insult. Likewise, non-Muslims have no grounds to arbitrarily respect a book that is not their own holy book, as this is a hypocritical insult. Unfortunately, the apologetic types don't get what they are truly saying. Apology for the insult to Islam implies understanding of the insult, which cannot occur without being Muslim, which further insults Islam.

Simple formula to remember in this day & age.

Oppresive 3rd world backwater + 1/2 educated Imams + uneducated, desperate populace - any common sense + percieved "insult" =
Riot like chimps

(sigh):headbang:

Insult is in the eye of the beholder. I agree that sometimes the Muslim reaction is a bit over the board but it doesn't give third parties the right to tell Muslims how they should treat their holy book or how they should react at somebody else's treatment of their holy book.

I can absolutely tell someone how they should react to somebody else's treatment of their holy book, and here it is:

REASONABLY.

This means realizing that some people don't care about your holy book, and as long as you're not desecrating the book yourself, you're alright with Allah. (Same goes for Christains and the Bible, Judaism and the Torah, etc., just to make sure no one thinks I hate Muslims.)

Japan is 75% Shinto, 75% Buddhist, and 75% professing no faith at all. :D

isnt there a saying that is something along the lines of you're born Shinto, married Christian, and die Buddhist?

Japan is 75% Shinto, 75% Buddhist, and 75% professing no faith at all. :D

:eek: you've just blown my mind!

Simple formula to remember in this day & age.

Oppresive 3rd world backwater + 1/2 educated Imams + uneducated, desperate populace - any common sense + percieved "insult" =
Riot like chimps

(sigh):headbang:

I like South Park's explanation better.

Let's all look at why Muslims are upset. First of all, in the Muslim religion, you're not allowed to have what? Sex. Good. There's no sex until marriage in the Muslim world. Now, this would be fine except that in the Muslim religion you also can't... Anybody? Jack off. Okay, jacking it is strictly forbidden in the Muslim religion. And what do we know about the places Muslims live? They live in? Good, sand. Now put yourself in the shoes of a Muslim. It's Friday night, but you can't have sex, and you can't jack off. There's sand in your eyes and probably in the crack of your ass, and then some cartoon comes along from a country where people are getting laid, and mocks your prophet. Well, you know what? I'd be pretty pissed off too!

Japan is 75% Shinto, 75% Buddhist, and 75% professing no faith at all. :D

The sad thing is, since it's Japan, I would believe that.

Despite the fact that a US comic artist actually created a manga based upon the Bible, this fascinating piece of religious uproar apparently proves that anime and religion just don't mix.

I've always wondered if the perceived sensitivity of the Muslim people towards criticism/portrayal of their religion isn't simply due to selective media coverage.

I'm sure somewhere there are hardline Christians/Jews/Scientologists getting pissed off and yelling threats towards their detractors.

Is the whole 'angry Muslim' thing just a stereotype?

They do seem to cause more damage than the Christian extremists though...

At least they're not rioting and shooting people to protest being thought violent.

That'd make a good thread topic:How to deal with people who have no sense of irony.

Oh come on, give them a break, it's the Japanese. They just make this shit up as they go. It's not like it's intentionally malevolent. Or even unintentionally.


I'm sure somewhere there are hardline Christians/Jews/Scientologists getting pissed off and yelling threats towards their detractors.

I assume by "hardline Scientologists" you mean "all of the Scientologists."
Cults don't have non-hardliners.

For those of you claiming to "lose faith in humanity" or to have a lowered opinion of Muslims as a whole, please remember this is a small group of orthodox/fundamentalist/extremist Muslims and they do not speak for all Muslims anymore than the Westboro Baptist Church speaks for all Christians.

I so loathe the corrupt Clerics of the Middle east. Hope they all get painful terminal cancer.

Was it an original Qur'an in Arabic or a translation? The latter would not be considered a "real" Qur'an, as only the 7th c. original is accepted as such.

Not really to the point here, but also interesting to know, I guess: about 20% of the text consists of "hapax legomena", words that occur only once in the entire Arabic literature and are thus rather foggy meaningwise. Most muslims don't know this. Some do and are of the opinion this actually enriches the text ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hapax

note
a somewhat controversial author: http://www.arabistjansen.nl/ (in Dutch)

The sad thing is, since it's Japan, I would believe that.

It's quite correct. They are blessed by a shinto priest at birth, get married like catholics and are buried with a buddhist ritual. Best of all no one thinks this is inconsequent, as they are not really religious.

Sad? A healthy approach in my opinion.

I assume by "hardline Scientologists" you mean "all of the Scientologists."

You clearly don't know that many Scientologists in person.

Funny, i've always thought of Japan as a hybrid between Western and Eastern cultures, even though it's a far Eastern country.It's so far east, it's west ;)

For those of you claiming to "lose faith in humanity" or to have a lowered opinion of Muslims as a whole, please remember this is a small group of orthodox/fundamentalist/extremist Muslims and they do not speak for all Muslims anymore than the Westboro Baptist Church speaks for all Christians.

Incidentally, for those of you claiming to "lose faith in humanity", if a bunch of morons being angry over a perceived insult to their holy book is what ends up pushing you over the edge you clearly have no knowledge of the shit that actually happens in the real world.

Pathetic. The excesses to which an apologetic, craven, spineless culture can lead never cease to amaze.

For those of you claiming to "lose faith in humanity" or to have a lowered opinion of Muslims as a whole, please remember this is a small group of orthodox/fundamentalist/extremist Muslims and they do not speak for all Muslims anymore than the Vatican speaks for all Christians.
Fixed.
Granted, there is no spokesman for "all" Muslims, but we are dealing here with the highest-ranking authorities in the mainstream, majority sect, far more like the Vatican than like the Westboro Baptist Church:

Sheikh Abdul Hamid Attrash, chairman of the Fatwa (religious edict) Committee at Al-Azhar, the highest Sunni authority, based in Cairo, called the cartoon an insult to Islam.