They can’t kill us all!

You know I’m all over this, and I can’t even draw.

After Comedy Central cut a portion of a South Park episode following a death threat from a radical Muslim group, Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris wanted to counter the fear. She has declared May 20th “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day.”

I’m sure my portrait of Mohammed will be… just like the flat drawings of me in my cartoons, but with a turban. I think the turban will take the most work.

But wait — shouldn’t we refrain from drawing Mohammed, since Muslims don’t like it? Sure, we have the right to draw what we wish, but wouldn’t it be better to exercise restraint? To have some respect for other people’s traditions, even the ones we don’t agree with?

Well, that might be true, if this issue were about respect. This isn’t about respect.

Here’s the question: Do members of a religion get to force non-members to obey the rules of that religion? Under threat of violence? Because that is exactly what is happening here. Some Muslims are trying to set the terms of what non-Muslims are allowed to say, write, or draw, and they’re backing it up with threats of violence and death. This is not the social contract I signed up for.

I think drawing is a simple way to counter this trend. So I’m getting my mouse ready. Someone else will have to care for the tender feelings of the believers.

UPDATE: Inevitable Facebook group.