Islamists Still Hate Cartoons

Okay, there's some Al Qaeda in Iraq bigwig named Abu Omar al Baghdadi who has just offered a $100,000 reward for the assassination of Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks. And his crime? He drew a picture of a dog with Mohammed's head on it. And there's also a $50,000 bounty on the head of the editor of the newspaper that published Vilks' cartoon.

Of course, these people don't seem to get it: that whole thing about not making images of Mohammed? That's your thing. Because, you know, you're a Muslim fundamentalist. But I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest a guy named Lars Vilks is not. So you don't get to make him follow your backward religious code. That's how we roll here in the West. With freedom of expression. And lots of offensive cartoons.

See, there I go again, trying to talk sense into a religious fundamentalist. Silly me.

And these are the people who need to be killed in Iraq -- or at least thrown in jail -- because they're the type of crazy mofos who are trying to spread their militant views of Islam to places where it doesn't belong. Like that place where the bikini team comes from.

I just don't know why we think we have to be the ones who kill them. Other than because we're Americans, and we kill things the bestest.

Yes, the uncomfortable reality of the Iraq War is that, unlike under Saddam, there really are some nutty Islamic types of the Al Qaeda variety wreaking a decent amount of havoc, even if they only constitute about 2% of the people we're fighting there.

The good news is that we're not the only people who want them dead. The Shiites want them dead, because al Qaeda is Sunni. The Kurds don't want them in their territory either. And now even the Sunnis in Anbar have revolted against them.

Why not let the ruthless, burn-you-to-a-crisp-and-hang-you-from-a-bridge crowd take care of it? Because that's how they roll. And we don't. And we shouldn't.

It's like when Colonel Kurtz was wishing he could have men with the will to hack off the children's inoculated arms in Apocalypse Now. Effective? Yes. Un-American? You betcha.

But you know who will go all Viet Cong on Al Qaeda's ass? The Sunni tribesmen in Anbar, who are even more pissed now that it appears Al Qaeda killed one of their tribal leaders because he was working with the Americans.

Here's a sampling of some of what they had to say:

"Revenge should be made quickly," mourners chanted as the coffins of Abu Risha and two bodyguards, draped in Iraqi flags, were carried to the cemetery. "We will chase the killers."

"All the tribes agreed to fight al Qaeda until the last child in Anbar."

"The killing of Sheikh Abu Risha will give us more energy ... to continue confronting al Qaeda members and to dispose of them," said Sheikh Rashid Majid, a leader of the al-Bufahad tribe in Ramadi.

"By killing Abu Risha al Qaeda wants to shut down the voice of Iraqi tribes. The heads of the tribes will continue to fight al Qaeda and we will support them."

I say arm them, assist them, and let them go nuts. And then leave.

Bill Maher is the host of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" which airs every Friday at 11PM.

Comments

[Jason Abdon]

The last statement of the article is what will be going on.

[Twags59]

I say arm them, assist them, and let them go nuts. And then leave.

Of all people Bill, I am amazed you would be such a fan of the US diplomacy policy. Especially given how effective it has been over the years.

Lets see, we armed the rebels against Allende in Chile, we gave them assistance and direction on how to win and then when Pinochet did win...we left and in a hurry. Ask the people of Chile how well that all worked out.

It worked really well in Iran when the SAVAK police of the Shah of Iran were culling out political activists and those contrary to his opinion. We armed the police, we gave them assistance and direction on how to control the masses and then when the Shah declared himself King..we left in a hurry. You could ask the world how well that has worked out, but please don't ask any conservative Republicans because they are too busy trying to figure out a way to make what they say any different from what the new prime minister of Iran spews.

It worked really well in Afghanistan when they were fighting the Russians. We armed the rebels, we gave them assistance and direction on how to win and when the Russians left and the al-Queda and the Taliban won...we left and in a hurry. Ask the world how well that one worked out.

I'm sure with a little bit of time, I could recite many more versions of US policy of "diplomacy"...but I am shocked that you support such a notorious right wing value.

Tom Wagner

[Nyland8]

"I say arm them, assist them, and let them go nuts. And then leave."

Well, Bill, I think your sequence is wrong. How about we leave first ...

... and then we "arm them, assist them and let them go nuts". How about that idea. We've never had to invade and occupy any country before in order to arm and assist them, so why should we have to now?

8

.

[rikwrybac]

Oh nothing in particular, I just wanted to leave a comment on a Bill Maher post.

[sweetgreensnowpea]

religion = rules/laws
spirituality = heart/reverence for life

we have to stop hurting each other

[nonotchka]

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

What is lacking in the Islamic world that could get them to lighten up?

Fast Food Chains?
Falafil King?
McOmar's?

Do they need more sitcoms?
Are you trying to tell me they have never seen a single I Love Lucy episode?
How can you have ever seen one of those and hate America?

Rock concerts?

Movie theatres?

Art galleries?

Bookstores?

Starbucks?

They all seem to like it when they come here.

n.

[lthuedk]

"That's how we roll here in the West. With freedom of expression. And lots of offensive cartoons."

Let's do test freedom of expression, shall we?

http://www.light-to-dark.com/rapture_rejected.html

Like Bush, like Dobson.

[Kahawa]

Bill, I'm a fan of yours, but sometimes .... as a US citizen, I was brought up to respect the religious faiths of all people. Please don't lump all Muslims together and label their religion as a "backward religious code." I hope you were referring only to Islamic extremists, but that's not the way it sounded. When you say things like that I tend to block out all the perceptive and funny things you say. You may think Islam is a bunch of nonsense, and throw into that Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Tao, and all other religions, but here you are singling out one religion. I had to stop reading your blog and send this comment before continuing, so I hope that when I read the rest it makes me laugh, qualifies your comment, and gives me some more welcome food for thought. Bigotry is all too human, but I like to thing that an intelligent man like you could not be an unreasoning bigot. I expect it in other contexts, unfortunately, but not from you. Bill, Bill ... please!

[Luis Rivera, MD]

Bill, I like you, I really do. But you do your credibility harm with your relentless faithphobia. Give it a rest and you might find yourself empowered.

Luis Rivera, MD
Emergency Medicine

[MagisterLudi]

Reading some of the posts it's truly amazing how anyone living in the West can in their right mind support Al Qaeda.
It's similar to some American grunt in a WWII POW camp write love letters to Hitler:"
" Dearest Fuhrer. I am very sorry that misguided Americans can't see thru' the psych-ops conducted by American media trying to accuse you of attacking Poland.
I know that the "Triumph of the Will" and the documentaries form Stalingrad is all CIA/Zionist/Freemason psych-op manufactured and at Metro Goldwyn Myer studio.
Hopefully the brave Freedom Fighting SS boys are doing well and continuing to fight for their rights.
Ciao Bambinop
P.S.Say Hi to Joey Goebells (if he really exists)."

P.P.S I lost 60 lb. Please help.

[drblack]

Only the insecure who don't believe in what they profess react with other than a chuckle at being made fun of.
Fuck all religion.

[deminmo]

Bill, the creators of "South Park" would likely be the next ones on the hit list. They cover everything on that show!

[frankifrost]

MaherMan,
Do you ever peruse these comments?..
or did you just lose a bet to Arianna (on your little show, you did complain about blogging).
ps
I'm a big fan,
but like Mom,
I feel that you're not living up to your potential.
pss
Like Mom,
I have faith in you (sorry about the word faith).

[Mykel]

Uh, not to spoil Bill Maher's Islam-bashing parade, but allow me to remind him that Europe has laws, as will the US, eventually, that expressly forbid any denigration of Jews and Judaism, as well as denial of the historical accuracy of the Holocaust.

One can be fired from one's job, evicted from one's home, expelled from school and imprisoned for daring to speak freely about one's mind about Jews.

Here in the US, even something as innocent as criticizing Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, Zionism or America's support for Israel can get one slurred as an anti-Semite. In addition, there are currently several pro-Israel, American special interest groups actively lobbying congress to pass hate crimes and hate speech laws that will not only ban any criticism, whatsoever, of Israel, but will effectively end freedom of speech as we now know it in the US.

Furthermore, we all know of certain Christian fundamentalists here in America who won't hesitate to harass, beat and kill abortion providers and even the openly gay, for that matter.

So, sorry, Bill. The Judeo-Christian "West" you so smugly claim to be more advanced than our Muslim cousins, certainly knows how to dish it out every bit as harshly as any Muslim religious zealot.

[gjor]

Bill Maher has some interesting observations concerning the American political scene...

[CharliePfromHB]

Now come on Bill, the common God here is Oil, the great God Oil (almosts sounds like gargoyle. Religion has been exploited by those in power and those suppressed for millenniums. If those in power didn't have a religion to covet fears of or to enrage the masses, they would invent one. The the worse God is the one that none will admit is the supreme entity, but all worship in behavior. That's because God's always have deciples like Denial, Fear, and Want. So add the struggle to have sufficient fresh water and sanitation to provide the essentials of life, and you have the Middle East, East Africa, and more. We all know that oil and water don't mix. Oil and lack of water will assure all the fundementalist zeal you can stand. Now that doesn't explain the Crusades. OK, but how about regaining control of Europe. And in our time, how about regaining control of the world.
If the world's consumers didn't need Mid-Eastern Oil, who would care? Focus on the real
evil God.

[Blutenhalbmond]

UltraClassic,

If you concluded that force is the only thing Muslims inderstand, I do not think that you learnt anything about Muslims from your Saudi association. What an asinine statement!

If force is the only language Muslims understand, why have the Russians not destroyed the Chechin resistance? Or of afghans a decade earlier? A million Afghans had died against a superior force that used everything short of nuclear weapons. Why is your dear and most beloved Israel unable to quash the Palestinian struggle for freedom? US unable to dominate Iraq and Afghanistan? India totally unable to conquer the will of the Kashmiris for freedom? The list goes on.

No, you poor man! Force is precisely what Muslims do not understand. Try justice, try fairness, try decency. But you do not know what they mean, do you?

[Mojane]

Cartoon with head of Jesus on a dog. Wonder how that might go over with fundamentalist Christians. Doubt they'd offer bounty to kill the cartoonist, but in their heart of hearts, many would want to and some, if they could, might do it themselves. I'm not defending the fundamentalist Islamics. Just pondering a ponderable.

[Professornitpick]

Bill great show last night;-) Loved to see that you have a religion too, whatever your protestations!!!

Great show with ballsy guests!!!

Congratulations on a good show all around, well done!!!

[Yukon Jack]

Anybody who gets into a hissy fit by a cartoon is a certifiable idiot.

Anybody who is stupid enough to get hurt or offended by a cartoon is a certifiable idiot.

Nuff said!!!!

[questionconstruct]

Hey,

Links to articles regarding the Lars Vilks controversy are, in brief form, available at the English language newspaper of Stockholm, The Local.
Describing the "Bounty" on Vilks and the publisher of the drawings:

http://www.thelocal.se/8498/20070915/

And the below link regarding the request (from the Swedish authorities who wish to protect him in the climate of the intimidation) to leave his home for the foreseeable future due to the threats revolving around the controversy:

http://www.thelocal.se/8515/

Also for a rundown of the progression of the case and the interesting responses to this by the Muslim community in Sweden and Europe, as well as the Swedish government"s response, check the reporting here:

http://www.thelocal.se/search.php?keywordSearch=Lars_Vilks

Note must also be taken that Vilks considers the discourse created around the art to actually be the "art-work" in creating a means of dialogue for those Muslims living in Western democratic cultures, as well as those cultures themselves coming to terms with these communities.

For the Drawings which caused the furor:

http://www.earnedmedia.org/ccn0916.htm

The above site also has a few links to The Local (English language newspaper from Stockholm).

For those who read Swedish you may look for fuller articles on how this controversy continues to play out at the Swedish paper Dagens Nyheter, www.dn.se.

qustionconstruct

[truthtotell]

Dear Bill Maher:

Please, please if you ever come to the occasion again when Mrs. Clinton says to you, "If I knew then what I know now, I would not have voted to support the president." Grant her that what she knows now differs with what she knew then, but ask her exactly what was it she knew then.
She has drawn that remark for years because no one has challenged her. The lady has got to admit that in fact she knew nothing back then.

Many thanks

[Rxwoman]

whoa,
I cannot beleive the amount of comments over this. Is this because it's Maher's blog, or are people really this passionate about fundamentalists?
All this chatter over mythological characters that only exist in people's head. It's like William said in his blog, "there I go again, trying to talk reason to a religious fundamentalist." Exactly(not that I haven't done it myself, many times) what is the point?
Please, people can't we just treat these unbalanced folk ( the faithfull I mean) the way they deserve to be treated? With lots of antipsychotic meds, therapy, and counciling (maybe we need a new 12 step program just for them ?). If they were spouting nonsense about gremlins under their beds, or being chased by the KGB, that's what we'd do. Why do we treat the delusional different when their delusion is religion based? *sigh* maybe someday.
Rxwoman
PS; Bill, leave Brittany alone! (just kidding);)

[janvoght]

Hey don't taze me bro! In these turbulant hostile times I need the brilliant humorous approach, Bill, many tanks!

[FOXYLADY]

I LOVE BILLS SHOW!!! MORE SHOULD "SPEAK OUT" AND BASH THIS GOVERNMENT AND IT'S CROOKS/LIARS AND HYPOCRITES OF ALL PARTIES...