Bill Donohue put out one of his press releases yesterday, saying that the people at Charlie Hebdo deserved what they got.
Killing in response to insult, no matter how gross, must be unequivocally condemned. That is why what happened in Paris cannot be tolerated. But neither should we tolerate the kind of intolerance that provoked this violent reaction.
Those who work at this newspaper have a long and disgusting record of going way beyond the mere lampooning of public figures, and this is especially true of their depictions of religious figures. For example, they have shown nuns masturbating and popes wearing condoms. They have also shown Muhammad in pornographic poses.
Evil theocratic bastard. Yes we should and must tolerate satire of “religious figures.” There’s nothing special about religious figures, and they don’t get to have magic circles drawn around them. Bill Donohue lives in a secular democracy with strong protections for freedom of the press. If he wants Catholic fascism, he’ll have to emigrate (though I’m not sure where to; falangism isn’t very popular these days).
While some Muslims today object to any depiction of the Prophet, others do not. Moreover, visual representations of him are not proscribed by the Koran. What unites Muslims in their anger againstCharlie Hebdo is the vulgar manner in which Muhammad has been portrayed. What they object to is being intentionally insulted over the course of many years. On this aspect, I am in total agreement with them.
Stephane Charbonnier, the paper’s publisher, was killed today in the slaughter. It is too bad that he didn’t understand the role he played in his tragic death. In 2012, when asked why he insults Muslims, he said, “Muhammad isn’t sacred to me.” Had he not been so narcissistic, he may still be alive. Muhammad isn’t sacred to me, either, but it would never occur to me to deliberately insult Muslims by trashing him.
Anti-Catholic artists in this country have provoked me to hold many demonstrations, but never have I counseled violence. This, however, does not empty the issue. Madison was right when he said, “Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty as well as the abuses of power.”
Vile, disgusting, hateful man.
I’ll note here as I did at Dispatches that the Pope said a public prayer for the victims today. Donohue is evil and ludicrous in equal parts.
Honduras, perhaps.
He sounds a tad jealous, doesn’t he?
Douchecanoe.
We can’t tolerate the killing.
We can’t tolerate the intolerance that ‘provoked’ it.
So how about ‘we were provoked’? ‘We couldn’t tolerate the intolerance so we got rid of it our own way?’
“We was provoked, Your Honour.”
Not much of a defence, but better than nothing I suppose.
It is too bad that he didn’t understand the role he played in his tragic death.
Holy fucking shit, Donohue is scum.
https://www.facebook.com/144310995587370/photos/a.271728576178944.71555.144310995587370/917830421568753/?type=1&theater
Jihad envy?
Given the new Pope’s emphasis on PR, you would think at some stage he would try to reign in the Catholic League.
No one deserves to be murdered.
How dare that man claim to be “pro-life”.
Doncha just get a warm feeling all over whenever a Christian displays such warmth, love, and forgiveness?
Shorter Bill Donohue:
“Sure, murdering is bad, but…”
As far as anyone can figure, the ‘Catholic League’ is Bill Donohue sitting at his computer in his basement.
I’m certainly ‘provoked’ to see the broad-spectrum hatred of freedom, secularism, free speech etc. displayed with perfect balance between the reactionary right and the pseudo-‘progressive’ left.
johnthedrunkard @ # 11: … the ‘Catholic League’ is Bill Donohue sitting at his computer in his basement.
The Wikipffft sayeth:
The League has 10 members & a chair on its Board of Directors, plus a larger “Board of Advisors”.
Nor, one gathers, does Big Bad Bill operate out of a basement*:
*In any physical sense; on the moral/intellectual/&c senses, he has a long climb ahead to reach that level.