Clashing Perspectives Mark 'Draw Mohammad Day'

(May 20) -- From professional cartoonists to American Muslims, foreign governments to average Facebook users, it seems everyone has something to say about the spontaneous online event known as "Everybody Draw Mohammad Day."

The event has its roots in a decision last month by Comedy Central, which had received not-so-veiled threats via the extremist Muslim website Revolution Islam, to censor parts of the show "South Park" that dealt with the depiction of the prophet Muhammad.

That in turn sparked an outcry from free speech advocates, who claimed that cultural sensitivity or fear of violent reprisal -- or both -- was effectively muzzling Western society.

Soon, a group called "Everybody Draw Mohammad Day!" appeared on a Facebook fan page, designating May 20 as a day when anyone might post renderings of the Muslim prophet, an act considered blasphemous by most Islamic societies.

"We are not trying to slander the average Muslim," the page's administrators wrote in its information section. "We simply want to show the extremists that threaten to harm people because of their Muhammad depictions that we're not afraid of them. That they can't take away our right to freedom of speech by trying to scare us into silence."

As May 20 arrived today, so have a variety of opinions on the symbolic protest and its counterprotests.

"I will be the first to defend anyone's right to express their opinion, no matter how offensive it may be," Nihad Awad, executive director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, wrote in a press release. "Our nation has prospered because Americans value and respect diversity. But freedom of expression does not create an obligation to offend or to show disrespect to the religious beliefs or revered figures of others."

Laura Hudson, editor of the website Comics Alliance, put the day in the larger context of actual violence endured by European cartoonists who have chosen to portray Muhammad in their work. "Many have expressed concerns that Everybody Draw Mohammed Day is anti-Muslim -- designed to offend not just extremists but to hurt the feelings of the vast majority of Muslims -- and that it is needlessly antagonistic," Hudson wrote. "And while some individuals have probably used it as an excuse to be offensive for its own sake, in the face of a deadly campaign by extremists to terrorize us into feeling like we cannot speak and express ourselves in this particular way, and one that ... has been surprisingly effective in silencing the media, I think there is very much a need to assert our right to do so."

In Pakistan, where the government officially banned Facebook and YouTube in response to the controversy, Faisal Javed, a 21-year-old protester in Islamabad, told The Washington Post, "If Facebook and other such tools continue to be used for blasphemy by the Western nations, then we will target their embassies."

Facebook itself issued a statement on its policy for censoring fan pages, saying, "We strongly believe that Facebook users have the freedom to express their opinions, and we don't typically take down content, groups or pages that speak out against countries, religions, political entities or ideas."

To that end, the Facebook fan page AGAINST "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!" has virtually the same number of members as the page it protests. "Shame on you, Facebook admins, you people disgust me," wrote one of the administrators of the newer page. "All you care about is making money, money and yes more money!!!! And as for everyone who supported our cause, we thank you for your support and effort. As far as people who supported Draw Mohammad Day, I will only pray that may God show you the right path and if this is called Freedom of Speech then to Hell with it!!!!"

Many simply felt the page was needlessly provocative, including Atlanta Journal-Constitution cartoonist Mike Luckovich. "In this instance, I'm not going to draw Mohammad," he told the Post. "I wouldn't insult any religion's prophet to make a point about free speech. If an issue arises and depicting Muhammad in a cartoon about that issue makes sense, I will."

Molly Norris, the Seattle artist whose illustration was taken as the inspiration for "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day," says she is horrified to see how her "one-off" cartoon has sparked what she sees as an excuse for voicing intolerance.

"The vitriol this 'day' has brought out of people who only want to draw obscene images is offensive to Muslims who did nothing to endanger our right to expression in the first place," Norris wrote on her website. "I apologize to people of Muslim faith and ask that this 'day' be called off."