This was originally posted yesterday, but was wiped out due to hosting problems.
The most recent episode of South Park has upset some Islamic extremists:
The radical Islamic Web site Revolutionmuslim.com is going after the creators of the TV cartoon series “South Park” after an episode last week included an image of the Prophet Mohammed in disguise.
Revolutionmuslim.com, based in New York, was the subject of a CNN investigation last year for its radical rhetoric supporting “jihad” against the West and praising al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Its organizers insist they act within the law and seek to protect Islam.
On Sunday, Revolutionmuslim.com posted an entry that included a warning to South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone that they risk violent retribution – after the 200th episode last week included a satirical discussion about whether an image of the prophet could be shown. In the end, he is portrayed disguised in a bear suit.
The posting on Revolutionmuslim.com says: “We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh for airing this show. This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them.”
Theo van Gogh was murdered by an Islamic extremist in 2004 because of a short film that he directed that criticized the treatment of women in Muslim countries.
The creators of the show, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, were asked if they were worried about retribution from Isalmists because of the episode in a recent interview with Boing Boing.
In case you don’t want to watch the video, Parker says, “We’d be so hypocritical against our own thoughts if we said, ‘OK, let’s not make fun of them because they might hurt us.’ That’s messed up to have that kind of thought process, you know? ‘OK, we’ll rip on the Catholics because they won’t hurt us, but we won’t rip on [Muslims] because they might hurt us.’”
If you’re a fan of the show, like me (I dig the libertarian themes in nearly every episode), you’re aware that this isn’t the first time South Park has sparked controversy trying to air an image of Muhammad.
In 2006, Comedy Central refused to allow an image of Muhammad on the show. This was shortly after the riots in Denmark because cartoon depictions of Muhammad ran in a newspaper. Of course, the network had no problem allowing this before a controversy erupted.
You can catch the conclusion of last week’s episode airs tonight at 10pm on Comedy Central.
