Response to the Cartoon Peddling Hate and Insult

Posted: 2 Zul-Qa'dah 1423, 5 January 2003

The Council On American Islamic Affairs had issued an action alert regarding this cartoon. (See link).

Sick minds produce and enjoy sick jokes, and the newspaper chose to stay on the side of that sickness. But the good news is that Muslims are doing something to treat this sickness. The newspaper and the cartoonist received more than 10,000 letters of protest according to a report. Here is a sampling of the responses that were copied to Albalagh.


If the intent of you newspaper is to promote hatred among coherent religious factions of our peaceful society, I must congratulate you on achieving this goal. If not, I encourage you to come forward with moral courage and denounce this kind of journalism and desist from it in future.

Mind that any cartoon that defames any prophet is not acceptable to Muslims by belief. On the same grounds a powerful protest against the depiction of a Jesus-like figure in a TV Guide Channel commercial promoting professional wrestling was launched by Muslims. After being contacted by many concerned Muslims, the network canceled the commercial. (Muslims revere Jesus as a prophet of God.)

I hope a responsible journalism will prevail and above words will not go unheeded. [Seemab Ahmad]


I find it quite disturbing that in such unsettled times, certain individuals and groups continue to show such disregard for the beliefs and standards of others.

I write in response to the cartoon of our dear Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam). Please note the words in brackets here....as a devout Muslim, the last prophet is dearer than any other person has ever been or will ever be....we believe him to be the final channel through which our Creator chose to communicate directly with the human race, and as such beyond any form of ridicule.

I would urge anyone to explore (as I did 7 years ago prior to becoming a Muslim) the life of this wonderful human being in detail.....anyone who does so will recognize that he in fact had qualities absent in today's world, qualities that would make our lives infinitely better if we could only witness them first-hand. Sadly, today we are left with distorted images of Islam in today's media, the tendency to the profane in all corners of society, extremists of all descriptions (which the Prophet forbid), and a general lack of meaning. [Dr AK Carlyle ,UK]


I protest in the strongest terms against the Cartoon published in your Paper about Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him). This is a part of campaign against Islam and now the media has become an open partner in this campaign. But I tell you that thousands of efforts have gone in vein in the past and will go the same now, because Islam is a true religion. [Khalid Mahmood, UK ]


The recent publication of a syndicated cartoon showing the Prophet Muhammad Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam driving a nuke-laden truck has shocked me like more than one billion other Muslims of the world.

Please realize that Muhammad Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam was the Prophet sent by God for the entire mankind and not just Muslims. If you do not accept his Prophethood out of ignorance or hatred or whatever reasons, it is between you and God. For sure you shall be accountable for your deeds before God Almighty on the Day of Judgment. However, you have NO RIGHT to hurt the feelings of millions of others, who revere and accept him as GOD's last Prophet Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, by such derogatory efforts.

Please be informed THAT MUSLIMS CONSIDER ANY VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam or for that matter of JESUS, alayhi salam, or any other Prophet Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam as highly insulting and derogatory.

Therefore, as a Muslim whose feelings have been deeply hurt, I demand an apology from Marlette's syndicator, Tribune Media Services, and from their employer, the Tallahassee Democrat.

Please refrain from any such act in future. May God show you the right path. Amen. [Saleem Farooqi, Canada.]


I would like to protest the disgusting the cartoon by Doug Marlette titled "What Would Mohammed Drive?". It doesn't just reflect the intolerant and childish character of its author, but also tells loads about your paper. [Peter Eidrabove]