Haven't found the cartoon yet, but if any of my readers come across it, email me.
Rome - An Italian magazine close to the influential Catholic conservative Opus Dei group has published a cartoon showing the Prophet Mohammed in hell, sparking outrage among Muslim associations in Italy.
The drawing is published in the March issue of Studi Cattolici.
According to the Italian news agency Ansa, the cartoon shows the Italian poets Dante Alighieri and Virgil on the edge of a circle of flames looking down on Mohammed, whose body is cut in half.
"Isn't that Mohammed?" Virgil is shown asking Dante.
"Yes, and he's cut in two because he has brought division to society," replies Dante.
Cartoons by 12 artists, first published in a Danish newspaper in September and later reprinted in a number of other mainly European dailies, sparked Muslim protests worldwide.
Studi Cattolici editor Cesare Cavalleri said: "I hope the publication of this drawing won't lead to attacks, because if that happened it would only prove the idiotic positions of Islamic extremists.
"Sometimes a politically incorrect satirical cartoon can do some good. It's only a reference to a passage in (Dante's) Divine Comedy.
"In any case, Mohammed was sent to hell by Dante."
The cartoon drew immediate fire from Italy's Muslim community.
Let's see if the OIC (Organization of Islamic Countries) decides to unleash their minions to burn, kill and destroy like they did months after the Danish cartoons ran. This is one to watch.
UPDATE: Excellent Atlas readers Allan and Macker tracked down what might be the toon. I am waiting for confirmation, I want to run the correct cartoon.
The groveling and submission has already started;
A statement from Opus Dei's Rome Communications Office on the "Studi Cattolici" cartoon.
April 15, 2006In response to the publication in the Italian magazine Studi Cattolici of a cartoon offensive to Muslims, we wish to express our solidarity with the Muslim communities of Italy and the world.
In recent months, many Catholics, including this office, have said that there is no need for more caricatures of any religion. As always, but especially at the present time, we all need to work for harmony, tolerance, and understanding.
We consider it deplorable that this cartoon should appear in a magazine that has the name Catholic in its title. Its publication shows a lack of sensitivity and Christian charity. Although Opus Dei has no responsibility for this magazine and each person is responsible for his or her own actions, we wish to ask forgiveness for the offense given.
Religions and their symbols should be respected and religious sensibilities should not be subjected to ridicule. The only road to peace and brotherhood is respect for others' convictions and practices. Such respect cannot remain at the level of theory, but should be expressed in concrete gestures and actions.
Marc Carroggio
Rome Office of Communications hat tip Ayatrollah
ugh.........was that really necessary. Soon they'll be apologizing for breathing.
UPDATE April 16th: More groveling over at WaPo;
Italian Editor Apologizes to Muslims
The editor of an Italian monthly has apologized for any offense to Muslims over a humorous caption for a drawing showing the Prophet Muhammad in hell, Italian news reports said Sunday.Milan daily Corriere della Sera said that the journal had run a humorous caption next to the drawing, which was inspired by Dante's depiction of Muhammad in hell in his "Divine Comedy."
Cavalleri was quoted as saying the vignette "was interpreted as being anti-Islam when, if anything, it was a denunciation of a cultural identity crisis in the West," the Italian news agency ANSA quoted
Pay the jiyza and shaddap.
UPDATE: Hat tip to Freedom (yay!) who found the toon here at Anti Dhimmi blog (cool blog btw);
Dante: (the left one on the right)
"Isn't
that guy divided in half from head to butt Mo?"
Virgil: (the right one
on the right)
"Yes, he is
divided because he brought division to society!
While the other one there with his trousers down
is Italian politics concerning Islam."
UPDATE: MarcH points out to a related story here:
Muslim leaders in Italy have previously demanded the removal of a fresco in a Bologna church which was inspired by Dante and depicts Mohammed in Hell. The fresco (by Giovanni da Modena, 15th century) was also targeted by Islamic terrorists.
The implications of all this is staggering. The apologies made to Muslims for expressions of freedom we enjoy and take for granted, is another step towards dhimmitude, another Islamic battle won in the war to dismantle Western culture and civilization and replace it with Shariah. These are dark days. We must understand that there are consequences to our acts of appeasement and capitualtion. Serious consequences.
UPDATE: When MarcH said "This would be equivalent to the English apologizing for Shakespeare," he was driving home the point.
Voila!: Shakespeare the Muslim and the Collapse of the West, by Robert Spencer, FrontPageMagazine.com, October 29, 2004,
And this too seems to go hand in hand with Muslims telling the French to cancel a 1741 play. The target of Muslim outrage then was one of the Enlightenment’s leading men of letters – Voltaire. More here
