Caricatures furore: NST next in the bin? … (2)
Thursday, February 23rd, 2006 | 1:39 am @ SK
The judgement is yet to be levelled upon NST, however Deputy Internal Security Minister Mohd Johari Baharom said NST’s Group EIC Hishamuddin Aun and Group Editor Brendan Pereira were summoned by the Internal Security Ministry to explain the publication of a full comic strip regarded as mocking Prophet Muhammad in the newspaper.
A report based on the editors’ explanation will be submitted to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who is also the Internal Security Minister and any action to be taken against NST would be decided by the Prime Minister.
It’s also quite unforgiveable when NST as a national English tabloid committed a foolish mistake that were previously done by Sarawak Tribune. The severity level must be understandable through the 2 weeks suspension of Guangming Daily, for publishing a picture-within-a-picture, yet NST chose to play with fire, not once, but twice!
No one is invincible in Malaysia, where the people of Malaysia has stood up and speak against the insensitivity. Let me reiterate a common sense call by blogger Aisehman:
So if anyone in the NST would listen, let me lay it out for you: The cartoon you published need not have depicted the Prophet for it to be offensive to Islam.Furthermore, the act of re-publishing the cartoon is a direct challenge to Muslim sensitivities, compounding what in the first instance was likely an oversight.
The NST is right. There is a difference between it, and Sarawak Tribune and Guang Ming Daily.
The Tribune and Guang Ming apologised for their mistakes. The NST hasn’t, and remains unrepentant.
As far as the Muslim in me is concerned, what is unpardonable is that the top Muslim officials in the NST seem to have no qualms in remaining defiant.
I remember my gurus taught me this: Don’t try to become a hero!
February 23rd, 2006 at 9:43 am
It is a good thing to join in the chorus calling for NST’s head, because in someway or another, Jalan Riong has always been the government’s favourite child. We can now test how consistent and impartial the KDN is going to be.
But please be careful about this whole issue. A few days ago there was the whole Zam and the Western style press freedom thing. NST came out with a good diatribe to counter that. I had to agree with the NST’s stand on the issue. Whether Kali, Hishamuddin or the whole of NST deserve to be called the bastions for Malaysian press freedom is another issue altogether though.
My point is, the NST, China Press, Guang Ming and Sarawak Tribune have all in someway made mistakes in one way or another. Some more serious mistakes than others. And yes, the NST does need to be taught a lesson.
But the thing is, the very fact that we are calling for "justice" to be meted on the NST is short sighted and just missing the whole point!
You see, the enemy is neither the NST nor the mainstream media.
The enemy is the culture of self-censorship, no balls reporting, editorializing, sensationalizing and abuse of agenda setting powers by the mainstream media, as epitomized in the English broadsheets by the NST and the Star. I would like to see the NST punished, for these. I myself (and other Malaysians) would like to punish the NST in our own ways. Not Zam. Not the KDN. Not the PPPA. Not anyone else.
At this moment in time, I don’t think we want to destroy the Grand Old Lady. Instead, we should be calling for the repeal of such laws as the PPPA 1984.
Stupidly enough, NST and Sarawak Tribune have all shown how incapable the press is in being "responsible" such that the powers that be have no good reason to repeal them. And here we are, all calling for "justice" on the NST.
Right now, somewhere in Angkasapuri or Putrajaya, Zam is having a good laugh.
Why? We all, the people and the press, have become the pawns in his game. Congratulations Malaysia!
February 24th, 2006 at 1:52 am
Personally, I think this is one of those places we really need a hero. Somebody has to sound the wake up call that the world does NOT revolve around a certain religion.
This is SATIRE people! The only people being mocked here are all of you who are going ape over nothing.
Honestly, until people learn to be less sensitive, take things in their stride, and learn to be open to other ideas, progress will remain elusive.