WGNNews.org
Posted 10:08
A.M. : December 28, 2002
'What would Muhammad drive?'
Pulitzer-winner's cartoon terrorist spurs death threats from
Muslims
A Pulitzer-prize winning cartoonist is under fire from
Muslims for his
depiction of a Middle Eastern-looking man behind the
steering wheel of a nuclear-bomb laden truck under the
headline, "What would Muhammad drive?"
The Washington-based
Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim
World League are demanding an apology from Doug Marlette's
syndicator, Tribune Media Services, and from his employer,
the Tallahassee Democrat
The cartoon shows a Ryder rental truck like the one used by
convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh
In a phone interview, Marlette told WorldNetDaily he would
not apologize, though he has received more than 4,500
e-mails from angry Muslims, with some threats of death and
mutilation
"This is an honored American tradition," the editor
said. "Granted, good comedy like his often depends on
exaggerations. But he does have some fair basis for satire
in this case. While the vast majority of Muslims are a
peaceful people and preach a peaceful religion, there are
some who have subverted the message of the prophet Muhammad
for their own violent purposes.
"Defamatory attacks on Islam and on the prophet Muhammad by
media outlets or religious leaders only serve to harm our
nation's image worldwide and divide America along religious
lines," Awad said
Note of thanks
In a letter to the Tallahassee Democrat, a reader
expressed thanks for Marlette's cartoon.
"I have noticed outrage about the cartoon, but I have
not noticed outrage from Muslims concerning the devastation
and carnage that radical Islamists have caused," wrote
Rebecca Davis. "Their silence concerning radical groups from
their own faith speaks louder than words."
