Comments on: The Fierceness of Janaki http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2011/09/15/the-fierceness-of-janaki/ All that flavorful brownness in one savory packet Sat, 30 Nov 2013 11:11:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Pravin Praveen http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2011/09/15/the-fierceness-of-janaki/comment-page-1/#comment-286574 Pravin Praveen Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:15:57 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/?p=6822#comment-286574 <p>Well small quibble. You can also have book burning to express one's opinion of the book - whether it is the bible, koran or gita.</p> <p>But , yes, a more typical book burning, is trying to silence the opinions in a book instead of debating the merits.</p> Well small quibble. You can also have book burning to express one’s opinion of the book – whether it is the bible, koran or gita.

But , yes, a more typical book burning, is trying to silence the opinions in a book instead of debating the merits.

]]> By: Pravin Praveen http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2011/09/15/the-fierceness-of-janaki/comment-page-1/#comment-286506 Pravin Praveen Sun, 18 Sep 2011 02:50:25 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/?p=6822#comment-286506 <p>I actually support burning the Koran, Bible, Gita. No problem for me. This is not about Hindus being doormats. I am a fan of South PArk and a lot of us were not pleased with CC for censoring even a non-vulgar depiction of Muhammad. I would support South PArk even if they made a joke in bad taste about Muhammad.</p> <p>As far as the right of the people protesting? Who is sayign they dont have the right. I am just making my own observation. Though there are different levels of free speech. One is trying to use their free speech to stifle others' free speech. That's where I have a problem. If those protesters are there merely to say how they hate that art, that is fine. If there are there to put pressure to shut it down, then that's not OK.</p> I actually support burning the Koran, Bible, Gita. No problem for me. This is not about Hindus being doormats. I am a fan of South PArk and a lot of us were not pleased with CC for censoring even a non-vulgar depiction of Muhammad. I would support South PArk even if they made a joke in bad taste about Muhammad.

As far as the right of the people protesting? Who is sayign they dont have the right. I am just making my own observation. Though there are different levels of free speech. One is trying to use their free speech to stifle others’ free speech. That’s where I have a problem. If those protesters are there merely to say how they hate that art, that is fine. If there are there to put pressure to shut it down, then that’s not OK.

]]> By: brownie_pts http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2011/09/15/the-fierceness-of-janaki/comment-page-1/#comment-286500 brownie_pts Sun, 18 Sep 2011 02:07:12 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/?p=6822#comment-286500 <p><i>"It is so easy for them to organize hundreds, if not thousands, to yell and threaten people against offensive portrayals of Hindu deities, as they did when an Australian company printed an image on Lakshmi on a bikini recently,.."</i></p> <p>I don't know - probably for the same reason that a Democrat would protest or get angry if he came across a picture of Obama next to a baboon on a t-shirt or in an art gallery, when there are other germane issues like the economy, rising poverty etc. where he or she could divert that energy in a meaningful manner. Symbols matter.</p> <p>BTW, did someone threaten the Australian company with violence? If not, then you're making an issue out of a non-issue.</p> <p>And how would you feel if some Australian company did something similar to some symbols that Aborigines hold sacred? I'm willing to bet my last penny that you'd be singing a totally different tune in such a case.</p> “It is so easy for them to organize hundreds, if not thousands, to yell and threaten people against offensive portrayals of Hindu deities, as they did when an Australian company printed an image on Lakshmi on a bikini recently,..”

I don’t know – probably for the same reason that a Democrat would protest or get angry if he came across a picture of Obama next to a baboon on a t-shirt or in an art gallery, when there are other germane issues like the economy, rising poverty etc. where he or she could divert that energy in a meaningful manner. Symbols matter.

BTW, did someone threaten the Australian company with violence? If not, then you’re making an issue out of a non-issue.

And how would you feel if some Australian company did something similar to some symbols that Aborigines hold sacred? I’m willing to bet my last penny that you’d be singing a totally different tune in such a case.

]]> By: brownie_pts http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2011/09/15/the-fierceness-of-janaki/comment-page-1/#comment-286499 brownie_pts Sun, 18 Sep 2011 02:00:25 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/?p=6822#comment-286499 <p><i>"Hinduism is not just a religion. It can be viewed as a culture shared with other religious groups living in that land. As a form of spirituality coopted by adherants of different religious who can pick and choose what they want. No one really owns the Hinduism."</i> __</p> <p>If no one really owns Hinduism, that implies if some Hindus feel like protesting, they have the freedom to do so, and their protest is as valid as that of other Hindus who may not protest. Unless, of course, you're implying that being a Hindu = doormat or Hindu = superhuman, with nothing that should or will make a Hindu angry.</p> <p>Besides, if someone is protesting in a peaceful manner, I fail to understand why you're getting your panties in a bunch. Unless you think that you are the authority on Hinduism who decides what should elicit protest and what shouldn't. Which would logically contradict what you wrote above.</p> “Hinduism is not just a religion. It can be viewed as a culture shared with other religious groups living in that land. As a form of spirituality coopted by adherants of different religious who can pick and choose what they want. No one really owns the Hinduism.” __

If no one really owns Hinduism, that implies if some Hindus feel like protesting, they have the freedom to do so, and their protest is as valid as that of other Hindus who may not protest. Unless, of course, you’re implying that being a Hindu = doormat or Hindu = superhuman, with nothing that should or will make a Hindu angry.

Besides, if someone is protesting in a peaceful manner, I fail to understand why you’re getting your panties in a bunch. Unless you think that you are the authority on Hinduism who decides what should elicit protest and what shouldn’t. Which would logically contradict what you wrote above.

]]> By: brownie_pts http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2011/09/15/the-fierceness-of-janaki/comment-page-1/#comment-286498 brownie_pts Sun, 18 Sep 2011 01:42:51 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/?p=6822#comment-286498 <p>Hmmm...my previous comment wasn't published? What a surprise!!</p> Hmmm…my previous comment wasn’t published? What a surprise!!

]]> By: rudie_c http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2011/09/15/the-fierceness-of-janaki/comment-page-1/#comment-286485 rudie_c Sat, 17 Sep 2011 07:30:01 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/?p=6822#comment-286485 <p>wow, "Majority of the muslim population around the world either". you sir must be a well traveled man that you know what the MAJORITY of muslims think and around the world too.</p> wow, “Majority of the muslim population around the world either”. you sir must be a well traveled man that you know what the MAJORITY of muslims think and around the world too.

]]> By: Jym Dyer http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2011/09/15/the-fierceness-of-janaki/comment-page-1/#comment-286484 Jym Dyer Sat, 17 Sep 2011 06:48:50 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/?p=6822#comment-286484 <p>@akash - Book-burning is about preventing ideas from getting across. This is about getting ideas across. Totally the opposite thing, you see.</p> @akash – Book-burning is about preventing ideas from getting across. This is about getting ideas across. Totally the opposite thing, you see.

]]> By: akash http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2011/09/15/the-fierceness-of-janaki/comment-page-1/#comment-286480 akash Sat, 17 Sep 2011 01:00:33 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/?p=6822#comment-286480 <p>Im sorry, previous comment got deleted by accident</p> <p>In response to Praveens comment, Im all for anyone's right to protest anything they feel worthy of protesting about, as long as they do it peacefully and by using legitimate means. This group seems to be doing that, so I dont see why this has been constructed as a problem here.</p> <p>We dont see the same condemnatory language applied to far more regular violent protests made by certain Muslims against other artists like Taslima Nasreen here. In fact, if we are supposed to adopt the high standard of free speech is sacrosanct, then why were SepiaMutiny team members condemning the Florida pastor's right to free speech when he was threatening to burning the Koran? Couldn't that be viewed as a case of Performance Art, designed to showcase society's limitations of free speech?</p> <p>How does one really define what is offensive and bigoted, and what is not?</p> Im sorry, previous comment got deleted by accident

In response to Praveens comment, Im all for anyone’s right to protest anything they feel worthy of protesting about, as long as they do it peacefully and by using legitimate means. This group seems to be doing that, so I dont see why this has been constructed as a problem here.

We dont see the same condemnatory language applied to far more regular violent protests made by certain Muslims against other artists like Taslima Nasreen here. In fact, if we are supposed to adopt the high standard of free speech is sacrosanct, then why were SepiaMutiny team members condemning the Florida pastor’s right to free speech when he was threatening to burning the Koran? Couldn’t that be viewed as a case of Performance Art, designed to showcase society’s limitations of free speech?

How does one really define what is offensive and bigoted, and what is not?

]]> By: akash http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2011/09/15/the-fierceness-of-janaki/comment-page-1/#comment-286479 akash Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:53:19 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/?p=6822#comment-286479 <p>Actually- why cant that Koran burning threat incident from Florida be treated as a case of performance art and treated with the same respect as Hussain's Sita?</p> Actually- why cant that Koran burning threat incident from Florida be treated as a case of performance art and treated with the same respect as Hussain’s Sita?

]]> By: nusrat http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2011/09/15/the-fierceness-of-janaki/comment-page-1/#comment-286477 nusrat Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:02:08 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/?p=6822#comment-286477 <p>yup, taz practices double standards, as do most muslims including my family and muslim friends. i wrote a comment before you, which was let through first but then held up for "moderation" go figure. said comment is pasted below: while i applaud artists like m.f.hussain and “sita sings the blues” creator for standing up to the hindu right wing, i wish south asian sites like sepia mutiny would encourage artists/writers/cartoonists who wish to challenge islam. so what if i wish to depict prophet muhammad in human form or if i want to discuss his misogyny? he was way more horrible than the hindu god, rama. for the non-muslims who are unfamiliar, muhammad actually “married” a six year old girl and consummated [more like raped] marriage with her when she was all of nine years. this story and other horrors in our religion need to be expressed artistically.</p> <p>i wish south asians who so bravely stood up for m.f. hussain will also defend taslima nasreen’s right to point out islam’s inherent anti women traditions.</p> <p>please start holding muslims, especially those living in the west, to the same moral standards as their hindu, sikh, jewish and christian counterparts.</p> yup, taz practices double standards, as do most muslims including my family and muslim friends. i wrote a comment before you, which was let through first but then held up for “moderation” go figure. said comment is pasted below: while i applaud artists like m.f.hussain and “sita sings the blues” creator for standing up to the hindu right wing, i wish south asian sites like sepia mutiny would encourage artists/writers/cartoonists who wish to challenge islam. so what if i wish to depict prophet muhammad in human form or if i want to discuss his misogyny? he was way more horrible than the hindu god, rama. for the non-muslims who are unfamiliar, muhammad actually “married” a six year old girl and consummated [more like raped] marriage with her when she was all of nine years. this story and other horrors in our religion need to be expressed artistically.

i wish south asians who so bravely stood up for m.f. hussain will also defend taslima nasreen’s right to point out islam’s inherent anti women traditions.

please start holding muslims, especially those living in the west, to the same moral standards as their hindu, sikh, jewish and christian counterparts.

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