South Park and THAT episode

I have seen the episode and am still trying to work out how on earth this in any way could be seen as offending the Muslim faith. Seriously.

Can we perhaps have a guideline list so we know what Muslims are annoyed at? Suggestions from everyone please. The people at SP raised this many times during the cartoon.


The 'no portrayals / image of Muhammad' is tricky for Muslims to argue as this has been done several times through history (Rashid al-Din) and nowhere in the Quran does it explicitly state that images of Muhammad should not be displayed.

SP did NOT show him nor did they actually state this is THE Muhammad. Perhaps the only thing that could be said is that there was a level of disrespect against a specific faith by association (somewhat tenuous at best).

Here is my starter list re 'the none problem'

1. A stick figure drawing of ... well, a stick figure believed to be 'of what Muhammad could look like today'.
2. None Muslims were expecting SP to be offensive and were heartily disappointed that they were not; therefore needing for there to be controversy (it gets readers!)
3. Muslims were expecting SP to be offensive and created discord where, if you watch the episode, there is nothing really of note to bother about. Where in the Quran are the relevant statements forbidding representations.

If anything it is Buddhists who should be up in arms (perhaps 'alms' would be appropriate) by having Buddha shown snorting coke.

I personally am an atheist. If someone wishes to believe in something it is not my role in life to question that unless by their actions they intend to commit harm. All sides in this debacle are guilty of intolerance. On the conservative Muslim side for failing to check facts (see the episode) and on the media side for portraying this as potentially offensive when viewing the episode shows otherwise. The SP crew for deliberately courting controversy and, as a result, benefiting from this. I think they did no wrong unless someone can advise me otherwise. Willing to listen and see the list of what was wrong...

What is perhaps most disturbing is that there are some excellent works of art held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art which depict Muhammad. These were discretely removed from public display in Jan 2010. That in itself is something far more relevant and news worthy yet there was little press coverage of that... here.