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This page contains all of the posts and discussion on MemeStreams referencing the following web page: Humor in the Muslim World - the Cartoon Controversy and the Rest of the Story | RAND. You can find discussions on MemeStreams as you surf the web, even if you aren't a MemeStreams member, using the Threads Bookmarklet.

Humor in the Muslim World - the Cartoon Controversy and the Rest of the Story | RAND
by possibly noteworthy at 11:28 pm EDT, Aug 30, 2006

The turmoil over the Danish cartoons was costly in human lives, damaged property and heightened ill will. In the West, the unspoken conclusion of many was that Muslims are overly sensitive, do not understand freedom of the press — and don’t have a very developed sense of humor. This article examines — and quickly dispels — the latter belief. Quite to the contrary, a lengthy history of autocracy has bred a rich tradition of subversive political jokes. And while religion itself might be taboo, its earthly representatives were not, as a multitude of jokes about village mullahs attests. From irreverent bloggers such as the Saudi “Religious Policeman” to stand-up comediennes like Shazia Mirza, whose routine includes a sequence centering around the hajj, to women’s rights activists such as the group “Sisters in Islam” whose magazine uses cartoons to critique “pompous Islamists,” humor is wielded with effective expertise by Muslim reformers and enjoyed from the Muslim club to the Muslim street.


 
 
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