Answer by A Quora admin:
Muhammad had some good qualities. He was relatively progressive toward women and Jews. He championed kindness and caring for orphans, widows and the poor. He had a soft spot for children.
But he also resorted to violence in the name of Allah. He raided caravans for camels, booty and hostages for ransom or for sale as (sex) slaves. He attacked villages and towns, forcefully converting their pagan citizens to Islam. In fact, some towns immediately surrendered and converted rather than face the alternatives: fight or die. His example inured his followers to adventure and booty and, after his death, they let the good times roll and expanded the Muslim Empire far beyond Arabia, creating one of the largest empires in all of history.
Despite his violent example, Muslims consider him the ideal man: a perfect role model and epitome of masculinity. This is why Charlie Hebdo was right to lampoon him with cartoons. I mean, come on! When you consider how he is the role model for jihadis and how ISIS, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram and other extremist groups emulate his example . . . who deserves lampooning more?
Everybody should read the Quran for themselves so that they will fully understand and internalize the fact that, to far too many Muslims, us infidels are also ruled by the word of Allah. To their way of thinking (because that's what the Quran teaches them) we are accountable to their religion. I'm not making this up! We have to respect Allah, Islam, the Quran and Muhammad. If we don't, we're 'making war on Allah'. And that's a very serious crime, indeed. A crime against Allah is much more serious (and punished accordingly) than crimes between people: it's more serious than murder. There are over a hundred ayat in the Quran that make it clear that making war on Allah, Islam, the Quran or Muhammad is all the warrant needed for violent retaliation.
This makes the Quran itself a rightful target for criticism, including ridicule and lampooning.
Why? Because we need to let the Muslim world know that we are NOT subject to their rules and sensibilities. We need to let them know that we will not subordinate our freedom of speech (or any other freedom) to their backward religion. And, yes, it is backward — it turns tolerance on its head. If they tell us we can't do something, we should do it at every opportunity.
Not only was Charlie Hebdo right to lampoon Muhammad, it was one of the few media outlets brave enough to live up to their responsibility to advocate freedom of speech. ALL media outlets should follow Charlie Hebdo's example. Maybe then, Muslims will understand that we will not be cowed by their totalitarian and intolerant beliefs, threats, intimidation or violent attacks.
Face it: it's the free versus the unfree. What values are most important to you?
Concerning the whole Charlie Hebdo fiasco, is it rational to provoke the irrational?
AtheistExile 