Jesus in a burka

G23,

jings, why do I care so much that people are oppressed by silly rules? Because I believe in fairness. Burkas are unfair. Simple. Any method of getting that across to people, of making people actually think about the issues, that doesn't encourage violence against or hatred of people is fine by me. Things, like this cartoon, that question silly ideas and silly practices are good for the health of humanity.

As for people not liking it, or J & M generally.... well, shrug, they don't have to. Why should I care?

I did get the irony of the cartoon. I haven't seen these cartoons before but rather like the idea of Jesus and Mohammad as a double act, and yes I do think God has a sense of humour (otherwise why would S/He have put male genitals on the outside of the body)

Just had a look at some back numbers. Yes, funny and it is Jesus and Mohammed of course. Still a bit predicable and is it just atheists having a pop at religion?

Or maybe a bit of interfaith dialogue. Like the drawings.

Bags I have to complain re you posting this on Gransnet. I clicked on the link and was forced, forced, I say, to spend two hours in the middle of the night looking at back numbers of the cartoons. I have heard DD2 & DSIL talking about J & M and when I asked for information was told 'Oh! you won't get it!' but I do, and I do and I do. Now added to my favourites

Don't apologise. I don't feel in the least bit sorry that it didn't make me laugh. Humour is a very individual thing.

Well, I looked at it assuming I would be offended in some way and it made me chuckle and I couldn't pretend to myself that I didn't. I suppose I should have just said I found it funny without attempting to analyse why I found it funny. Apologies.

Tegan how was it to do with ourselves? I don't understand that.

In fact, I don't understand any of it.

Those of us who did not laugh are not Muslim though so it can't be down to not being able to take a joke against ourselves.

I thought it was really funny, probably because being [sort of] Cof E I belong to a group of people that can laugh at themselves sometimes.

Why pick on this particular culture and this manifestation of inequality between men and women which exists everywhere?

Not only that, there are strong feminist women in the culture who can fight for women's right not to wear the burka. Some of them have said they feel patronised by Western women.

And those women who want to wear the bloody garment should be allowed to do so, otherwise they are just being doubly oppressed.

Why do you care so much Bags? You can't champion everything in this world.

It's a matter of the culture of women being regarded as inferior to men, and as possessions. If it happened in cultures with gender equality (or even an approach to gender equality), men would wear burkas too. That's the bottom line for me. If men don't have to hide themselves, women shouldn't have to either.

Initially, the garments were probably designed to protect people from sand burn in deserts. Tuareg men still cover up in sandstorms because it makes sense. If you're in a modern city free of sandstorms, burkas make no sense at all.

And J08 - Islam itself has little to do with burkas - it's a matter of culture - which in my book is no excuse, but Islamists seem keen on it, and insist on walking coffins...

The cartoon could have more accurately portrayed the complexity of the burka issue by showing Mo saying, okay go on then, take it off, and Jesus then looking hesitant about doing so.

Or Jesus taking it off and being attacked by passers-by for immodesty.

Or Jesus telling Mo he wanted to wear the Burka and Mo replying that he couldn't because it was a restriction on his freedom.

Yes, that last scenario, I particularly think would be subtley ironic.

It is THE Jesus - this is one of a long-running series featuring the double-act of Jesus and Mo - other occasional characters are the Barmaid and Moses. Sometimes J has the more logical position sometimes not. The barmaid frequently shoots them both down.

Making judgments like those above is pointless on theh basis of just one strip.
Devotees, of which there are many, know the set-up...

If you (anyone) don't get it, fine, you don't get it.

The cartoon is spot on with the complexity of the burka issue, petallus. At least, I can see it clearly. Whether it's 'funny' or not is irrelevant, I think. Cartoons are not all meant to be funny. They can be, and in this case are, succinct (yes), shorthand ways of conveying quite complex things.

First seven posts - no.

Ones posted this morning - yes.

j08 are you serious?

Yes Ana i thought that. The drawings are sweet and i could well imagine Jesus and Mo would grow on you.

Perhaps other ones are funnier. Who knows?!

#doubt

Yes. But still meant to be a Christian perhaps? And Christians haven't got anything to do with Burkas.

It's just another anti- religion thing. But they need to be a bit cleverer.

It's an ongoing thing. People who read it regularly seem to become rather fond of J and Mo and familiar with their characters, so the things they do probably seem funnier than they would to someone just looking at one episode.

It occurs to me that perhaps it is not THE Jesus. It is a common name.

To be really funny, I think something something has to have some logic behind it. That has n' t. The Jesus bit is just meaningless.

It's not as though it's Christians who make Muslim women wear Burkas.

It really does need to be funny. Or it becomes silly.