South Park "201"

[Rairde]

From https://news.puggal.com/south-park-episode-201-with-the-name-muhammad-pbuh-censored-32634/:

The episode 201 of the hit Comedy Central adult animated show "South Park" was originally made to depict the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as one of the characters who return for revenge on the makers of South Park for making fun of him. It is stated by the producers of the show that in the original episode the depiction of the prophet was not insulted in any way, neither was it made fun of. But of course the "depiction" of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in any way, is prohibited. This was told to the producers of South Park by an Islamic website.
According to details the website RevolutionMuslim.com posted an indirect threat to the makers of South Park by saying that they might end up like the Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, who was killed by unknown people, probably for making a movie that portrayed violence against women in Islam. Makers of South Park evidently got scared of the threat and censored the whole depiction of Islamic Prophet (PBUH) from the episode and whenever someone took the name of "Muhammad" in the episode, it was replaced by a beep. That is the reason that you'll hear a lot of beeps when you watch this episode of South Park. As far as the visual depiction is concerned, the character of Muhammad (PBUH) was replaced by Santa Claus.
It is reported that some time after the threat post on the Islamic website, the website was overloaded with traffic and a lot of people accused the message being a threat, but the webmaster denied that it was a threat.

The article sums up the past few days very well, although it's claim that it was the South Park creators is false. This was posted on https://www.southparkstudios.com/.

On July 4th, 2001 Muhammad was featured uncensored on an episode as a member of the Super Best Friends (including Jesus, Moses, Joseph Smith Budda, Krishna, Lao Tzu and Sea Man) who also appear in "200" & "201".

 

[Masterge77]

Even though I hate this show, because I think it was a stupid idea anyways, this here....... is just insane

 

[Yusshin]

I don't like South Park, either. Their humour is hurtful to others, and they do it on purpose. The episode where Jesus goes to the Middle-East to save Santa made me boycott the rest, although I did watch 1405 and 1406. Mixed feelings, there. I'm insulted since they take a sacred subject and put it into such a crude situation, but at the same time, they don't show Muslims to be aggressive - they do show how Americans depict Muslims, though, with the constant references to them and "terrorism" throughout the episodes. I still don't understand why they feel it's correct to do these things, though. You can be funny without insulting people or making sexual jokes, etc. I've laughed more at other shows than at South Park, Family Guy, American Dad, etc. Some may argue "Freedom of Speech", but once it becomes hurtful (in this case, it's hurting everyone, but the last episodes target around two billion people), it infringes on other people's rights.

Modern media needs some cleaning. If you want to vouch your opinion in a civilized manner, go ahead, but don't depict the image of a sacred figure to just under two billion people if you know it's just to anger them. That's just monstrous, uncivilized, and disgusting. With shows like this, it's no wonder people think Muslims beat their wives and are all evil at heart. I'm a Muslim; I may not be an Arab, but I'm a Muslim at heart and in religion. I do enjoy my Qu'ran very much so; it's the most beautiful, meaningful text I've ever heard, for when just spoken, it sounds like a song. In order to truly appreciate it and understand why we don't like our prophet to be depicted in images, you would need to read the Arabic version, since all translations of the Qu'ran are as deformed as the Bible. A lot of words that simply cannot be translated are translated badly into English, French, etc. Because of this, a lot of people think badly about Muslims, but I can tell you there are as many Muslim extremists as there are Christian extremists. They're rare, but they do exist. Muslims aren't violent like South Park and American Dad tend to depict, and by censoring the last portion of the episode 1406, it appeared they were trying to hide why Muslims are so passionate about keeping Mohammed's (PBUH) image sacred. We also keep Jesus, Moses, and all prophets hidden; no one knows what they look like, and we have no right to draw a prophet as we would like for them to appear. It's just not right, and people should respect at least the prophet that is unique to Islam when it comes to drawing prophets: Mohammed (PBUH).

I was thinking about that episode where they did depict Mohammed (PBUH); did you know that the Arab in the television "threat" was actually just saying that the Israelites should leave Palestine alone? That's all he was saying, and he was saying it without making a threat or anything. I always wondered what would happen to that old 2001 episode of South Park. Not only did they depict the prophet Mohammed (PBUH), but they depicted him as a fire-user, where in Islam, it is demons who are made from and use fire. I found that highly insulting - as insulting as the Fire Temple in the original Ocarina of Time.

In summary: Freedom of Speech is all right until you use it to intentionally hurt others; in this case, South Park insults everyone. The last episodes just so happen to insult close to two billion people freely. It wasn't as bad as the last episode where they physically depicted Mohammed (PBUH) but it still remains unacceptable since the subject is a holy one. Mixed feelings, still. I am very happy that we Muslims cherish this and are so passionate about our religion. Makes me proud, since having been a former Christian, Christians surely don't do it enough.

 

[Masterge77]

I don't like South Park, either. Their humour is hurtful to others, and they do it on purpose. The episode where Jesus goes to the Middle-East to save Santa made me boycott the rest, although I did watch 1405 and 1406. Mixed feelings, there. I'm insulted since they take a sacred subject and put it into such a crude situation, but at the same time, they don't show Muslims to be aggressive - they do show how Americans depict Muslims, though, with the constant references to them and "terrorism" throughout the episodes. I still don't understand why they feel it's correct to do these things, though. You can be funny without insulting people or making sexual jokes, etc. I've laughed more at other shows than at South Park, Family Guy, American Dad, etc. Some may argue "Freedom of Speech", but once it becomes hurtful (in this case, it's hurting everyone, but the last episodes target around two billion people), it infringes on other people's rights.

Modern media needs some cleaning. If you want to vouch your opinion in a civilized manner, go ahead, but don't depict the image of a sacred figure to just under two billion people if you know it's just to anger them. That's just monstrous, uncivilized, and disgusting. With shows like this, it's no wonder people think Muslims beat their wives and are all evil at heart. I'm a Muslim; I may not be an Arab, but I'm a Muslim at heart and in religion. I do enjoy my Qu'ran very much so; it's the most beautiful, meaningful text I've ever heard, for when just spoken, it sounds like a song. In order to truly appreciate it and understand why we don't like our prophet to be depicted in images, you would need to read the Arabic version, since all translations of the Qu'ran are as deformed as the Bible. A lot of words that simply cannot be translated are translated badly into English, French, etc. Because of this, a lot of people think badly about Muslims, but I can tell you there are as many Muslim extremists as there are Christian extremists. They're rare, but they do exist. Muslims aren't violent like South Park and American Dad tend to depict, and by censoring the last portion of the episode 1406, it appeared they were trying to hide why Muslims are so passionate about keeping Mohammed's (PBUH) image sacred. We also keep Jesus, Moses, and all prophets hidden; no one knows what they look like, and we have no right to draw a prophet as we would like for them to appear. It's just not right, and people should respect at least the prophet that is unique to Islam when it comes to drawing prophets: Mohammed (PBUH).

I was thinking about that episode where they did depict Mohammed (PBUH); did you know that the Arab in the television "threat" was actually just saying that the Israelites should leave Palestine alone? That's all he was saying, and he was saying it without making a threat or anything. I always wondered what would happen to that old 2001 episode of South Park. Not only did they depict the prophet Mohammed (PBUH), but they depicted him as a fire-user, where in Islam, it is demons who are made from and use fire. I found that highly insulting - as insulting as the Fire Temple in the original Ocarina of Time.

In summary: Freedom of Speech is all right until you use it to intentionally hurt others; in this case, South Park insults everyone. The last episodes just so happen to insult close to two billion people freely. It wasn't as bad as the last episode where they physically depicted Mohammed (PBUH) but it still remains unacceptable since the subject is a holy one. Mixed feelings, still. I am very happy that we Muslims cherish this and are so passionate about our religion. Makes me proud, since having been a former Christian, Christians surely don't do it enough.

But Stone and Parker can care less, they are the antichrists as considered by a lot of people, including some people at the FCC and PTC, speaking of the FCC, it has been attacked by South Park at least a billion times, and suprisingly, the FCC has done nothing against this show, apparently, every single Adult Animated Cartoon has attacked on the FCC, claiming that vulgarity is supreme, South Park was the first to do this, followed by Family Guy, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and most recently, Robot Chicken, and I have only one thing to say, PROFANITY IS NOT FREEDOM OF SPEECH, yet every show I have mentioned above, most prominently Family Guy and South Park (Mostly South Park) has brainwashed people into being vulgar and profane, yes, I support our constitution, and Stone and Parker have it all wrong

On the subject of Muslimism, not all muslims are considered "evil", only Jihad Terrorist muslims are "evil", all the others are innocent bystanders who have nothing to say, thanks To South Park, CNN, and Katie Couric (God how I hate Katie Couric), muslims are considered "evil", actually, every single religion but Satanism has been attacked on by South Park, proably since the show is promoting Satans ways, starting with Jewish, and Cartmans Hitler like attitude, especually to Kyle, next is South Parks Potrayal of Jesus Christ, who says "goddamnit" and cannot perform miracles, not to mention the end of season 6 , then there was a Potrayal of angels, as nude women, and God was... oh this was just sick of Stone and Parker to do, they potrayed God as a sick mixture of animals, but that was in one episode, finnaly, Stone and Parker claim to be Catholic, but the episode "Bloody Mary" can certainly dissagree

In the words of TV Tropes, South Park is a "dead baby comedy", in which all adult animation consists of, programs that are only meant to offend and brainwash people into thinking they are funny, this show must stop, I bet this will be their final year, In fact, I saw a report on Fox News recently about the most recent episode and how it offends women.......

 

[Gary the Magic Fairy]

Really, this episode made the Muslim community look even worse than they already did, especially considering the episode's content. They've made fun of pretty much every group of people and every famous person and event they can think of. It really doesn't look good when immediately following an episode of a TV show, the creators of the show are given a thinly veiled threat of physical violence from them. It's ridiculous, no matter what your "beliefs" are. It's a damn cartoon. I'm sure the Mormons weren't too happy about having the entirety of their religion being belittled, but they didn't threaten anyone. Scientologists were probably angry about their religion being mocked, but they didn't threaten to hurt anyone. Hell, Christianity has God being some crazy monkey-thing and Jesus being practically nothing but a host of a local talk show in a tiny town in Colorado. It's a cartoon. No one should be killed for it, or threatened, or have to be "warned of violent retaliation".

The episode was trying to make a point about Muslims. Well, it looks like their point was proven. :\ Sorry to those of you who aren't violent and don't wish harm on innocent people for something so petty. That threat probably didn't help your religion's public image. I do not blame all of you, and I'm sure that the ones who wish for them to die are a minority... or I hope, at least.

As for the show, I watch it and find it funny. If you don't like it, don't watch it, and quit trying to ruin it for everyone who does. We don't care that you're offended. At all.

 

[Xeo Neon]

The show episode never made fun of muslims or muhammad in anyway more than anyother thing if you go through a bunch of shows that talk about current evnts they insult them more then the episode most of them flat out call them terrorist and besides he was censored the whole time he wasnt even the one in the bear costume and the main characters were even trying to protect him. More to the point the episodes werent about him it was about cartmans dad and the celebritys and red haired kids attacking south park, muhammad was basically side story so why get angry.

Plus threating to kill southpark creators proves the one repeated insult right if
"they show muhammad they will get bombed" they threatened to bomb them cause of this the way to retailiate to insult is to first prove it wrong (then attack) so them showing its right is taking away the insult and making it fact

america is supposed to be based on freedom of speech if you dont like people having the right then leave the country the people who are angry about are mostly in america why come if your going to get angry at the countries right. When south park shows episode in muslims homeland then they have right to anger

People get mad at vulgarity though most vulgarity is the human race (sex,violence) life on earth revolves around those none of you would be here right now without those

 

[Gary the Magic Fairy]

The show episode never made fun of muslims or muhammad in anyway more than anyother thing if you go through a bunch of shows that talk about current evnts they insult them more then the episode most of them flat out call them terrorist and besides he was censored the whole time he wasnt even the one in the bear costume and the main characters were even trying to protect him. More to the point the episodes werent about him it was about cartmans dad and the celebritys and red haired kids attacking south park, muhammad was basically side story so why get angry.

Despite how badly worded this is, I agree. Muhammad was not shown, nor was he or the religion of Islam directly mocked. They did make fun of the threat of violence were he to be shown, but that's incredibly tame compared to what they do to other religions. He was a plot device: the celebrities and gingers both wanted to kidnap him to replicate his powers of not being mocked by the world. It was actually one of the most intelligent and well-thought-out episodes of the entire series.

 

[Masterge77]

Though my last Post here was about how I hate South Park, I will now state how this has gone to the point of which Comedy Cantral has gone nuts

Apparently, Comedy Central must really hold a grudge against Mohammad, and Matt and Trey can't upload the episode on youtube, because South Park is owned by Viacom, and Viacom hates Youtube to no end because of copyrighted content from Viacom owned programs such as Spongebob, South Park is one of these programs which have copyrighted content on Youtube, yet, if Viacom were to trace the IP adress of the account that posted the episode uncensored, finding out it was the shows creators themselves, then I am pretty sure that all hell will break loose, plugging the program entirely from Comedy Central, bringing an end to the series, of course many people believe that this will be South Parks final season, possibly because of how vulgar the content has become, and the PTC is right on their butts, I know a lot of people dislike South Park (including me, I've always thought the program was stupid), most of them being parents working for the PTC, but never has the show recieved death threats, in fact, those bleeps were not even reasonable, especially the last one
SO apparently, Comedy Central is deliberatly trying to cancel South Park, the program which made the channel huge, but I don't think it's Comedy Central that's to blame, I think that it's the channels Parent company that is to blame: VIACOM
Despite my hatred ofer South Park, I think this is just ridiculous to censor something that is not even offensive, so I sould say this:
Comedy central, either unbleep the episode or take the series off the air entirely, cause this has gotten too far!

 

[Yusshin]

I'm assuming none of you are Muslims.

How can you determine what is insulting for a true Muslim if you aren't even a follower of Islam?

I find it funny how you can point out "That's not insulting to Islam; they make fun of Jesus and God, and Christians don't say anything."

Good for the Christians. If they don't want to stand up for their religion, so be it, but if you're not an Islamist, you can't know what is and isn't insulting. That's like the musician telling the painter that his colours don't match. Sure, they're both artists, but not in the same way. Not to mention, the musician knows nothing about professional painting, so how can he determine what is and isn't good?

Same idea. Don't tell Muslims what shouldn't be insulting for them. If it's insulting, it's insulting. End of story.

 

[Zameric]

While I know that the things the South Park says/does are not really kind, I also know not to take anything they say/do seriously. The Freedom of Speech in the United States doesn't protect speech you like, it protects speech you don't like. Now there is point where people should be held accountable for what they say/do, but this is not as serious as people are making it out to be. While I feel Muslims have a right to be upset about this if they want to be, but I think that the group at RevolutionMuslim.com took their reaction a step too far. I have heard from several Muslims, spread throughout the world, who agree that group took it too far. I also give a wag of my finger pays Steven Colbert at Comedy Central for chickening out they way they did, when they supported South Park for so many years.

 

[Gary the Magic Fairy]

Though my last Post here was about how I hate South Park, I will now state how this has gone to the point of which Comedy Cantral has gone nuts

Apparently, Comedy Central must really hold a grudge against Mohammad, and Matt and Trey can't upload the episode on youtube, because South Park is owned by Viacom, and Viacom hates Youtube to no end because of copyrighted content from Viacom owned programs such as Spongebob, South Park is one of these programs which have copyrighted content on Youtube, yet, if Viacom were to trace the IP adress of the account that posted the episode uncensored, finding out it was the shows creators themselves, then I am pretty sure that all hell will break loose, plugging the program entirely from Comedy Central, bringing an end to the series, of course many people believe that this will be South Parks final season, possibly because of how vulgar the content has become, and the PTC is right on their butts, I know a lot of people dislike South Park (including me, I've always thought the program was stupid), most of them being parents working for the PTC, but never has the show recieved death threats, in fact, those bleeps were not even reasonable, especially the last one
SO apparently, Comedy Central is deliberatly trying to cancel South Park, the program which made the channel huge, but I don't think it's Comedy Central that's to blame, I think that it's the channels Parent company that is to blame: VIACOM
Despite my hatred ofer South Park, I think this is just ridiculous to censor something that is not even offensive, so I sould say this:
Comedy central, either unbleep the episode or take the series off the air entirely, cause this has gotten too far!

I doubt Viacom or Comedy Central really care about offending anyone. They know that Trey & Matt will get most of the blame, anyway. Controversy is good for ratings, which means they make more money. They have no intention or desire to cancel South Park. It practically prints its own money.

I'm assuming none of you are Muslims.

How can you determine what is insulting for a true Muslim if you aren't even a follower of Islam?

No one says it isn't insulting to them. Why should we (non-Muslims) care about their beliefs more than anyone else's? I'm sure they're pissed, and rightly so, but that doesn't give them a free pass to threaten to murder someone.

I find it funny how you can point out "That's not insulting to Islam; they make fun of Jesus and God, and Christians don't say anything."

Again, no one is saying that. I'm saying that they've gotten no more mocking from South Park than any other religion, and yet they're the only ones who feel the need to threaten to kill someone. I find it funny how you can stand by and defend a death threat over a cartoon.

Good for the Christians. If they don't want to stand up for their religion, so be it, but if you're not an Islamist, you can't know what is and isn't insulting. That's like the musician telling the painter that his colours don't match. Sure, they're both artists, but not in the same way. Not to mention, the musician knows nothing about professional painting, so how can he determine what is and isn't good?

They do indeed stand up for their religion, in a safe, respectable fashion. Protests, boycotts, lawsuits. And yes, I can indeed know it's insulting, because they've said it was insulting before. Quit talking down to us. The point is that they're threating to murder someone over an insult. That may have flown back in the 16th Century or whenever, but it isn't something a civilized society does, and saying otherwise is just ridiculous.

Same idea. Don't tell Muslims what shouldn't be insulting for them. If it's insulting, it's insulting. End of story.

So you're saying that the fact that they're threatening to kill someone is justified because Muslims are somehow more loyal to their beliefs or something?

While I know that the things the South Park says/does are not really kind, I also know not to take anything they say/do seriously. The Freedom of Speech in the United States doesn't protect speech you like, it protects speech you don't like. Now there is point where people should be held accountable for what they say/do, but this is not as serious as people are making it out to be. While I feel Muslims have a right to be upset about this if they want to be, but I think that the group at RevolutionMuslim.com took their reaction a step too far. I have heard from several Muslims, spread throughout the world, who agree that group took it too far. I also give a wag of my finger pays Steven Colbert at Comedy Central for chickening out they way they did, when they supported South Park for so many years.

Exactly. They took it too far. This isn't about what people should and shouldn't be offended over. It's about how these offended groups react to the people who offended them, and murder is not the correct reaction.

I mean really, it looks bad on your religious group when Satanists react better to a cartoon making fun of their beliefs than you do. :\

 

[Yusshin]

So you're saying that the fact that they're threatening to kill someone is justified because Muslims are somehow more loyal to their beliefs or something?

I'm not saying it's justified. I'm saying that you have no right to deem what is and isn't insulting for Muslims. You might think it's "no big deal", but that's because you're not targetted. You don't know what it feels like because your religion and race isn't treated like "those terrorist guys" in pretty much every occidental country in the world. I'm saying you (not you specifically, Gary, but non-Muslims in general) are not in the position to judge what is and isn't insulting, just like we aren't in the position to judge if the showing of the Mormon prophet is insulting or not. We don't know. It's not our religion; maybe the showing/mocking of Joseph Smith really hurt Mormons. It's not my place to say "haha it's funny; it's not insulting at all" because I'm not a Mormon and I'm not in the place to judge.

The person who threatened that is obviously very passionate about the showing of the prophet Mohammed (PBUH). It's an insult to him, and an insult to us. It's like if someone were to go up to an American and slander the family, saying they eff'd your sister, knocked up your mom, and made your father yadiyah. Same thing. Your family is important to you and you don't want anyone insulting your mother, father, and siblings. Islam is important to us in the same respect, and it's not funny to toy with something that people, including Comedy Central and the creators of South Park, know is very, very sacred to Muslims.

Again, I'm not justifying the killing of anyone. It was an empty threat most likely anyway, since the guy took it back afterwards. I'm saying that non-Muslims don't have the right to judge what is and isn't insulting for a Muslim. You can't deem we're "too sensitive" either. It's you who's too light.

 

[Gary the Magic Fairy]

I'm not saying it's justified. I'm saying that you have no right to deem what is and isn't insulting for Muslims. You might think it's "no big deal", but that's because you're not targetted. You don't know what it feels like because your religion and race isn't treated like "those terrorist guys" in pretty much every occidental country in the world. I'm saying you (not you specifically, Gary, but non-Muslims in general) are not in the position to judge what is and isn't insulting, just like we aren't in the position to judge if the showing of the Mormon prophet is insulting or not. We don't know. It's not our religion; maybe the showing/mocking of Joseph Smith really hurt Mormons. It's not my place to say "haha it's funny; it's not insulting at all" because I'm not a Mormon and I'm not in the place to judge.

You're still not reading what I'm saying. NO ONE IS ARGUING THAT YOU SHOULDN'T BE INSULTED. It's how those insults are reacted to that's the issue. Just throwing "OMG YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE" around doesn't change the fact that they threatened to kill someone.

Also, they wouldn't be treated as "those terrorist guys" if things like this didn't happen.

The person who threatened that is obviously very passionate about the showing of the prophet Mohammed (PBUH). It's an insult to him, and an insult to us. It's like if someone were to go up to an American and slander the family, saying they eff'd your sister, knocked up your mom, and made your father yadiyah. Same thing. Your family is important to you and you don't want anyone insulting your mother, father, and siblings. Islam is important to us in the same respect, and it's not funny to toy with something that people, including Comedy Central and the creators of South Park, know is very, very sacred to Muslims.

I don't know what kind of people you hang out with, but I wouldn't threaten to kill someone for insulting my family, especially if it was intended as a joke. I know, you don't care that it was just poking lighthearted fun at something like the series has always done since 1997. Who cares about intentions, right? As long as you got your poor feelings hurt.

Again, I'm not justifying the killing of anyone. It was an empty threat most likely anyway, since the guy took it back afterwards. I'm saying that non-Muslims don't have the right to judge what is and isn't insulting for a Muslim. You can't deem we're "too sensitive" either. It's you who's too light.

Really, it does sound like that's what you're doing. He probably took it back because he didn't want to get arrested for committing a serious crime. Muslim people were offended, we get it. THAT DOES NOT EXCUSE DEATH THREATS. We (non-muslims) do have the right as human beings to judge what was done as wrong, especially when the threat came from a group inside the US, where there are laws against this sort of thing.

 

[Zameric]

Again, I'm not justifying the killing of anyone. It was an empty threat most likely anyway, since the guy took it back afterwards. I'm saying that non-Muslims don't have the right to judge what is and isn't insulting for a Muslim. You can't deem we're "too sensitive" either. It's you who's too light.

Well what South Park did was an empty joke.
For most of the sensible people, their issue isn't that Muslim's found this offending, but that normal Muslim people aren't really condoning RevolutionMuslim.com for the level that they escaladed it to.

 

[Abnegation]

I watched the episode when it was released and did not see any direct images of the Musilim faith's messiah. With that said, they did be somewhat dis-respectful in that regard as they voiced him and put him in suits, but, that's South Park, they've been doing it for years. As stated they have mocked many many faiths and divisions of those faiths as well as many celebrities and other beliefs. It's better we don't divulge too much into religious discussion here though, tends to create a little bit of turmoil in replies.

As far as South Park goes, you've got to take it with a little tongue and cheek. The people that watch the paticular program have seen it time and time again and the "mockery" of the Islamic faith is another chip in the South Park block and it's viewers -by large- would take it as just another episode. Having said that, I'm not supporting their efforts to wind up as many people as possible but again, it's not to be taken overly serious. If there were any images of Muhammad in the original clip, it was not released to the public, to my best knowledge, I would think that that news report has a somewhat fractured truth, especially seeing as in it was deleted.

As for how the extremists reacted -key word being extremists here-, it was irrational to an extent, though they had a point, it's been the same point that's been raised by many groups but reiterated when their faith was mocked.

Taking South Park with a pinch of salt is your best option, it's intention is to mock as many people as possible. They have happened to offend a religion which makes up 22% of the world's population, they've offended Christianity more often which makes roughly 33% of the world's population. Those two religions combined, that would mean they've potentially got to over half the planet. But simply, if you don't enjoy the program, there's no obligation for you to watch it, but the Muslim faith shares a simaliar boat as dozens of other faiths, creeds and groups of people, it's not going to last forever.