Seattleite's 'Draw Mohammed' cartoon draws heat

When Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris drew her cartoon suggesting Thursday as "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!" — an idea she now disavows, saying it was satirical and not to be taken seriously — she had no idea how far the concept would spiral.

It was just a "little cartoon," she said, posted on her website, her cartoon blog and Facebook page, and sent to some bloggers. She also talked about it with KIRO-FM radio host Dave Ross.

But since then, others have seized on the idea, turning it into an online movement, with tens of thousands of supporters on Facebook. It has led to national and international publicity, and even an entire country — Pakistan — banning access to Facebook.

"It's surreal," Norris said Wednesday.

Norris, 49, originally drew her cartoon to express support for the creators of the TV show "South Park," which had depicted the Islamic Prophet Muhammad in a bear suit during an episode aired last month.

Most Muslims consider depictions of Muhammad to be inappropriate, even prohibited. The Quran does not specifically prohibit depictions of Muhammad, but does warn against idolatry. And the hadith — a collection of Muhammad's sayings and doings — discourages depictions of any living creature, saying it presumes that man has the same creative power as God.

Shortly after the episode aired, a poster at the website RevolutionMuslim.com, based in New York, said South Park's creators could face violent retribution for their depiction of Muhammad.

The show's producers then said that Comedy Central, which airs the show, removed a speech about intimidation and fear from the episode without their permission.

That got Norris steaming.

"I just felt so strongly — I just felt they sent a really fearful negative message to the country: It could be a slippery slope toward censorship in America," she said.

So she drew a cartoon, depicting objects such as a domino and a spool of thread, saying they were the "real likeness of Mohammed." The cartoon also had the (fictional) group Citizens Against Citizens Against Humor calling for an "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day."

A few days later, though, realizing her cartoon was fueling anti-Muslim sentiments, Norris posted on her website that she never meant to launch a real "Everybody Draw Mohammad Day" and that "the vitriol this 'day' has brought out is ... offensive to the Muslims who did nothing to endanger our right to expression in the first place. ... I apologize to people of the Muslim faith and ask that this 'day' be called off."

She said she also came to feel that the real target of her anger should be Revolution Muslim and Comedy Central.

That didn't stop others from running with the idea.

Two graduate students in Europe started a Facebook page supporting "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" which, as of Wednesday evening, had more than 65,000 people who liked it. Creators of that page started a Wordpress blog as well, where they say they will post submitted drawings.

Other Facebook pages, with different spellings of "Muhammad," have thousands of fans as well.

(A competing "AGAINST 'Everybody Draw Mohammed Day' " Facebook page had nearly 73,000 supporters as of Wednesday evening).

In Pakistan, the government ordered Internet service providers to block Facebook until May 31.

It was not the first controversy over depictions of Muhammad. In 2005, a series of cartoons of the prophet published in a Danish newspaper sparked violent protests by Muslims around the world, and death threats against the cartoonists.

Seattle's Heather Dority is planning to participate in "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" because "there's a real line being crossed here." She sees it as an issue of free speech and "people are giving in to these bullies."

To Kabir Jeddy, though, "it's about respect." An officer with Redmond's Muslim Association of Puget Sound, Jeddy respects people's freedom to depict what they want. But he sees that freedom as a privilege to be used responsibly.

Norris has reached out to local Muslims, attending one of the association's events.

"My hope is that something good will come of it," she says of the current uproar. "That people will understand one another more."

Information from The Associated Press is used in this story.

Janet I. Tu: 206-464-2272 or jtu@seattletimes.com.