Media Slam ‘Draw Muhammad’ Event

On Monday, the media came out and defended the Texas Draw Muhammad event targeted by radical Muslims. The Chicago Tribune said the event “poke[s] wicked fun at [religion] … lampoons the ability of persons of faith to compartmentalize.” The New York Times praised the event for “scrupulously disassemb[ling]” and mocking Islam with “vignettes” that “float into the high altitudes of absurdity.” Variety called the event a “nonstop fusillade of obscenities.”

Oh, wait. Sorry, that was The Book of Mormon, the Mormonism-bashing Tony-award winning musical that actually carries a song with the lyrics “f*** you, God.” Nobody got shot for making that “brave musical.” The media worshipped it, nonetheless, as a blow for freedom.

But when two radical Muslims shoot up a Draw Muhammad event in Garland, Texas, the media jump to rip the event. The day after two alleged radicalized Muslims attacked a festival featuring drawings of Mohammad and ended up chalk outlines themselves, the left came out to attack Pamela Geller and the sponsors of the art contest. Rukmini Callimachi of The New York Times tweeted–puzzled–at why someone would hold an event like that:

Marc Lamont Hill of Morehouse College and CNN took to Twitter to question the morality and usefulness of the event:

Lamont Hill is, of course, the same man who just last week, justified riots in Baltimore by suggesting that they could be useful if they were “strategic.” In other words, riots are good if organized, but drawing Muhammad events are bad if organized or attended.

Over on CNN, Alisyn Camerota interviewed event organizer Pamela Geller, suggesting that Geller was the problem, not the Muslims who shot up her event. Meanwhile, the UK Daily Mail once again blurred out offensive images of Muhammad from its cover.

These same media members decrying the horrors of Muhammad cartoons–completely ignoring that the point of drawing Muhammad cartoons is to mock those who kill those who draw Muhammad cartoons–were perfectly happy to use the power of government to target every business owner who refuses to service a same-sex wedding. They believe Islam must be respected so much so that anyone who criticizes Muhammad over violent Islam must be silenced; it’s just not in good taste. But fining a Christian couple $135,000 for refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding doesn’t violate religious freedoms in the slightest. In fact, Sally Kohn of MSNBC says that no business should be allowed to operate if it doesn’t serve same-sex weddings. Drawing Muhammad: offensive to notions of religious freedom. Forcing Christians to participate in activities they find personally sinful: required by a humane government.

The American left no longer believes in freedom of speech. They believe in their freedom to criticize those things they find offensive; when shamed, they will occasionally pretend to support freedom of speech for those with whom they disagree, as with Charlie Hebdo. But in the end, they will justify those they believe are victims, even when those “victims” are busily shooting up free speech events in the heart of the United States.

Ben Shapiro is Senior Editor-At-Large of Breitbart News and author of the new book, The People vs. Barack Obama: The Criminal Case Against The Obama Administration (Threshold Editions, June 10, 2014). Follow Ben Shapiro on Twitter @benshapiro.