Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker has noted the recent fatwa issued against artist Molly Norris.
Drawing or creating any likeness of the prophet, you may also recall, is against the rules among certain fundamentalists, though not all Muslims agree that such a prohibition exists. But even if it did, there would be no reason for a non-Muslim cartoonist to censor herself. Our laws guarantee the right to free expression, no matter the vehicle. End of story. We may not always like what the First Amendment permits, but we’ve agreed as a nation that the short-term aggravation of personal offense is the tithe we pay for freedom.
And the price we pay for having Freedom of the Press is the risk of having one’s name recklessly spattered all over the press and blogosphere, just to make it a little easier to have that fatwa issued.
Anyone can draw anything they want among adults. If someone is offended, then rational discussion may be a good idea. Threats are NEVER a good idea.