It was no joking matter to the NYPD.Ooo, how "edgy"--making fun of Santa. (Rumour has it Mrs. Claus was a mere moppet of six when she and the old goat got hitched. Also, his name is an anagram for "Satan".)
Even before Comedy Central's "South Park" aired its episode that purported to feature the Prophet Mohammed in a bear suit, security was tightened at the cable network's Midtown headquarters and satellite offices around Manhattan.
Tipped off by blogs that the episode would air, cops beefed up security to ward off any attacks on Comedy Central by aggrieved Islamic fanatics who believe any depictions of the prophet are punishable by death.
On Wednesday, Comedy Central aired a heavily censored version of the episode that showed it was actually Santa Claus -- not Mohammed -- in the bear suit.
So far, the only public threat came from a group of American converts to Islam who run the Web site Revolution Muslim.
"May Allah kill [creators] Matt Stone and Trey Parker and burn them in Hell for all eternity. They insult our prophets Mohammed, Jesus, and Moses," wrote Zachary "Abu Talhah al-Amrike" Cheeser.
Update: The Cheeseheads issue a "clarification" (and, no, this is not a parody):
Please spread this around in sha’a Allah.Yes, what on Earth were you thinking, South Park creators? Surely you must have know that (to paraphrase a famously solemn Ayatollah) "there are no loopholes in Islam."
Clarifying the South Park Response and Calling on Others to Join in the Defense of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)– RevolutionMuslim.com
In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful, all praise is due to Allah the Lord of all that exists, and may blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah Muhammad, and I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except for Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger,
As for what follows,
In light of the volume of attention being given to our response to the recent South Park episode we feel compelled to issue a statement clarifying the issue to both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. We would like to point out that we are not against a rational dialogue with either group and would like to take this opportunity to ask all to read and respond with an objective mind. We live in an age of media concision, and a consequential reality which tends to afford very little opportunity for in depth discussion.
Our intention with this explanation is only, Allah willing, to create the possibility that a deeper and more productive dialogue may be initiated. We seek to create an opportunity for correction of wrongs and the alteration of behavior that many may suggest is insignificant, but nevertheless is a behavior which we hold to be not only sacrilegious, but which we feel typifies a cancer which bites at the root of global injustice. The cancer we are referring to is that of American imperialism and its coincident culture of pagan hedonistic barbarism, a culture which drives to dehumanize the intrinsic morality of the rest of the world. As it stands today the vast majority of the world has witnessed the cloud of American debauchery, and those whom it has not hovered over have at the very least been affected by its dust.
This past week South Park aired an episode which insulted three of our beloved prophets: Musa (Moses), ‘Isa (Jesus), and Muhammad, peace be upon them all. Not only did they do this, but within the episode the makers of South Park made it very clear that they knew how the Muslims would feel and potentially respond to their show. In an effort to cover their actual intention to incite, the creators of South Park carefully contrived a plotline that they believed could only stump those Muslim extremists that may arise to defend the honor of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). They wished to degrade and mock a man who is held in highest regard by Muslims and many Non-Muslims alike, and indeed many have categorized Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the most influential human being that ever walked on Earth.
By placing the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a bear suit, the creators of South Park sought to insult the sacred, and show their blatant and general disregard for religion. By insulting our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) without the outright depicting of his image, the creators of South Park thought that they had found some loophole in the Muslim faith for them to mock...
Sounds like the lawyers were brought in and a plea bargain was arranged.
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