Wikipedia Should Not Depict Prophet Muhammad (but not for the reason you think)

Interesting article on Gawker about the background, history and tussle over the depiction of Prophet Muhammad in the Wikipedia entry:

Should Wikipedia Depict Muhammad?

Most of the debate has posited free speech versus sensitivity to religious teachings (particularly of the other), but there is a third way (most debates are not the false binary presented by politicians and media). Newspapers, journalistic organizations, universities, encyclopedias, history books, etc. all strive to present facts. A fact is something that is verifiably true. If it cannot be proven true, then it should not be presented as true. Yet, these same fact-reporting entities use illustrations, paintings and other artistic representations as a placeholder for an unknowable truth. One obvious example is the blue-eyed, blond-haired Jesus that has been portrayed as such in countless media representations through the centuries. But let’s move away from depictions of religious figures for the moment to a momentous historical one.

Christopher Columbus is one of the most well-known figures of history, yet we have no idea how he truly appeared. The paintings we see of him in books and news media were made after his death. If you check history textbooks in Spain, he appears in illustration as a Spanish caballero, and in Italy as a Genoan noble. The truth is absolutely nobody knows what he truly looked like, yet his image is ostensibly and tacitly posted as fact such as Wikipedia, history texts, newspapers, etc. (Not only do we not know what Columbus looked like, we do not even know if he was Italian, or really much of his life. Most of the myth of Columbus was fabricated by the American author Washington Irving in the 19th century to sell his books). It would be fine to put these images into entries and discussions of artistic representation of historic figures, but it is wholly inaccurate to put them into any document that purports to be truth. And that is why Wikipedia and other media organizations that purportedly pursue truth should not publish images of Muhammad or any religious/historical figure for which we have no accurate visual depiction. To do otherwise is simply wrong (not necessarily in the ethical or moral sense, but in the sense of simply being flat-out wrong).

Originally posted: http://www.mccarthyism.com/2015/20150127.htm

Jindal Impervious to Facts and Truth

Louisiana Governor, Bobby Jindal, is the perfect example of a politician unfit for office at any level anywhere.

Jindal Doubles Down on ‘No-Go’ Zone Ridiculousness

Making an error is human. McCarthyism.com deplores gotcha ‘journalism’ that catches someone saying something wrong, silly, or foolish in front of an open microphone, and then repeating it ad nauseum to destroy someone’s reputation. But what Jindal did was different.

He restated the already previously discredited statement that there are areas of the UK and France that are ‘no-go’ zones for non-Muslims because they have become Islamic shariah code areas. For anyone who has been to the UK or France, this statement is completely preposterous. People may not go to these neighborhoods because they are high-crime areas, but there is no shariah code being publicly enforced to keep out non-Muslims or making the neighborhood dangerous for non-Muslims. You might get mugged, but no one is going force a woman to wear a veil walking down the street. Jindal not only repeated this ridiculous statement, but even after having it pointed out to him that it was wrong, he doubled down on it. A responsible person would admit error, and restate their position. Jindal is not a mature, rational person, and therefore nobody should ever even think to vote for him. You don’t like his opponent, then vote for a third party or McCarthyism.com.

20th century New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously said, “you’re entitled to your opinion, but not your own facts.” Jindal evidently never got that message, and that is what this site is all about. Someone like Jindal with such faulty thinking is an embarrassment as a leader. Doesn’t matter if you’re Republican, Democrat, or whatever, you have to use facts when forming your opinions or viewpoints.

Originally posted: http://www.mccarthyism.com/2015/20150120.htm