Cigarette-smoking Jesus caricature raises uproar

Now, I'm not a cult when it comes to my religion, that's Christian so to speak but I find this
a bit difficult to comprehend. I mean, how in earth they allowed this sort of thing happened?

Yes, I'm talking about that cigarette-smoking Jesus caricature (which was published in the local Tamil newspaper).

Excerpt from Malaysia Today:

THE publication of a caricature of Jesus Christ in a Tamil newspaper, with a cigarette in one hand and what looks like a beer can in another, has caused an uproar.Malaysia's Makkal Osai daily printed the picture on the front page of its Tuesday edition.

The caption quoting the figure said: 'If someone repents for his mistakes, then heaven awaits them.' The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism wants the authorities to investigate the matter. 'Firstly, I'm surprised as to how they could make that mistake... it is a grave mistake,' said the council's president, Datuk A. Vaithilingam. 'Newspapers should avoid publishing this kind of pictures as it causes hurt to people of that religion,' he said.

The daily yesterday published an apology. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Malaysia called for a ban on Makkal Osai, referring to a recent precedent. 'When two newspapers published a caricature of Prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban early last year, the government took immediate action banning the two newspapers. It was a right decision. 'Now we have this and they too should be served the same punishment as a lesson to others,' Bishop Julious Paul said.

The Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Datuk Murphy Pakiam, said: 'This caricature of the picture of Jesus, holding a cigarette in one hand and apparently a beer can in the other hand, is a desecration and therefore hurtful to the religious sentiments of Catholics. 'It is certainly in bad taste for the editor of Makkal Osai to publish such a picture, although the message in the accompanying words is an attempt to call repentant sinners to hope and salvation.'

Contacted by Malaysiakini news portal, Makkal Osai news editor B. R. Rajen said the person responsible for allowing the image to be published has been suspended indefinitely. He said the publication of the caricature was not motivated by malicious intent. The paper's apology, carried prominently on the second page, stated: 'The leaders and philosophers with their respective message to the society are meant as food for the brain.'

The paper said the caricature was taken from the Internet. - BERNAMA

So, okay. It's taken from the Internet. We can accept that. There are so many lunactics out there, spewing nonsense, generating hateful propagandas and abusing the internet in the name of Freedom of Speech. I'm not trying to be a NAYSAYER here and please spare me some "get real, little girl! it's mad mad world out there" rebuttal. Heck, I think common sense can be applied, no? Malaysia is a multi-racial country and may I add, the public is kind of 'sensitive' when it comes to religion. Yes, people are vulnerable when it comes to 'delicate' issue and I couldn't blame them.

Well, it's a good thing that the Editor of the newspaper has greatly apologized, I hope.

I hope those political vultures won't make this screw-up as their "Ticket To Mytardom"

Yeah, like, you can kiss my perky ass?