Newspaper punished for photo of Jesus holding a cigarette

[Dope Nose]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070824/ap_on_re_as/malaysia_jesus_picture_2

Newspaper suspended over Jesus picture

By JULIA ZAPPEI, Associated Press Writer Fri Aug 24, 6:15 AM ET

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia's government ordered a Tamil-language daily to immediately halt publication for a month Friday as punishment for printing an image of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette, an official with the newspaper said.

S.M. Periasamy, general manager of Makkal Osai, which caters to Malaysia's ethnic Indian minority, said his office received the directive by fax from the Internal Security Ministry.

"Of course we are shocked by this. My entire staff are all in tears. They will lose a month of income," Periasamy said, adding that the newspaper would abide by the order but plans to appeal the suspension.

Ministry officials in this Muslim-majority nation could not immediately be reached for comment.

The newspaper had said it published the photo by mistake Tuesday and carried a front-page apology Thursday.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Thursday that the picture was hurtful and an insult to Christians. Kuala Lumpur archbishop, Murphy Pakiam, criticized the picture as a "desecration," but later accepted the newspaper's apology.

Ethnic Indians comprise 10 percent of Malaysia's 26 million people, and are mostly Hindus with a sprinkling of Christians and Muslims. Chinese, who follow Christianity and Buddhism, make up 25 percent, while Malay Muslims comprise 60 percent.

Malaysia's newspapers operate under government licenses that bar them from publishing potentially provocative material on religion, race and other topics.

On Thursday, Periasamy said a graphic artist — who has since been suspended — downloaded a picture of Jesus from the Internet for use along with a quote from the Bible on the paper's front page on Tuesday. But the artist overlooked the fact that the picture had been altered to insert a cigarette in one hand and another object — a can or a book — in the other, he said.

The Malaysian Indian Congress, a party in Malaysia's ruling coalition, had called on the government to close the paper, which is generally critical of the MIC.

Makkal Osai is one of two Tamil-language newspapers catering to Malaysia's largely Tamil-speaking ethnic Indians. The other newspaper is aligned with the MIC.

 

[PemLam]

So is Jesus a Marlboro man or does he smoke Camels?

 

[Dope Nose]

and is that a Budweiser can? king of beers indeed.

 

[Ice-man]

Hahahaha lmao me and my friend tommy edited that exact jesus pic with a black gangsta fitted hat on him smoking a blunt with colt 45 in his hand, if only i can find the pic.

ahh god times.


and he strikes me as a camel kinda guy....

 

[The Chairman]

While I agree that it was offensive and they should be persecuted, I do give the paper credit for recognizing their mistakes and apologizing in such a fast manner.

 

[PhotoJones]

So is Jesus a Marlboro man or does he smoke Camels?

Pfft. American Spirits.

While I agree that it was offensive and they should be persecuted, I do give the paper credit for recognizing their mistakes and apologizing in such a fast manner.

I was the under the impression that free speech and press is a good thing. Silly me.

 

[GoogleMe94]

wow, that is not cool. i hope these idiots who did this burn.

 

[The Squirrel]

Pfft. American Spirits.



I was the under the impression that free speech and press is a good thing. Silly me.

Not every country has free press.

 

[Warhammer]

Haha, "punished."

 

[MaskedManJRK]

Haha, "punished."

Yep, by this guy:

But seriously, either I'm someone that's impossible to offend, or I just really don't care if someone made a picture of Jesus smoking.

 

[Fledermaus]

wow, that is not cool. i hope these idiots who did this burn.

Burn? That's a little harsh, you think?

 

[mrsparkle]

who cares?

 

[Fledermaus]

Jesus cares. Everyone knows he's a whiskey man.

 

[bored]

How do we know he didn't smoke, eh?

 

[Asteroid-Man]

haha, that's funny. How do they know Jesus looked like that in the first place?

 

[EdRyder]

 

[MaskedManJRK]

How do we know he didn't smoke, eh?

...Because cigerettes weren't invented back then?

 

[Concept Name]

Pfft. American Spirits.



I was the under the impression that free speech and press is a good thing. Silly me.

free speech these days is used as an excuse to insult and hurt people's feelings, so yes silly you.

 

[Matrixo]

I didnt find it funny, I wasnt offended either.


But at least they knew give an apology quick. No one f**ks with Jesus H. Christ

 

[EdRyder]

free speech these days is used as an excuse to insult and hurt people's feelings, so yes silly you.

"Feelings" dont trump my Freedoms
silly you

 

[Speedball]

So...
He's gonna die by 33 anyway.

 

[Addendum]

free speech these days is used as an excuse to insult and hurt people's feelings, so yes silly you.

There isn't a freedom from insults or hurt feewings

 

[Dew k. Mosi]

ahh god times.

heh, God times

 

[Superhobo]

While I agree that it was offensive and they should be persecuted, I do give the paper credit for recognizing their mistakes and apologizing in such a fast manner.

Ya know, I'm pretty sure that, if Jesus was a real guy (and I don't wanna get into that), he'd have had a sense of humour about himself. You fascist.


And, please, change that stupid damn avatar. It looks like something from "Jesus Camp."

 

[Argyle of Sock]

While I agree that it was offensive and they should be persecuted, I do give the paper credit for recognizing their mistakes and apologizing in such a fast manner.