Molly Norris, "Draw Mohammed Day" Cartoonist, Didn't Mean to Start Controversy
It's a sign of an interconnected world when a Facebook post in Seattle can lead to a court order in Pakistan. It's also a sign that maybe Molly Norris should have thought twice before declaring today, May 20, "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day."
The cartoon that started it all.
Speaking to Monica Guzman over at The Big Blog, Norris, a Seattle cartoonist, says she's been thoroughly stressed out ever since her April proclamation. Reacting to Comedy Central's decision to censor an episode of "South Park" that depicted Mohammed -- itself a reaction to the threats and murder committed by Muslims upset at other people for depicting the prophet, a big no-no in Islam -- Norris drew a cartoon in protest and declared the unofficial holiday.
Then all hell broke loose.
Facebook groups popped up in support of Norris' invocation of the First Amendment. Other Facebook groups popped up in protest. Then, yesterday, a Pakistani court order the social networking site blocked, presumably to help its people forget that a central tenet of one of its religions was being treated as a punchline by those in a country with which it has, um, a complicated relationship.
"It's been horrible," says Norris, who says she's lost seven pounds because of stress, to Guzman. "I'm just trying to breathe and get through it."
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