CARB Lays Gauntlet for Comedy Central

The newly formed group, Citizens Against Religious Bigotry, has laid down the gauntlet for Comedy Central.  In their press release announcing a news conference today at 9:30 AM, Media Research Center president, Brent Bozwell states:

"... we expect these advertisers to agree wholeheartedly to end their advertising on Comedy Central and discontinue their support for unabashed, anti-Christian discrimination. Why should they be supporting a business that makes a habit of attacking Christianity and yet has a formal policy to censor anything considered offensive to followers of Islam? This double standard is pure bigotry, one from which advertisers should quickly shy away."

I repeat, "Why should they be supporting a business that makes a habit of attacking Christianity and yet has a formal policy to censor anything considered offensive to followers of Islam?"  That is the crux of the issue.  Islam has been granted special status by Comedy Central.  It's okay to depict Jesus murdering the Pope; it's okay to paint outrageous, insulting caricatures of Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, or any other religion that isn't Islam; but any mention of Mohammed is scrubbed from the script.  CARB nails this on the head in their petition stating:

"There is a very clear double standard in the way the media and the popular culture treat Islam with respect and deference while mocking and ridiculing Christians and Christianity at every opportunity."

Even South Park's creators disagree with the media company.  They highlighted this exact double standard in Cartoon Wars, a two-part series depicting national panic as Family Guy prepares to air an episode featuring the Prophet Mohammed as a character.  Mohammed was supposed to give Peter Griffin "salmon football helmet" during a mock version of one of the show's flashbacks, but Comedy Central censored the scene and it was replaced with this image:

Comedy Central is a private company; they can make their own decisions about what they will and will not depict on their network.  However, in the interest of free speech, a core value of our nation, I hope they will finally reconsider this policy.  Either it is okay to mock religion, or it isn't.  If this misguided policy stems from fear of retribution, that is a separate issue that must be resolved, but appeasement has never worked.  Further, it's already too late for your network anyway.  Remember this?