It's More Than "Just a Cartoon":

Why Muslim People Take Blasphemy So Seriously?

March 15, 2021

Student: Gabriel Pfeuffer-Ferguson 
Major: Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, with a concentration in Urban Studies

"All too often, minority groups face heavy attacks from outside majority groups. A prime example of this can be found with blasphemy against Muslims, and we can specifically look at instances such as the Charlie Hebdo instance in France. In my paper, I cover this specific instance and discuss some of the generalizations of blasphemy and some of the reasoning why Muslims are so upset. I tackle this issue through the framework of Jonathan Haidt’s Moral Foundation Theory and discuss how the various foundations play a role in the effects of blasphemy."

"Attacks, such as the Charlie Hebdo cartoons, are blatantly disrespectful as a form to force secular society on a group of people who hold their faith so sacred. This issue is not simply because of the cartoons depicting Muhammad in a mocking way; this issue stems from attacking a group that is already marginalized in France and other areas across the globe. These attacks are similar to racist, homophobic, and sexist slurs." - Gabriel Pfeuffer-Ferguson

Presentation

Read Gabriel Pfeuffer-Ferguson's presentation paper on "It's More Than 'Just a Cartoon:' Why Muslim People Take Blasphemy So Seriously" 

Works Cited

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