Joking Cousin

Submitted by M'Hamed CHETTALI (Belgium), Feb 14, 2006 at 04:18

Dear Professor,

You probably know the 'Joking cousin relationships' in Mali. Joking cousin relationships are social bond based on ethnic teasing. Different ethnic groups mock one another and lightheartedly broach sensitive topics. Joking has been elevated to the status of an alternative peaceful dispute settlement mechanism.

Muslims make up approximately 90 percent of the population of Mali, the largest country in the West Africa. Dear Professor, joking is fine ! As Muslim, I like your turkish joke that you ascribe to secularism. Funny ! Is it a government joke ? I thought turkish people are Muslims, aren't they. You make the point yourself. Behind the anger of the Muslims about the cartoons there is a clear motive, which to express anger about injustice and hegemony of the West. I am sure that Muslims would excel in cracking jokes at the United Nations if joking cousin relationships were allowed.

Maybe, oppressed people would then have level playing field. While awaiting such an utopic day, they are bound to see their houses being demolished, their lives torn apart, their brothers and sisters killed and their wealth squandered. Regarding the cartoons published by Flemming Rose, I wonder if you see them as satire, humor or simply a provocation and inciting to hatred. Do you remember Rwanda's hate radio, Radio Mille Collines, which incited the slaughter of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 1994. Was that freedom of expression ?

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