Stereotypes Must Be Challenged Openly     Siobhán O'Dwyer • 13 March 2006 I don't agree with Barbara [Muldoon, of the Anti-Racist Network]'s assertion that the Blanket shouldn't publish the cartoons. In fact I think that the only way to challenge racist stereotypes whether of Irish Republicans or Muslims is to challenge them openly and you can only do that when people speak and say what they think. Otherwise racism is not challenged it just gets covered up by political correctness and Governments who are the ones at war in Iraq etc., get off the hook. Racism is a political weapon and has to be challenged as such. The Blanket are right to publish them and the satirical nature of the cartoons should be seen for what it is and challenged if you don't like them but they are not the cause of the difficulties faced by Muslims or indeed a reason for the reaction to them. Being portrayed as monkeys or psychopathic killers didn't make us Irish Republicans into either monkeys or psychopathic killers.         Index: Current Articles + Latest News and Views + Book Reviews + Letters + Archives

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