Canadian Student Newspaper in Hot Water Over Controversial Cartoon of Christ
by Jim Brown
March 16, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Canadian Christians are calling on the University of Saskatchewan to shut down its student newspaper after it published a pornographic cartoon blaspheming Jesus.One week after running an editorial explaining why it would not publish derogatory cartoons of Islam's prophet, Muhammad, The Sheaf published an editorial cartoon depicting Jesus fornicating with a pig. The Saskatoon Christian Centre has called on the president of the university to close The Sheaf until all of its editorial staff are fired.
Randy Donauer, a spokesman for the Christian Centre, says The Sheaf controversy cannot be compared to the news story involving Muhammad cartoons and the ensuing Muslim violence.
"This is not a news story at all," says Donauer. "This was not pertaining to a current event in Saskatoon, Canada, or the world. This was not pertaining to a religious event, or political event, or any event on campus."
In fact, he says, "this was just an editorial cartoon that really serves no other purpose but to take a jab at the Christian community in our city and to do it in the most perverse, vulgar manner possible."
Donauer says tax dollars should be used to fund a newspaper that is so offensive. But a spokeswoman for the university claims The Sheaf is an "independent" publication and is not publicly funded. Donauer contests that statement.
He says even though the school may not receive tax dollars in the form of a "straight check" from the government, "there is an agreement where they give a certain percentage of that over to The Sheaf for its operation." In reality, says Donauer, the whole university is publicly subsidized. "It's a government-owned institution, government-owned buildings, government-run everything."
According to the newspaper's website, the managing editor resigned after publication of the cartoon. The board of directors, however, states that acceptance of Will Robbins' letter of resignation had nothing to do with the controversial caricature. The cartoon, notes the board, "was not consistent" with The Sheaf's objectives" -- but "acceptance of [Robbins'] resignation was based primarily on his failure to carry out his duties diligently."
Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
