Bill Donohue comments on the decision by Renald Luzier, the Charlie Hebdo cartoonist known as Luz, to leave the magazine:
Luz is sure to be hailed for his courageous career poking fun at religious figures. This is twice wrong: he is a coward and a pornographer, just like his co-workers.
After the Paris murders last January, Luz was praised for his bravery: he had the guts to put Muhammad on the cover of the next edition. The kudos were undeserved. In fact, his portrayal of the Prophet was benign: it showed him weeping, saying, “All Is Forgiven.” No wonder The Independent, a London newspaper, characterized the image as a “relatively cuddly and would-be consensual character.”
This would not matter much save for what was in this same issue: it featured an obscene anti-Catholic cartoon. Even though it was not done by Luz, it’s a sure bet he gave it his blessings.
Here is how The Independent described the cartoon: “A celebrated French nun, Soeur Emmanuelle, reflects on her life. She says: ‘Down here I masturbated. In heaven, I will suck c****.'”
Of course, it takes no guts to mock Catholics. That’s because a) we don’t murder those who offend us, and b) there is a big appetite for anti-Catholic bigotry.
Poking fun at religion, including Catholicism and Islam, is fair game for satire, and those who object need to get over it. But there is nothing legitimate or funny about pornography—it is sick.
Luz is no Mel Brooks. Brooks could lampoon everyone while insulting no one. More than that, he was truly original and comedic, qualities that neither Luz nor his colleagues possess.
