>Religion is different than race, because race is something that a person is born with and cannot possibly change. You assume that change is a desired outcome.

>Religion is different than race, because race is something that a person is born with and cannot possibly change. You assume that change is a desired outcome. Mr. Sacco does not. >He tries to make deliberately offensive panels that are supposed to provoke the same reaction I don't think Mr. Sacco believed it would invoke the same outrage as much as illustrate his point using imagery that everyone would recognize as offensive, even if they understood that he was making a point and were not actually offended. >He depicts Charlie Hebdo as a magazine that makes fun of certain groups by maximally offending them without any satirical value. I don't know the complete history of Charlie Hebdo, but Mr. Sacco provided at least one example of what he perceived as a double-standard. And, he calls into question the low-brow maligning of Muslims from both an artistic perspective, and a cultural one. As has been often pointed out, no other group seems to respond to satire as does a particular subset of Islamists. Mr. Sacco is simply suggesting that perhaps we should be asking why this is the case. This is why he singles out the magazine's attack on Muslims. >his implication that it's then not worthy and we should rather appease the offended groups is still wrong I don't think he was saying this. Rather, he's calling for introspection and earnest exploration of whether there is even the possibility that other dynamics are at play here. There is, perhaps, a thin line between satire and hatefulness, bigotry, or even the simple promulgation of cultural superiority. At a minimum, he's asking us to be aware of that line. >Free speech as long as you like what is said is not free speech. He's specifically not condemning free speech (in fact, he "affirms" it in panel eight). He's calling for understanding, purposefulness, introspection, and responsibility in employing free speech. He's also speaking to his fellow artists and, tacitly, asking them to consider their standards. >His comic is patronising ordinary muslims Actually, I think your comment patronizes "ordinary muslims" more so than does Mr. Sacco's comic. And, I think you're making the assumption, not him. But, perhaps he could have been clearer in saying "some Muslims" for those who might take him literally. I think you completely misinterpreted/misunderstood the message here.