TORONTO, March 7, 2006 – The Catholic Civil Rights League (www.ccrl.ca) today expressed disgust at the publication of a cartoon in the University of Saskatchewan student newspaper “The Sheaf” depicting Jesus engaged in oral sex with a pig. The cartoon, which appeared in The Sheaf’s March 3 edition, raised the ire of many in the Saskatoon area and caused the editor-in-chief to tender his resignation.

“While we’re relieved that the university’s administration has condemned the cartoon, we find it ironic that this same newspaper devoted a four-page spread to its decision not to print the Danish anti-Muslim cartoons that are at the centre of an ongoing, global controversy about freedom of the press,” said CCRL president Phil Horgan. “We don’t expect a student paper to show the same professional standards as the mass media, but the sad truth is that this incident, while extreme, is all too typical of the double standard that prevails in most media when it comes to insulting and demeaning depictions of Christians that are rarely considered acceptable when directed at other religions and minority groups.”

A Sheaf columnist has also resigned because of the cartoon, and the news editor previously resigned because the paper refused to print the Danish cartoons. For a broader discussion of the issues raised by the Muslim cartoon controversy, and the double standard the League has documented over the years in humour and satire involving religious issues, subscribe to the League’s newsletter Civil Rights.

About CCRL
 
Catholic Civil Rights League (www.ccrl.ca) assists in creating conditions within which Catholic teachings can be better understood, cooperates with other organizations in defending civil rights in Canada, and opposes defamation and discrimination against Catholics on the basis of their beliefs. CCRL was founded in 1985 as an independent lay organization. The Catholic Civil Rights League is a Canadian non-profit organization entirely supported by the generosity of its members.

For further information: Joanne McGarry, Executive Director, 416-466-8244