Jojo’s Islamic Adventure: Manga Censored Over Nothing?
- Categories: Anime, News
- Date: Jan 28, 2009 09:13 JST
- Tags: Censorship, Islam, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, OVA, Shueisha
After being accused of blasphemy against Islam for the unpardonable sin of including some Quranic text in the anime, the distribution of long running manga JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure was halted by the publisher, fearing the usual Muslim histrionics.
The Islamically approved revised manga is now finally going back on sale, though we seem not to be seeing anything of the offending anime. However, it looks like there was never any reason to pull it in the first place…
The anime edition (an OVA) does unambiguously include the pages in question, and evidently managed to find its way into the hands of a less than understanding watcher:
This is said to have been an error in selecting “Egyptian looking” text and ending up with some Quranic scripture.
This is certainly an understandable error; a search for images of “Arabic text” with Google largely provides images of Quranic text, and doubtless few can name much in the way of Arabic literature besides this and a few ancient classics, fewer still in Japan.
Still, to use unknown text in this manner is a lapse in judgment for a production not intended to rock the boat, although it seems it took nearly a decade for this to come to light.
It’s not clear if the anime will be redistributed at some point; it seems unlikely to be a priority given the expense of dealing with anime and the low sales such an old title likely enjoys.
However, the manga itself seems to have been pulled, and censored, for nothing; looking at the below panels it seems clear that there was no recognisable text, Arabic or otherwise, ever even in the title:
The manga will be going back on sale in February, with there apparently being several volumes afflicted. The reprint is being branded a “remix” edition, so other changes may be involved.
It is not clear just how they will be revised; possibly the books will simply be replaced by walkie-talkies or similar in order to avoid the possibility of offence to any other book reverers.
Of course, there would be no outcry were this a bible or otherwise, though perhaps a map not showing the “East Sea” with all its rocks the proper colour could garner a similar response…
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I seem to recall there was something like this with the FMA manga, like a cross was changed into a circular stone or something?
This kind of stuff is so fucking stupid, god damn quit being so butthurt. The manga is not making fun of you in any way, or portraying your fantasy book written by a mentally insane dude 1500 years ago in a negative light. Atheists wouldn't flip their shit if he was reading a book about the big bang theory or evolution. Why do religious people insist on forcing their ideals on everyone else?
The only reason people won't attack Muslim beliefs is because they don't want to get bombed. But while I'm here on the internet, I'd like to give a message to you radical Muslims, or any other radical religious person who thinks what happened in this article is justifiable: Fuck you.
Call my comment "offensive" or "politically incorrect", but it's the fucking truth, and I'm tired of religious people and minorities taking advantage of those two words.
We demand the same respect for our disbelief of religion as faith types do for their belief.
Although, if there was no religion there'd be no cute anime nuns in mini skirts - it's a tough choice
I am offended that they do change it ... Liberty of expression is nearly disappearing when it comes to Islamic religion ...
They started it
So has anyone identified the pages in question? I'd be curious to know what the text says, but alas time constraints prevent me from learning enough Arabic to translate it myself.
Considering Islamic culture, I doubt it'll turn out to be just a strip club promotion as in http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/12/hungarian_phrasebook_sketch_co.php after all ...
Seriously, a freedom is the right to do something within in the law regardless of who it may piss off
If find the Quran to be a piece of offensive fascist trash, can we ban that instead.
nice calligraphy though
unless someone can read it and confirm its right then i dont really see no problem potrayed. they probably promotin it lol. anywayss we all know ,that people from everywhere love anime manga its just the media .in the muslim case most people underestimate the ideology of two groups
1. peaceful muslims
2. the RADICAL MUSLIMS{FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DONT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE}and chat shit
and if you have even tried to look into the word JIHAD
it has 2 meanings
1.to fight within and overcome difficulties like eg.earning money for da family
2. protecting their land. hope u learnt somethin
..is that really the Quran's text in it?
if yes..then what chapter and what verse? I don't see any verse in it...
hi, i guess i'm sort of VERY late -_-
hope some randompasserby still browse through the archives to read this ^^;
but here's my answer, hope this clears things up a bit.
from what i can trace from the not-so-readable-picture above @_@ :
- the layout is quran-ic, open a real one and it'll look just like the book in the picture
- the text is written with extra markings to give hints for vowels: /a/, /i/, /u/, /o/, but no /e/. normal arabic text have none.
- i found 7 "Allah"s (you know, the GOD) written... google/wiki it if you can't read arabic :)
while the name Allah is not exclusive to islamic god (arabian christians and jews also use this name to address god), only the quran is written in arabic, and what else in this world have so many "Allah"s written except the quran.
- don't know which verse they are, sorry. a few searches attempted, but did not suffice. the words are too blurred >.:[
@Artefact:
you're still my no 1 blogger, keep posting! :P
peace v(^_^)v
[corrected, forgot the html tag \]
hi, i guess i'm sort of VERY late -_-
hope some randompasserby still browse through the archives to read this ^^;
but here's my answer, hope this clears things up a bit.
from what i can trace from the not-so-readable-picture above @_@ :
- the layout is quran-ic, open a real one and it'll look just like the book in the picture
- the text is written with extra markings to give hints for vowels: /a/, /i/, /u/, /o/, but no /e/. normal arabic text have none.
- i found 7 "Allah"s (you know, the GOD) written... google/wiki it if you can't read arabic :)
while the name Allah is not exclusive to islamic god (arabian christians and jews also use this name to address god), only the quran is written in arabic, and what else in this world have so many "Allah"s written except the quran.
- don't know which verse they are, sorry. a few searches attempted, but did not suffice. the words are too blurred @_@
but the language structure's quran-ic too, i guess.
So, I conclude that
YES, it's the real thing
and, the animators googled it, copy pasted the images without knowing what they are XD
@everyone :
religious debates are alright, if the purpose is for better understanding each other. BUT NO INSULTS! >:[
@Artefact:
you're still my no 1 blogger, keep posting! :P
peace v(^_^)v
So, acknowledging that this is the real deal, is it still grounds for censorship?
Its not the quran it's just a book written in arabic.
lol
in the anime screen shots i can easily read the text
and it's clearly from Quran contrarly to the manga where i coudn't tell
well i haven't watched the show so i have nothing to say
even if what they say is true (ploting while reading)
what about the suicide bombers ?
i think they have gone overboard
pls don't lump all muslims together every one have his own will, and may act rashly without investigating this matter when told about it by angry people
( the truth will arrive deformed when relayed between peoples)
yare yare daze ~
I remembered once I saw some some outtakes of Naruto on the half of the screen you saw the jap version on the other the US version that has been strongly censored. The most notable was a guy that attached on a cross (like Jesus but with ropes and not nail) on the US version they removed the horizontal piece of wood that form the cross and so he was only attached to a timber.
Even if it is the Quran pictured I don't see the promblem with that.
Has anyone heard the song by Slayer called Jihad?
JIHAD!
Nandesuka kore..
Knock, knock, are your head seriously smack by a large bat, OR MUST BE KNOCKED BY RYU'S SHORYUKEN, HUH ARTIFACT?
THIS ARTICLE SHOULD NOT BE APPEARED IN THE FIRST PLACE!! RELIGIOUS MATTER SHOULD NOT BE AN ARTICLE!!
EVEN IT INCLUDES CURIOUSITY ON USING RELIGIOUS VERSES ON ANIME AND MANGA. THIS ARTICLE SHOULD NOT QUESTION ON THIS. THIS ARTICLE SHOULD BE BANNED IMMEDIATELY.. BECAUSE THIS WILL LEAD TO SOMETHING WORST. WE DON'T WANT RELIGIOUS MATTER GET INTO DEBATE.
MAN, THIS ARTICLE IS UNACCEPTABLE.
ARE YOU DID THIS ARTICLE ON PURPOSE, ARTIFACT?
SHAME ON YOU.
All caps? Really? are you honestly trying to be taken seriously with all caps? I really hope this is a fake troll, because otherwise this is pathetic
haha, funny, YOU got me on that. BUT, I tell you what, someThing related to someone's believes (religion) not a fun thing to toying witH. Except you don't hAve any believes. Do you?
Try combine all CAPS in this message..
Everybody knows that the Quran is the first fan fiction based on the Bible...
The first work with many fans... or should I say "Fundamentalist fanatics"?
I think that's only your opinion. Because if that was the case, the Bible would have been the fan-fiction of the Torah, or some other older texts.
You said it, the bible definitely is that, and so on, back to the first religion, whatever the fuck that was
Yup, all of them are just fiction that man created to explain the world. Then those reading them created fan-fictions out of it that spawned organized religions believed by billions worldwide. I guess that just means that the greater part of humanity is dumb enough to take fictional stories as the pinnacle of truth.
Case in point: Twilight.
It's almost like they're trying to give the rest of the world a LEGITIMATE reason for invading them...
Wha?
Wanting to censor a manga is a reason enough to invade a nation, kill its people and rape their land?
Look, I think this censoring thing is too much just like others, but your comment is fucked up.
....damned Muslims...
Fuck you.
fuck you everyones human whether they're chistian, jew, hindu, sikh etc.
i don't see anyone going damned christians, so why is saying damned muslims ok.
well i for on am not racist nor hypocrytical or ignorant
I don't really like humans though
It's sad that politics can reach our forms of entertainment, this is happening more more in recent days.
I though the 3rd arc of JoJo (in which the "problematic" Quran is in) was published... what, 15 years ago?
That'll be some big walkie-talkies!
Couldn't they just do invisible books instead like most other censors do?
Im not sure whats funnier this, or the korean gay thing XD
blasphemy? I dont see any of it in there. The manga doesnt show any negative things towards that book, I guess (judging from the pics)
well sure did make me chuckle seeing a buff anime character with crazy hairstyle reading the Koran... haha
It's a good thing the world wide thought police are always by our sides. I would hate to have to decide for myself what I think is offensive and what isn't. That would be terrible!
Time for another Crusade I think.
Like the Muslim Fundies need MUCH of an excuse to call for Jihad *rolls eyes furiously*.
I'm really offended. :/
are you serious?
I don't see how you can be offended.
I am really offend.. offended that PCisim is on the rise....all hail mindlessness!!
Pretty sure that was sarcasm.
Is this some WRYYYYYYY?
OH NO Islamic text! japan realy did it now.
don't be bombing no JoJo
we don't want al-qaeda to start targeting otakus..
But then the publisher should have check first before it goes to printing..
Al-Qaeda is not exist, its fictional organization made by and nurtured by America government
you should visit zeitgeistmovie.com
n Artefact, I think this site is better without this kind of article
I don't want this site become debate forum with each comment being replied over n over n make the comment bottomless
And while you're at it, watch Loose Change and Prison Planet and all those other shitty conspiracy-nutjob movies that have been cropping up left and right. Oh, and don't forget to buy their books. They go through massive amounts of tinfoil, so they desperately need the royalties!
Well, actually I won't doubt that if US can catch Osama faster
it's just so strange that after 7 years the military can't find the "head" of 9/11 incident
and yet they found Saddam relatively quick
too much for joke to me
not all of that kind of movies are shit, maybe there lies some truth. Just try to be more open minded and analyze more. I also don't believe them 100%. Like Aoi said in Chaos;Head, doubt the world since it's not perfect ^^
One thing you won't find on this site is leftist conspiracy theory nonsense...
Duh, Saddam was the head of a freakin nation.
How the hell can you not figure that out. And Osama was much smarter in that he didn't hide in a hellhole, waiting for people to find him.
As expected from the guy who devised the 9/11 incident...
I still wonder why he had to do all that. I don't remember my ustaz (Islam teacher) telling me to hijack a plane and kill lots of innocent people....
Lol, you believe that...
What I want to know, what are orthodox Muslims doing watching JoJo in the first place? Isnt anime banned in most of the Arab peninsula?
you don't have to be Arab just to be moslem, moron!
It's not about them not wanting to watch such shows or read such books, it's about THEM not wanting OTHERS to watch or read something they don't like for any number of reasons.
Control what people can read and watch and you control the people. Nazi's proved that 60 years ago. Sadly, everyone has either forgotten that or decided to use it for their own jihad, nationalism, bigoted hatred, or narrow-minded crusade against abused fictional characters.
actually i think it's getting to be closer to 70 years ago now.
Man.
Muslims, Christians, and Jews pray to the SAME GOD.... who I think is rather pissed they carry out their messages of bigotry and other lapses in judgment in His name.
I think an anime/manga of the world's religions needs to be done now... lampooning ALL the major ones. They fucking deserve it if they have no sense of humor.
Religion. It's all about power. Who has it, and who doesn't but wants it.
Set in Korea, where all these religions were founded...
Not really, Jesus is a heretic to Judaism if acknowledged at all, He is the Savior of Christianity, and He is a MINOR prophet at best in Islam. Call the Big Man On Top what you will, but in regards to The central character of Christianity itself...indeed He is pissed over how humans act, if you believe what is written in the Bible, such as the Flood of Noah. To quote Karl Marx: "Religion is the opiate of the Masses." It's just another way for people of power to exert their power over other people, in a much easier way than all others though. Classic example being the Dark Ages brought about by the Catholic Church.
That would be a nice idea for an anime but...it would run into WAY too much difficulty outside of Japan if I Want to be an Angel anime localization to America is any indication of that. Oh and this with the Quran censorship of such old manga/anime.
Opium is the opiate of the masses
Thus speaks true ignorance, have you noticed how the Catholic Church was able to keep it's reign for the 1,000 years it did? Have you noticed how Islamic fundamentalists bomb shit in the name of Allah? How's about Hitler, Stalin and the Czars that were ENTRENCHED in occult? Oh lets not forget the Salem Witch Trials in early American history. I wish I had more examples on hand to further prove this point, but I digress. Just like how opium makes you crazy to do anything and everything to get more of what you want, when people are afraid of anything and everything, what do they turn to when they don't have the money or the moral bankruptcy to buy opium? That's right, religion.
Religion is the Magic Pill that makes everyone feel better about themselves, better about their mommy and daddy passing away, better about their utterly bleak future, better about the absolutely atrocious actions they perpetuate. It's not about right and wrong, because if it was then the Dark Ages would have been the best time of all of history. People want to feel safe, then justified in what they do.
BTW, nice troll.
this is blasphemy!
this is madness!!
This is SPARTA!!!!!!!!
lol
Hopefully they didn't make same mistake next time.
Islamists are offended just for watching some choranic shit on TV, but christians can't say anything when watching so many insulting bullshit all the time on TV and every other media. And anyway we don't care a fuck, why should we?
Sorry for being so very politically incorrect, but I'm pretty fed up with those cry-babies bas***** (and even more with those who pretend to sugar them the pill).
first of all it's spelt "quran" and second quranic shit? i don't see myself saying bible shit, in fact i've never seen anyone say bible shit. so why quranic shit?
I say bible shit! And worse!
Well, they're all shit, fair enough. Religion is to the masses true, to the intellectuals false and to the rulers useful.
i feel offended.
i think entertainment better stay out of religion, so no one feel offended.
I hope you never read Angel sanctuary ~
Not offended. Seen worst.
seconded
Well im really amazed that japanese ppl had such an idea to put into Anime/Manga....im mean im arab form jordan and im a muslim aswell...i cant understand why ppl above is falming arabs/muslims abt this....well 1st of alll no Manga/anime is not banned in our countries...2nd arabs/muslims dont go using Jehad to INVADE other countries...3rd why on earth some Jehad group will put there heads in Anime/Manga...dont u think there is way much more going in this world, so dont worry Japan will be fine... hell man i love japan more than my own country...i like watched sh^^ loads of anime read alot of manga...but never saw anything musilm/arab related...maybe hellsing was the only one that got a small Jehad group in it or something...so i guess in da end...ya they shouldnt made such a mistake by putting Quran rather than normal arabic writing...and yes i can confirm thats quran btw...aah thats abt it...and thx for reading/not this :P
you stupid arab should go back to your flat world
fucking kid.
They showed Jojo's ova on Animax? Wow...ORAORAORAORAORA!!!
Also about the book, there over reacting about nothing, these things should be really kept aside.
Well well..
I hate it when people think they know everything about the world and believe themselves to be reliable judges for everything
Stating your own opinion without insulting others is a basic rule in speaking
To tell that many of you do not know anything: firstly, the writings in the manga, yes its readable in the third picture and I can tell what it says
Secondly, manga and anime are very popular in arab and muslim world, even this site has readers from these parts
Thirdly, Jesus is respected in Islam and is not what you call small..
Fourthly, saying that Quran is fan fiction, did you even read it? we believe in the bible in its original form, therefore, it does not even exist now
I think this site is better without going on politics and religions
At least when anyone writes something, consider the others, even if they are.. Muslims with no feelings!
Agreed.
You make some very reasonable points. However, I think you are mistaken in saying the manga can be read - it certainly does not even look Arabic. Clearly the anime screenshot is the Quran though.
I do think these articles are quite balanced, and perhaps even overly restrained where Islam is concerned compared to the rougher handling you see elsewhere - I know many Muslims are sensitive over this, and a goodly portion of the site's readers are Muslim too (such as the many S.E. Asians) - sadly, they may not take it in good humour if I mete out the same treatment to them, so I must refrain.
Of course, Islam not (specifically) condemning anime or Japan too much helps too...
I'm sorry for my ignorance. It's just that all I've ever heard of Islam is Muhammad, me being...at best a fallen Christian I can only consider hearing more about a different "prophet of God" over what I consider "the Son of God" to basically demean Christianity's true Savior.
ty first non ignorant comment.
if only everyone in the world was like you.
QFT!!!!
*sniff* U the man!! Only decent comment in the whole section.
Nice to see someone who thinks first.