Rights, religion clash in cartoon uproar

[anythinggoes]

Muslim anger targets Europe

Decision to print called `racist'
Feb. 3, 2006. 01:00 AM
STUART LAIDLAW
FAITH AND ETHICS REPORTER


Danish cartoons that have sparked outrage, protests and threats of kidnappings across the Arab world go far beyond concerns over blasphemy on which many reports of the controversy have centred, a Canadian expert on Islam says.

It's racism, pure and simple, says Ruth Mas, a lecturer in Islamic studies at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, and it's a growing problem in Europe.

Mas's comments came after newspapers across Europe re-published the cartoons this week to make the point that freedom of speech trumps respect for religious icons.

The German daily Die Welt printed the drawing of the Prophet wearing a turban bomb about to explode and, in accompanying commentary, said: "Democracy is the institutionalized form of freedom of expression. There is no right to protection from satire in the West; there is a right to blasphemy."

Other cartoons raising the ire of many Muslims include one depicting the Prophet complaining of running out of virgins for martyred suicide bombers, one with Muhammad's face peering from a green star-and-crescent moon symbol and another showing Muhammad with horns sprouting from his turban.

It's little wonder Muslims in the Middle East and southeast Asia have reacted with outrage, Mas said.

"They are reacting (to) the racism, not to the blasphemy," she told the Star.

Under Islamic law, based on clerics' interpretation of the Qur'an and the sayings of the Prophet, depictions, even positive ones, of the Prophet are forbidden in order to prevent idolatry.

Publication in September of the 12 cartoons in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten ? and their subsequent republication in several European papers this week ? has sparked both street and diplomatic protests across Europe and the Middle East.

A dozen Palestinian gunmen surrounded European Union offices in the Gaza Strip yesterday demanding an apology for the cartoons.

Both Jyllands-Posten and France-Soir in Paris have apologized for publishing the drawings, with Soir firing the editor who authorized their publication.

"Yes, We Have the Right to Caricature God," France-Soir said in the edition that ran the drawings, over its own front-page cartoon, showing Buddha, Yahweh, God the Father and Muhammad sitting on a cloud, with God saying to Muhammad: "Don't be angry, we've all been caricatured."

Shihan, a weekly in Jordan, printed some of the cartoons to show the offence; its editorial noted, "for some reason, nobody in the Muslim world wants to hear the apology." Hours later, its owners pulled the issue from sale and fired its chief editor after the Amman government threatened legal action.

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen invited ambassadors to his country to meet with him today to discuss the controversy, which continues to grow and Iran summoned the Austrian ambassador, whose country holds the EU presidency.

In the West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian gunmen kidnapped and later released a German from a hotel, witnesses said. Earlier, Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades threatened to kidnap citizens of France, Denmark and Norway if they did not leave Nablus within 72 hours.

Norway, in turn, suspended operations at its representative office in the West Bank after receiving threats, as foreign journalists, diplomats and aid workers began leaving Gaza. A Norwegian Christian newspaper, Magazinet, reprinted all 12 drawings last month.

Afghanistan and Indonesia condemned publication of the caricatures and about 400 Islamic school students set fire to French and Danish flags in protest in Multan, a central city in Pakistan.

In Syria, about 300 people staged a sit-in outside the Danish Embassy in Damascus and distributed leaflets calling for a boycott of European products, while about 100 Lebanese women staged a sit-in in the southern city of Sidon.

"The protests in the Middle East have proven that the cartoonist was right," said Tarek Fatah, a director of the Muslim Canadian Congress. "It's falling straight into that trap of being depicted as a violent people and proving the point that, yes, we are."

But to blame such actions on strict Islamic interpretations of blasphemy, as many reports have, underplays the racism of the cartoons involved, says Mas. Making matter worse, she says are newspapers publishing the cartoons under the guise of free speech.


"It really is a sense of entitlement to insult people in the name of free speech," Mas said.

She warned such actions play into the hands of right wingers, who use free speech arguments to spread what she calls "Islamophobia," a growing trend in Europe that she says reminds her of the anti-Semitic rhetoric that swept through Europe with the rise of Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

"What scares me here is the participation of the press in this," she said. "I don't expect the press to be intellectual, but I do expect them to be reflective."

A prominent German Islamic leader said the cartoons were reminiscent of the caricatures of Jews in the Nazi propaganda sheet Der Sturmer. "Press freedom shouldn't be used to insult people. We Germans need to know our history," Michael Muhammad Pfaff, of the German Muslim League told Britain's Guardian newspaper.

Paul Knox, chairman of the school of journalism at Ryerson University, said "editorial judgment" should be employed to avoid using too offensive a drawing. But the fact someone will be offended by a cartoon is a "poor test" of whether such drawing should be put into print. "The guy who makes that judgment shouldn't fear for his life."

With files from Star wire services

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1138920612638&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home

[Skeba]

This is about religion, and not _that_ much about politics.. yet. So I'll let it stay open for now... But I have a bad feeling about how this'll turn out.


I talked about this with a friend of mine last night. One of the main problems in the situation is that the muslim community in some countries don't seem to realize that the media in Norway or Denmark is in no way connected to the government or reflect in any way the country's official views. Another thing is that it can easily be interpreted in any way, when a prime minister releases a statement that according to the laws the people responsible can't be hung for this. And of course other papers will now release the drawings 'cause people are really interested about what kind of pictures are the ones that caused this much outrage. Another major point is that it does seem a bit 'unfair' for them to demand us to respect and understand their religious beliefs when they themselves don't respect and undestand all of our principles of freedom and political system. I hope all of this comes to an end soon.

[anythinggoes]

 Another major point is that it does seem a bit 'unfair' for them to demand us to respect and understand their religious beliefs when they themselves don't respect and undestand all of our principles of freedom and political system.

i couldnt of put it better myself 

[nesquick]

I can't stand the media. I remember when there was the 2nd Intifada, trhere were a couple a antisemitic cartoon uproar in the European press (France first of course!), some were even copied from the 30's...it was insane, the socialist had the power here and the lefties media were extremely antisemitic. It was a VERY hard time for the jews in Europe, especially in France. That's why now I can't accept this cartoon uproar against the muslim community or any other religion because as a jew I know it hurts. I knew that situation. and it's hard.

The media seems to like spreading bullshit and create troubles. Nobody in the media should insult Mahomet or Moise or Jesus, you know, it hurts people.

[Where is Hassan Nasrallah ?]

I can't stand the media. I remember when there was the 2nd Intifada, trhere were a couple a antisemitic cartoon uproar in the European press (France first of course!), some were even copied from the 30's...it was insane, the socialist had the power here and the lefties media were extremely antisemitic. It was a VERY hard time for the jews in Europe, especially in France. That's why now I can't accept this cartoon uproar against the muslim community or any other religion because as a jew I know it hurts. I knew that situation. and it's hard.

The media seems to like spreading bullshit and create troubles. Nobody in the media should insult Mahomet or Moise or Jesus, you know, it hurts people.

although i dont agree
i am very glad to see that, this is your stand
cause i know jews (and other religions) has been the target of such parodies (and i am the first one to laugh -> i'am a HUGE dieudonn? fan ... and we know how he makes fun of all that - jews AND muslim)
so even i dont agree - i am glad that a jew stick up with the muslim on that affair


then. a high muslim official in france (cause this is big on the news these days) said that NOWHERE in their book (coran) it states that the prophet shouldnt be drawn or represented.
that rule they have of not portraying the prophet is a ... more like a tradition. not  a religious rule.

so tha problem lies where you connect islam + terrorist (and here nesquick .... you're sometimes close to that edge ...)

off course, a smart muslim or a smart person period, would understand the meaning of the cartoons, only to higjlight the connection between terrorism and islam nowadays (and how terrorists use islam to justify their actions). but hey ...


but we ARE free to make fun. especially when it's not directed AT ONE PERSON, but at a general concept : religion.
we CAN make fun or religion. we CAN HATE religion if we want. (religious people do believe that atheists are going to hell after all .... so .... )

Another major point is that it does seem a bit 'unfair' for them to demand us to respect and understand their religious beliefs when they themselves don't respect and undestand all of our principles of freedom and political system. I hope all of this comes to an end soon.

BS ! ... they demand respect for a NEGATIVE  thing we did to THEM (insult)
if they dont believe in freedom of speech, that's their deal, they do as they want in their countries.

in the end, the cartoons could have been better.
showing that terrorists use islam in a wrong way, that could have been cool
but simply linking islam to terrorism in a simple manner, is just ... useless.


anyway.
Fuck all of your gods, praise the news

[Where is Hassan Nasrallah ?]

+
it's getting bigger i see.
in the end, it's not a bad thing. it's a way of showing religious people that we're not in middle age anymore, and that religion is out dated. we don't care about god.
and if you do, keep it for yourself. faith is private.
the public place is not entitled to religious rules.

but if this is a racism debate (when we'll we separate religion from race !!!??, when ?? Muslim is NOT a race, Judaism is NOT a race ... ) .... then that's something else ....

[Skeba]

BS ! ... they demand respect for a NEGATIVE? thing we did to THEM (insult)
if they dont believe in freedom of speech, that's their deal, they do as they want in their countries.

in the end, the cartoons could have been better.
showing that terrorists use islam in a wrong way, that could have been cool
but simply linking islam to terrorism in a simple manner, is just ... useless.

If the reason for the outrage is the reason that it portrays all muslims as terrorists, it is a different matter. But at least over here in Finland all the quotes in the media I've seen have been about the pictures showing Muhammad.

And what more can the newspaper do? They've already admitted that they made a mistake, and apologised for it (I think it was on the first page in both languages - native and arabic).

I too, think that the cartoons were stupid and someone with half a brain could've come up with something smarter, but I think this whole thing has really grown out of proportion.

[Where is Hassan Nasrallah ?]

BS ! ... they demand respect for a NEGATIVE? thing we did to THEM (insult)
if they dont believe in freedom of speech, that's their deal, they do as they want in their countries.

in the end, the cartoons could have been better.
showing that terrorists use islam in a wrong way, that could have been cool
but simply linking islam to terrorism in a simple manner, is just ... useless.

If the reason for the outrage is the reason that it portrays all muslims as terrorists, it is a different matter. But at least over here in Finland all the quotes in the media I've seen have been about the pictures showing Muhammad.

And what more can the newspaper do? They've already admitted that they made a mistake, and apologised for it (I think it was on the first page in both languages - native and arabic).

I too, think that the cartoons were stupid and someone with half a brain could've come up with something smarter, but I think this whole thing has really grown out of proportion.

gotcha.
the USA are invading iran anyway, so we'll have news stuff to look for

[anythinggoes]

Reaction around the world to cartoon row 

As protests continue over the publication of newspaper cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, BBC correspondents around the world report on the reaction to the images where they are.



RAMALLAH, Martin Patience

In the West Bank city of Ramallah, residents appear angry about the cartoons originally published in a Danish newspaper, but reluctant to vent their anger on the streets.


Samir Zaghir, 30, an employee of the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says the cartoons are offensive to many Arabs and Muslims.

"Have you ever see any Muslim write about Jesus in this way?" he asks.

Khalil Ansara, a Palestinian Christian, says that people in Ramallah accept that religion cannot be criticised publicly.

"Think about Christianity two hundred years ago in Europe and there was no freedom of expression," says the 38-year-old lawyer.

"Freedom of expression does not apply to religion in Palestine but in terms of politics we can talk about anything."


PAKISTAN, Aamer Ahmed Khan
Protests in Pakistan against the controversial cartoons have so far remained muted but the debate is just beginning to pick up.

Hundreds of religious activists have marched in Karachi to protest against the cartoons.

The protesters demanded that the French and Norwegian ambassadors in Pakistan be declared personae non gratae and also criticised the government for its "criminal silence" on the issue.

Over the last two days, similar demonstrations have been held in Lahore and Multan.

The cartoons have been condemned by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, who said they could not be defended as freedom of speech.

The situation remains volatile as the controversy has erupted at the start of the Muslim mourning festival of Moharram - a period of highly volatile religious sentiments.


INDONESIA, Rachel Harvey
Up until Friday there had been very little reaction to the cartoons, but a well known hard-line Muslim organisation has now staged a protest at the building where the Danish embassy is based.

 
Protesters gathered at the Danish Embassy in Jakarta

The embassy is on the upper floor of an office building. The protesters, maybe numbering 150-200 at their height, stormed into the lobby and started pelting eggs. They tore down the Danish flag.

But they seemed to be calmed when the Danish ambassador offered to sit down and discuss the issue with some of them.

We spoke to one of those inside the room and he said that the ambassador made clear that these cartoons were not meant to offend or be patronising, but clearly they had caused offence. And he issued an apology for that.

We were told that apology had been accepted. The protesters had all gone away.

They moved from the Danish embassy to the offices of a local newspaper.

Yesterday it had posted on its website one of these cartoons as a means of illustrating what this row is all about.

That in itself has caused offence and the newspaper has given its own apology.

That gives a sense of how difficult this issue is here.


EGYPT, Ian Pannell
I think the protests here are coming from different areas.

The government, led by President Hosni Mubarak, has been very vocal.

He issued a very strong statement which warned of severe repercussions if this campaign and the publication of these cartoons continued. He talked about the possible terrorist threat over the cartoons.

But also religious organisations have been at the forefront of the protests.

As Friday prayers got under way in Cairo, many people were expecting, on what has been called a day of anger, that this would be a topic for many of the sermons around the country.

The newspapers have been full of commentary. Some of this has been against the West and against Denmark. It has been put in the wider context of the anti-Muslim feeling in the West.

But there are voices out there not altogether isolated which are urging caution and urging a verbal response not a physical response.

Some of these people are saying it is the job of Muslims to educate the West about their religion rather than respond in this angry way.

But the mood, certainly on the streets, is one of personal offence and personal anger.


UK, Barnie Choudhury
The cartoons have angered many Muslims in the UK.

There was a demonstration outside the BBC after the corporation showed a glimpse of the cartoons on television reports.

A demonstration has been planned outside a London mosque to coincide with Friday prayers.

It has been organised by Al-Ghuraba, described by the Muslim Council of Britain as "extremist elements".

Al-Ghuraba plans to march and protest outside the Danish Embassy in London following the prayers.

A spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, Inyat Bunglawala, said while he understood that Muslims would be hurt and offended by the cartoons, he urged them not to be provoked into breaking the law.

Muslims are offended by these cartoons for several reasons. The main one is that Muslims do not believe in idols. So any image in any form of any prophet or God is offensive.

One imam described it to me by asking me to imagine someone slagging off your parents. This is a million times worse, he said.

The Prophet Muhammad is the gateway to Allah, and is his messenger. Offend him and you offend God.

Another reason is that some of the cartoons depict the Prophet as a terrorist.

Shaykh Ibhrahim Mogra is from the Muslim Council of Britain and an imam in Leicester.

"Muslims will respect the rights of others to choose a way of life for themselves or a religion. But at the same time we reserve the right to disagree most emphatically with those lifestyles, just as others have a right to disagree with our lifestyle. This is the most offensive thing - even the vilification of God is not as offensive as this," he said.
 

[Where is Hassan Nasrallah ?]

it's getting bigger and bigger...
i dunno, im usually on the side of palestinian and such. but my hate for religions, just strikes me here.
there is indeed a huge clash between our two societies.

and where it hits, is in ART / HUMOUR ... i mean really ... there is really a gap between what we stand for, and our limits, and .... theirs.

i mean, if they only saw mtv's Dismissed, our porno movies, our music, our comedy ... we're too far off what they call "moral". i mean really.

i thought it was possible to fix things between the middle east and the west ... but the problem is not political, nor diplomatic ... it's cultural and irrational.

anyway.

[nesquick]

To a certain extent it's also quite hypocrit because the most racist and antisemitic media in the world are the arabic ones. Once again, I'm absolutely against that Mohamad uproar, but it's very hypocrit coming from people who claim their hate of jews and occident everyday in their newspapers... I mean...EVERYDAY.

[Where is Hassan Nasrallah ?]

To a certain extent it's also quite hypocrit because the most racist and antisemitic media in the world are the arabic ones. Once again, I'm absolutely against that Mohamad uproar, but it's very hypocrit coming from people who claim their hate of jews and occident everyday in their newspapers... I mean...EVERYDAY.

that's a good point. but there are issues between muslim and jews ....

while there is not really anything big between muslim and europe (especially denmark) ... so the provokation was useless ....
then again, terrorists did bomb europe ... but they are terrorists first, then muslim.

[nesquick]

that's a good point. but there are issues between muslim and jews ....

while there is not really anything big between muslim and europe (especially denmark) ... so the provokation was useless ....
then again, terrorists did bomb europe ... but they are terrorists first, then muslim.

2things here:
- Do issues allow you to act like the III reich? Do you want to know what the Iranian, Saoudian and Palestinian children learn at school? they learn the jews are evil, they study a couple of mein Kempf extracts and they are taught how to be "martyr" and suicide bombers at school. Nice lessons! That's their way to make "peace". Voting for Hamas at 75% is their way to make "peace". Yes there are issues between muslim and jews but in the jewish families and in Israeli's schools, you don't learn that. That's not the same education. Once again, maybe that's the reason why it's so hard to make peace with the Arabic world (for everybody). It's barely impossible to live peacefully with people for who their only goal is to kill you. Brainwashed and fanatized since they were babies.?Hard to discuss!
- Anyway, I agree with you on the second part of your post.

[Where is Hassan Nasrallah ?]

that's a good point. but there are issues between muslim and jews ....

while there is not really anything big between muslim and europe (especially denmark) ... so the provokation was useless ....
then again, terrorists did bomb europe ... but they are terrorists first, then muslim.

2things here:
- Do issues allow you to act like the III reich? Do you want to know what the Iranian, Saoudian and Palestinian children learn at school? they learn the jews are evil, they study a couple of mein Kempf extracts and they are taught how to be "martyr" and suicide bombers at school. Nice lessons! That's their way to make "peace". Voting for Hamas at 75% is their way to make "peace". Yes there are issues between muslim and jews but in the jewish families and in Israeli's schools, you don't learn that. That's not the same education. Once again, maybe that's the reason why it's so hard to make peace with the Arabic world (for everybody). It's barely impossible to live peacefully with people for who their only goal is to kill you. Brainwashed and fanatized since they were babies.?Hard to discuss!
- Anyway, I agree with you on the second part of your post.

i know, and i totally understand
but you also have to question yourself. where does it come from ? why such hate ? why that propaganda ?
i mean , to make a kid blow himself up for the *cause* ... there MUST be some reasons ....
i think all the *situation* you are describing, comes from something. it has reasons. things that triggered it. it's not free.
i mean, put anybody in gaza for 5 years, he'd come to hate israel too and teach his kids to hate israel.
you're looking at the symptoms, and you dont see the disease.

everything happens for a reason.

anyway, it's a complicated matter let's not fight.

[nesquick]

but you also have to question yourself. where does it come from ? why such hate ? why that propaganda ?

Are you trying to justify it? all what I said is called antisemitism in the arabic world man, is there a justification to antisemitism? Do I also have to question myself about the Nazis? "why such hate? why that propaganda?"... "ohhh if they killed 6 million jews there must be a good reason huh?"
You have a weird way to think.
 
There is no justification to hatred and terrorism. There is no justification when a mother makes children just in the goal to make them suicide bombers. Not even one.

[Sakib]

WHAt them fuckers did was cross the line of freedom of speech. Every1 abuses freedom of speech. there's something called respect. unfortunately, those danish editors crossed the line. Being a muslim myself, i fucking h8 the idea and i want to kill the bastard who thought of blaspheming the Prophet Muhammad in such an offensive manner. HOW DARE THEY!

[Sakib]

I can't stand the media. I remember when there was the 2nd Intifada, trhere were a couple a antisemitic cartoon uproar in the European press (France first of course!), some were even copied from the 30's...it was insane, the socialist had the power here and the lefties media were extremely antisemitic. It was a VERY hard time for the jews in Europe, especially in France. That's why now I can't accept this cartoon uproar against the muslim community or any other religion because as a jew I know it hurts. I knew that situation. and it's hard.

The media seems to like spreading bullshit and create troubles. Nobody in the media should insult Mahomet or Moise or Jesus, you know, it hurts people.

although i dont agree
i am very glad to see that, this is your stand
cause i know jews (and other religions) has been the target of such parodies (and i am the first one to laugh -> i'am a HUGE dieudonn? fan ... and we know how he makes fun of all that - jews AND muslim)
so even i dont agree - i am glad that a jew stick up with the muslim on that affair


then. a high muslim official in france (cause this is big on the news these days) said that NOWHERE in their book (coran) it states that the prophet shouldnt be drawn or represented.
that rule they have of not portraying the prophet is a ... more like a tradition. not? a religious rule.

so tha problem lies where you connect islam + terrorist (and here nesquick .... you're sometimes close to that edge ...)

off course, a smart muslim or a smart person period, would understand the meaning of the cartoons, only to higjlight the connection between terrorism and islam nowadays (and how terrorists use islam to justify their actions). but hey ...


but we ARE free to make fun. especially when it's not directed AT ONE PERSON, but at a general concept : religion.
we CAN make fun or religion. we CAN HATE religion if we want. (religious people do believe that atheists are going to hell after all .... so .... )

Another major point is that it does seem a bit 'unfair' for them to demand us to respect and understand their religious beliefs when they themselves don't respect and undestand all of our principles of freedom and political system. I hope all of this comes to an end soon.

BS ! ... they demand respect for a NEGATIVE? thing we did to THEM (insult)
if they dont believe in freedom of speech, that's their deal, they do as they want in their countries.

in the end, the cartoons could have been better.
showing that terrorists use islam in a wrong way, that could have been cool
but simply linking islam to terrorism in a simple manner, is just ... useless.


anyway.
Fuck all of your gods, praise the news

What he obviously didn't mention was the hadith-thing the prophet said or did and laws according to islamic shar'iah. there, there's mentions of not drawing the prophet muhammad. i believe there's a lot of propoganda going on to make muslims look badder than they r.

[SLCPUNK]

WHAt them fuckers did was cross the line of freedom of speech. Every1 abuses freedom of speech. there's something called respect. unfortunately, those danish editors crossed the line. Being a muslim myself, i fucking h8 the idea and i want to kill the bastard who thought of blaspheming the Prophet Muhammad in such an offensive manner. HOW DARE THEY!

I'm sorry, but "abusing freedom of speech" doesn't seem to make sense to me.

You only think it is "abusing it" because you do not like what is being said.

Respect is one thing and you are right, perhaps a line was crossed.

 But a lack of respect has nothing to do with freedom of speech or the abuse of that privilege.

Look at what you wrote, and ask yourself if another person may be offended by what you "said". It is freedom of speech and you can say it. But I'm sure you offended somebody by saying it.

So.........

[Izzy]

WHAt them fuckers did was cross the line of freedom of speech. Every1 abuses freedom of speech. there's something called respect. unfortunately, those danish editors crossed the line. Being a muslim myself, i fucking h8 the idea and i want to kill the bastard who thought of blaspheming the Prophet Muhammad in such an offensive manner. HOW DARE THEY!

With a post like that u reveal urself to be a truly pathetic human being, you want to kill somone over a cartoon written in a country u can't even point to on a map?

God forbid you should think for yourself rather than jump on some bandwagon

On the news there were extremists carry banners with similiar 'slogans'.

U could walk into the Vatican with a daft message about Jesus and you'd be an embarrasment, yet u write a cartoon about Muhammad and thats the end of the world? What does that say about Islam - are the people that condemn the religion totally without point?

I really do fear for the world, why are so many Muslims so pro-violence? What is turning educated muslims around the world into an anti-social gang?

Its a cartoon, it seems certain people are just waiting for opportunities to cause trouble, no one really cares about a cartoon regardless of what it says - so what is the ulterior motive here?

Its 2006, why can't we all just be friends?

[Sakib]

WHAt them fuckers did was cross the line of freedom of speech. Every1 abuses freedom of speech. there's something called respect. unfortunately, those danish editors crossed the line. Being a muslim myself, i fucking h8 the idea and i want to kill the bastard who thought of blaspheming the Prophet Muhammad in such an offensive manner. HOW DARE THEY!

With a post like that u reveal urself to be a truly pathetic human being, you want to kill somone over a cartoon written in a country u can't even point to on a map?

God forbid you should think for yourself rather than jump on some bandwagon

On the news there were extremists carry banners with similiar 'slogans'.

U could walk into the Vatican with a daft message about Jesus and you'd be an embarrasment, yet u write a cartoon about Muhammad and thats the end of the world? What does that say about Islam - are the people that condemn the religion totally without point?

I really do fear for the world, why are so many Muslims so pro-violence? What is turning educated muslims around the world into an anti-social gang?

Its a cartoon, it seems certain people are just waiting for opportunities to cause trouble, no one really cares about a cartoon regardless of what it says - so what is the ulterior motive here?

Its 2006, why can't we all just be friends?

firstly, i know exactly where Denmark is; north east of europe, near scandinavian region. 2ndly, its not some cartoon, its blasphemy, and whether the christian refuse to defend blasphemy or not, its up 2 themselves. however, muslims cant handle it. also, i dont agree with destroying the embassy, i agree with destroying the guy who designed it!