I'm quite troubled over the cartoon controversy in Denmark, not because of the cartoons themselves, which I agree are offensive, but rather, because of the absurd overreaction of Muslims worldwide. We haven't learned from the Rushdie affair - this is yet another instance where we've gone out of our way to make ourselves look stupid.

For anyone living under a rock, here's what happened. Four months ago, on September 30th, 2005, a Danish newspaper called Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad in ways that many Muslims deemed sacrilegious. The newspaper claimed - quite foolishly, I think - that the cartoons were "part of an ongoing public debate on freedom of expression" in Denmark. There were a few protests by Muslims and meetings with the Prime Minister of Denmark, but things came to a head on January 10th, 2006, when two Norwegian papers published similar cartoons that were then circulated in the Middle East. Since then, the response has been stupendous:

There were street demonstrations and flag-burnings in the Middle East. Libya joined Saudi Arabia in withdrawing its ambassador from Copenhagen. Islamic governments and organisations, including the Muslim Council of Britain, issued denunciations and a boycott of Danish goods took hold across the Muslim world.

The Danish Government warned its citizens about travelling to Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Syria, and withdrew aid workers from the Gaza Strip.

Last night EU foreign ministers issued a statement in support of Denmark, and the European Commission threatened to report any government backing the boycott to the World Trade Organisation.

By yesterday governments across the Arab world were responding to public outrage. Libya closed its embassy in Denmark and the Egyptian parliament demanded that its Government follow suit. The Kuwaiti and Jordanian governments called for explanations from their Danish ambassadors. President Lahoud of Lebanon condemned the cartoons, saying his country "cannot accept any insult to any religion". The Justice Minister of the United Arab Emirates said: "This is cultural terrorism, not freedom of expression." In Gaza, gunmen briefly occupied the EU office in Gaza and warned Danes and Norwegians to stay away. Palestinians in the West Bank burnt Danish flags. The Islamic groups Hamas and Hezbollah and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood demanded an apology.

Supermarkets in Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen all removed Danish produce from their shelves. Arla Foods, a Danish company with annual sales of about $430 million in the Middle East, said that the boycott was almost total and suspended production in Saudi Arabia.

Those up in arms don't seem to understand that the newspaper is not government owned or produced. It is an independent newspaper, and as such the guarantee of freedom of expression allows it to do what it did. It may be in bad taste and it may be insensitive, but the newspaper has a point: freedom of expression allows individuals to express themselves in ways that may upset or offend others. Yes, that freedom is to be balanced with freedom of religion, but even so, adherents of any faith cannot expect that they will never be offended. That is the price we pay for the freedoms we enjoy. Some may claim this is a good time to bring out those old blasphemy laws, but I disagree. In fact, I would argue there are no justifiable grounds for blasphemy laws in liberal democracies.

In any case, why these Arab countries would see fit to demand that Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen apologize is beyond me. If one wanted to protest the publication of those cartoons, one could always cancel one's subscription to the newspaper. But to boycott products from the country? Burn Danish flags? Remove ambassadors to express one's displeasure? Those sorts of responses are just nonsensical. The government is not to be blamed for the idiocy of a private newspaper.

Why are we so exciteable anyway? Why even care what a newspaper thinks? The cartoons, horrendous though they may be, need not affect a Muslim's impression of the Prophet, for our tradition clearly shows him to be a man imbued with dignity, morality and goodness. The Prophet was ridiculed from the moment he started receiving revelation in Mecca more than 1400 years ago. The mockery - even the threats on his life - are well documented in the Quran and hadith literature. A few cartoons will do little to harm him - or us.

Some might argue that Islam bars any depiction of the Prophet. Even so, we Muslims cannot force other people to appreciate the Prophet the way we do. We live, for the most part, in free societies, and there are countless opportunities to share with others our own vision of the Prophet and to convince others that he is a man to be honoured and dignified. We can do so by living like the Prophet did, by behaving and speaking in the noble manner of the Prophet himself, and by showing ourselves to be the rightful followers of this blessed man.

The over-the-top reaction just shows me how much excess energy and strength the ummah retains worldwide. Frankly I wonder if Muslims are not doing a greater disservice to the Prophet when we close our eyes to the suffering and oppression in the rest of the world. There are bigger problems to tackle than the publication of 12 silly cartoons. Now, if we could only put our efforts to better purposes...

Paddy, I agree. This story has been picked up by the MSM. Most americans don't know what to think about Islam and are curious about whether its a religion of peace or not. I joined to find out more for myself about Islam and how some of its followers think and believe.

Any faith that can't tolerate mockery is immature and questionable. In the West, Christianity is constantly being made fun of and at times down-right insulted. Why do many Muslims feel so threatened! I find their reation to the present Danish cartoon unbelievable.

Is their faith founded on nothing more than tradition and a siege mentallity? Can no one robustly question their beliefs without fear of a frenzied reaction?

Yes Dr.M,
I would accept a cartoon of dynamite sticks in a menorrah if it was making a political point, or not for that matter. Just as I can withstand redicule of Christianity, even though I'm a Christian. I'm not afraid of such things.

The outrage over the political cartoons is troubling to me as a non-Muslim (don't know the PC way to state that). I have many times "defended" the fact that there is not large public outcry by the Islamic community as a whole when something happens that negatively impacts them...like terrorist acts by extremists...with the comment that Islam is not a centralized religion like Catholicism, for example.
One of the instances I recall was when three girls were beheaded and another badly injured as they walked to a Christian school in Indonesia last October. I did not hear about that terrible act on the news, I heard about it from a co-worker who had learned about it in discussion at his church. I looked online to try to find the outcry, the condemnation of this act, the rejection of its implications and was unsuccessful. I may not have looked hard enough or in the right places...but I should not have had to...I did not have to look at all for this story about the "public outrage" over these cartoons!!!
I welcome comments that might make me feel that there actually is more outrage over the deaths of innocent children than over cartoons. I understand that the cartoons are offensive to the religion as a whole, but how can a few individuals that taint the Islamic reputation have any LESS impact!! It implies implicit encouragement/approval at least from many of those I have spoken with. I had never even considered that could be true...until now.

I live in the United Kingdom, and am a firm believer in a tolerant, multi-cultural society, one I believe that by it's great melting pot of race, religion and culture, makes us a great advocate of democracy and freedom. But what I cannot abide is what I saw today....thousands of Muslims, children including, outside the Danish Embassy in London, calling for the beheading and killing of any human who denounces the prophet. I read a copy of the Koran a while back, at the end was a post script by a Muslim Professor, who denounced very lengthily, the legitimacy of Jesus Christ as a prophet of God. Now if we reversed this, and had the same statement against Mohammed as a post script to the Bible by a Christian Professor, we would have had a fatwah issued against this man, and anyone involved in the publication of this Bible, plus mass burnings of the book, along with the religious icons and meanings this bible contains. Such Hypocrisy, where Muslims are allowed to denounce our prophet, we must refrain from any freedom of speech...within our own DEMOCRATIC and ancient society. I say to these extreme Muslims...watch your step, we have allowed you your freedom within our country, gracefully and fully, but if you choose to live here, you MUST abide by our cultural and long developed social democracy.
For you to call for beheading and killing, and allowing your CHILDREN to take part in this, is wholly and unashamedly disgusting and abhorrent to our Christian values. You must learn to respect our ways if you choose to live here. If not...then to be sadly frank...GET OUT!
Today where were the police to arrest and halt these incitements of religious hatred?
We are treading on very sensitive religious ground in the Western world, but particularly in the UK with the july terrorist bombings so fresh in our minds. I speak to all fundamental extreme Muslims, mark my words, abide by our ways, or you will be forced to abide by ours, or leave our country. People who incite hatred, do not belong here.

Ed, can you kindly give a full bibliographical account of that translation and that so called lengthy article that denounces "Jesus Christ as a prophet of God" by a Muslim, which is crazy since Muslims believe Jesus to be a prophet of God as a cardinal belief. Please don't tell me you can't remember. And also give the name of this so called Muslim.

Ed, you made an excellent point! Thank you. It is hard to belive that these new citizens of Great Briton, France, Germany and other Eorpoean contries think it is their birthright to lieve there. They do not understand that the reasEd, you made an excellent point!
Thank you. It is hard to believe that these new citizens of Great Briton, France, Germany and other European countries think that is their birthright to live there. They do not understand that the reason Europeans tolerate them is because of Europe's Christian roots. It seems as though they test Europeís tolerance and try to push to the limit. Well, when they find that limit, I am afraid it will be too late. Jewish people were much smarter, richer, and looked much more European, but in only some 5 years more then 6 million of them were killed by the Europeans. It is amazing that this recent history is almost forgotten. They are burning cars in Paris, they are demanding special treatment, and now they ask for beheadings. Do they think that people are going to like them more? I think tolerance of Europe is running out on them.
on eurpoeans tolerate them is becasue of Europe's christian roots.

Migocup, I was referring to the protests outside the Danish Embassy today, and how they effect our nationale....we do not accept this behaviour in our country, it is totally against English Christian belief.

Please read my message again, and reply to the point being made, this the whole reason why I made the effort of messaging this forum.

As for your arguments about the denunciation of Jesus, well please, you may need to re-read your Quran.....

Muhammad the prophet of Islam, 600 hundred years after Jesus, also with a stroke of a pen, trashed the crucifixion of Jesus and His divinity, thereby destroying the foundation of Christian dogma (Hebrew 22:9) since there wouldnít be any Christianity on the face of this earth if there was no crucifixion and death on the Cross of Jesus. The Cross is the cornerstone of Christianity, no Cross no Christianity, period, coupled with the denial of His divinity "And behold! God will say: O Jesus the son of Mary didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah? He (Jesus) will say: Glory to thee, never could I say what I had no right (to say)". Surah 5:116. Here the Koran is denouncing the Jesus of the Bible as a blasphemer and liar for His claim of divinity, corrupting and crediting the Bible with the false teaching of the divinity of Mary the mother of Jesus. Then, according to Islam, all Christians have been fooled and scammed for 2000 years, deceived by a corrupted Bible (which is another claim fed to Muslims worldwide since birth by their Islamic authorities to deny them the reading of the Bible).

As for you Timothy, I find your comments about the Jews utterly abhorrent, who are you people!!! I am a caring soul, I do not wish for revenge or death, I believe in Love, Equality, and Fraternity. I am disgusted by your comments on the murder by some of the worst criminals in history of 6 million Jews, plus all the other scapegoats...how dare you!!!

Please, if you are going to reply to my message, please reply in kind to my comments on the reprehensible behaviour of the Muslims outside the Danish Embassy in London today....in my country, a true Briton would not be allowed to get away with this, and the situation will become untenable if it persists...please re-read my message, and only bother to reply if you have constructive comment to make.

As an afterthought Migocup, this link may bring you up to date on your apparent ignorance of the triune issue between the Christian writings of 2000+ years ago, and of your Propehet's writings 600 years later.
http://answering-islam.org.uk/Gilchrist/Challenge/chap2.html

Ed,

you can not take that away from European history, no matter now much you hate it. As for me "people", my grandparents risked their lives by hiding Jews in their home. It seems that you think very highly of yourself, you are ìCaring Soulî. How about ìmark my words, abide by our ways, or you will be forced to abide by oursî ñ these are your words. All I am doing is looking at history. This awful tragedy happened just some 60 years ago, and are you trying to tell me that a small gang of Germans committed this unspeakable crime? Are you aware that your beloved Britain had violated its Mandate and halted Jewish immigration into Palestine? (In particular, Article 5 of the Mandate given unanimous approval by the Leagues of Nations at the San Remo Conference on July 24, 1922). Are you aware that they were turning ship full of Jewish immigrants from Europe back, knowing that these people will be surely killed by the Nazis? Are you aware that this very betrayal by British guaranteed Hitlerís death camps would be full? What a lack of honor and character! I believe these very actions are responsible for God destroying the British Empire. Britain had betrayed Jewish people to gain friendship of the Arabs, and now you have them. I hope you will find this to be constructive.

Again, this is turning away from my original argument, is there no constructive comment to be had on my original message about the protests at the Danish Embassy in London yesterday? What is the point of this forum if we cannot answer to the original question about the publication of the now infamous cartoons.

And please Timothy, the message you posted before actually advocated the killing of 6 million jews, in turn, making this threat to the Muslims living in europe, all this talk of tsunamis and Earthquakes killing Muslims.

Why the paradox? Can you not stick to one argument....no...then you change your mind....that's the difference between you and me, I make a point that resonates, you twist and turn in your reasoning in a dseperate attempt to exonerate yourself from your mindless and disgusting comments, relating the holocaust to an eventuality that in your mind will overtake the Muslims in Europe!!!! You are truly a disturbed man!

As for your comments about the mandate on Jewish immigration issues by the Brits...fair enough, but when the final turn came, please remember exactly who it was who liberated these concentration camps and destroyed the Nazi tyranny....the Americans , Canadians, the French, the Soviets, and the British at Belsen. If it wasn't for Englands amazing victory, outnumbered by 4 to 1 by the luftwaffe at the Battle of Britain, we may not have had the freedoms that Europe enjoys today.

At first you rejoice in my original message, and now you actually turn on my country as well, what a turncoat you are!!! As I said before, your arguments do not sum up, as anyone who disagrees with you you will turn against (I have read your previous messages). I will not waste my time with you again, only just to say, that again, this is missing the whole point of my original message about the protests in London yesterday outside the Danish Embassy.

Timothy, you are a sick man....seek help!!!

Hail to the Brits, they liberated concentration camps!

The point was to liberate the people, not the camps. My comments are factual with absolutely no name-calling, dear Englishmen.

ermmm, last point...we actually did liberate, along with the allies, the peoples of Greece, France, Italy, Belgium, Holland to name a few....so stick that in your pipe and smoke it...and yes, WE ARE HAILED by these people as their liberators, and are accorded ceremonies every single year since in the honour of the hundreds of thousands of servicemen who died liberating these people, including two of my great uncles.
Now that really is the last time I can be bothered to reply to your inane and infantile ramblings....peace be with you, and I hope sanity becomes your friend.....

Ed,

Should I have said hail to self-righteousness? ìI am not talking to you anymore, I am better than you areî - this is more than just funny. ìSmoking Pipe?î Have you gone to sleep yet? I do not believe you are awake already and have all this free time to spend on the internet. (Unless you are not in Britain at the moment). Nevertheless, you did not explain broken mandate very well, and Brits were not fighting for the human race, there were simply fighting for their lives. I think Britain is an OK country, nothing out of ordinary. It produced its share of fine gentlemen.

I think you are right, we should stop talking.

I really came onboard to ask a question. And it seems that nobody can, or not willing to give me an answer ñ Can the Prophet defend himself?

Thanks,
Tim

Ed, mother dearest, I ask what i want to ask. The link you posted is as authentic as your idolatry, triune or otherwise.

I will keep you guys posted on the response I get from the newspaper, if any.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 20:27:50 -0800 (PST)
From: Liaquat Ali
Subject: I have an urge to express myself.
To:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to bring a portable toilet in Jyllands-Posten Editor Carsten Juste's office and relieve myself in the portable toilet. The portable toilet would be professionally transported in and out of the office at my own expense.

Would that be considered offensive to the newspaper and to the Danish people?

Thanks
Liaquat Ali

And gentlemen, I ask what I want to ask also, although it seems somehow strange, how neither of you, although you replied to my original message, could actually reply to my original QUESTION!!! I have no time anymore to waste on the two paradoxical characters of Migocup and Timothy, who when beaten in argument, resort to unintelligable answerings....guys, I think it's time for you to re-educate yourselves.....don't you?
Goodnight, and God Bless!

Here is what was going on in England today:

More than 500 people, led by the extremist group al-Ghuraba, formerly al-Mujahiroun, marched to the Danish embassy in Knightsbridge carrying banners calling on Muslims to "massacre" those who insult Islam and chanting: "Britain, you will pay, 7/7 on its way.
Passersby stopped police officers to ask why the marchers were being allowed to carry banners threatening further suicide attacks in the city. One police officer replied: "Don't worry. We are photographing them."

Guardian Unlimited

Alright trolls, take your psuedo-multicultural claptrap elsewhere. Boy, the nazis are sure crawling out today. Dont complain about angry people in the streets, after what you racist tri-thiest miscreants pulled. What kind of idiot links to a bunch of lying spineless cowards like "answering-islam"?! Fools in glass homes shouldnt throw stones.
Very nice letter there Liaquat. Just what the doctor ordered, except I'd apply to most of the Europeans.

DrM,

You seem to be the intelligent one. Can you answer my question? Or is it too difficult?

Timothy,

In the Qur'anic scheme of things, God comforted Muhammad as follows:

Yusuf Ali 21:41 Mocked were (many) apostle before thee; But their scoffers were hemmed in by the thing that they mocked.
http://www.islamawakened.com/quran/21/41/default.htm

Muslims must re-learn that "change the channel" is not a 20th century European/American invention. The Wise Qur'an taught Muslims to "change the channel" 1,400 years ago. Check this out:

Yusuf Ali 6:68 When thou seest men engaged in vain discourse about Our signs, turn away from them unless they turn to a different theme. If Satan ever makes thee forget, then after recollection, sit not thou in the company of those who do wrong.
http://www.islamawakened.com/Quran/6/68/default.htm

Yusuf Ali 28:55 And when they hear vain talk, they turn away therefrom and say: "To us our deeds, and to you yours; peace be to you: we seek not the ignorant."
http://www.islamawakened.com/Quran/28/55/default.htm

Notice "peace be to you", and NOT "curse be to you".

I love to see where the Qur'an demands, requires or even encourages Muslims to "Defend the Prophet".

That said, the implied outcome, in verse 21:41, of the mocking of prophets is fascinating to me.

Note: Above are my understanding of the issue at hand. I am not claiming to be an authority of any kind. Please do your own verification of my assertions.

Thanks

Liaquat Ali
Founder
The Qur'an Institute, Inc.
http://www.qaiu.org