Opinion in Brief
They doth protest too much
By now everyone knows that a good deal of the Muslim world is up in arms about cartoons first published in a Danish newspaper last September. The drawings, one of which showed the prophet Muhammad with a bomb in his turban, were republished earlier this year in newspapers across Europe.
They doth protest too much
By now everyone knows that a good deal of the Muslim world is up in arms about cartoons first published in a Danish newspaper last September. The drawings, one of which showed the prophet Muhammad with a bomb in his turban, were republished earlier this year in newspapers across Europe.
Muslims are furious over the depictions because their religion forbids any image of the prophet. Then there’s also the fact that the cartoons are insulting and distasteful. So of course there have been numerous boycotts, riots and embassies stormed.
As understandable as their fury is, some Muslims have taken retaliation to extremes. Four protesters were shot and killed yesterday attempting to attack a U.S. military facility; seven others died in riots earlier this week. Clearly this is not advancing any cause.
In yet another brilliant effort to get back at the world, Iran’s largest newspaper has launched a contest for Holocaust cartoons. Muslims – at least some of them – seem to have lost sight over the real issue: a balance between freedom of the press and respect for religion. How can protesters expect their grievances to be taken seriously now?
