America's attempts to appease "Muslim opinion" are depraved and suicidal.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

For the people who orchestrated those protests - those cartoons validated everything they have been telling their people for years.

And, ironically, those that orchestrated the protests also validated the very point the cartoons were ultimately making. This really cuts both ways, doesn't it?

I don't disagree. I just think that there would have been no rioting (over this issue) if the cartoons had depicted a positive image of prophet. Whether or not the islamic doctrine prohibits ANY such depiction, it would be rather more difficult to drive people into a frenzy over something that doesn't confirm preconceived views about western contempt for islam.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

For the people who orchestrated those protests - those cartoons validated everything they have been telling their people for years.

And, ironically, those that orchestrated the protests also validated the very point the cartoons were ultimately making. This really cuts both ways, doesn't it?

I don't disagree. I just think that there would have been no rioting (over this issue) if the cartoons had depicted a positive image of prophet. Whether or not the islamic doctrine prohibits ANY such depiction, it would be rather more difficult to drive people into a frenzy over something that doesn't confirm preconceived views about western contempt for islam.

I'd go along with that if it wasn't for the fact that the vast majority of the rioters never saw any of the cartoons to begin with. They were told what was depicted. And some of what they were told wasn't even true. It's been reported that the word on the street was, for example, that one of the cartoons showed the prophet as being Osama or fcuking animals and we all know that no such cartoon had been published. Truth and fact, I'm afraid, mattered little to those inciting hatred, violence and murder.

My point has been and remains that violence and hatred and murder has been, is being and will continue to be incited and committed whether there are or aren't any cartoons depicting the prophet and whether he'd be depicted favorably or unfavorably.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

My point has been and remains that violence and hatred and murder has been, is being and will continue to be incited and committed whether there are or aren't any cartoons depicting the prophet and whether he'd be depicted favorably or unfavorably.

Again I don't disagree. My problem with this issue is the way it has polarised opinions between the west and the muslim world, pushing us further away from the rational discourse that is sorely needed at the moment.

We in the west hold most of the power, and the majority of the world's wealth. We live in a (relatively) enlightened society with a code of social and moral values derived from our Christian heritage, and also from secular liberal humanism. Surely it is up to us to set the example to the rest of the world by demonstrating those values, redistributing that wealth; and by exhibiting appropriate behaviour?

In those terms it's perfectly reasonable to condemn the publication of the cartoons as irresponsible, while at the same time defending the democratic traditions that allow people to express their opinions, however odious and distasteful they might be.

In this specific case, we provided the ammunition that fanatic leaders were able to seize upon and use to validate their political agenda. Yes they distorted it, exaggerated it and blew it up out of proportion. That was part of their strategy to further inflame opinion and incite people to violent action. They were simply telling a lot of ignorant and uneducated people what they wanted to hear and already believed. My point is they (the orchestrators) purposefully ignore western opinions that are sympathetic to muslims, choosing instead to focus on the most negative and stereotypical opinions.

Incidentally, a lot of people in the west do much the same thing - by choosing to ignore (or being honestly ignorant of) moderate muslim opinions that hate the fundamentalists (just as we do), yet have specific, legitimate criticisms of the governments of the US and Europe. How many times do you hear "Where is the outrage?" It's there if you look for it, sadly much of it doesn't appear in our media, which lets face it has a tendency to oversimplify the issues or present them in very polarised terms.