Tikkabik

I've been ruminating for a while on this woeful incident involving a Danish newspaper's editorial cartoon depiction of Mohammed as a terrorist and the -- perhaps predictable, but still horrible -- violent reaction in the Muslim world. Last night I saw an interview with the editor of the newspaper in question and one of the first Muslims to raise an objection to it.

Denmark, the newspaper editor suggests, has a proud tradition of secularism, and the newspapers there regularly take the piss out of all organized religion. We're equally offensive to Jews and Christians, is his basic claim. I think that's pretty lame, and thoughtless. Historically, Denmark was primarily white and Christian, and still is. Thanks partly to an influx of darker skinned immigrants, there's been a big uprise in right wing ideology there, as there is elsewhere in Europe.

It occurs to me that the local Muslims who object so strongly to this are only too painfully aware of that and of the race-baiting that such a cartoon depiction of Mohammed engenders. Perhaps that provoked their actions, perhaps not. But I can certainly understand why they'd be offended, and defensive.

Islam's prohibition of images of the Prophet is a pretty well-ingrained tradition in all Abrahamic faiths, though Christians seem not to adhere to the second commandment very much -- at least the "graven images" part. So for many of us, the offense that's been taken is fundamentally beyond the scope of our experience. We're accustomed to it. That doesn't make it right.

Here in the United States, we draw the line for the freedom of expression and the freedom of the press at obscenity -- herein defined as "offensive and disgusting by accepted standards of morality and decency." At least that's what my e-dictionary says. By that measure, devout Muslims may very well be within their rights to be outraged at the Danish newspaper's actions.

Does that give anyone the right to kill or destroy property? No, absolutely not.

But just remember, when you see these demonstrations and riots on television -- you're looking at a minority. You're not looking at everyone representing that creed or that nationality. And small-minded people can be easily roused to violence when they're called. Our collective history as a species is filled with examples of such behavior.

If we're ever going to succeed as a pluralistic global society, we're going to have to learn how to respect one another, even if we don't always like one another.