I wish that fact were being more widely reported. It has the potential to defuse much of this.

This will end badly.

Wow, we sure have a funny way of making friends.

Look, I realize that we have a ways to go in Iraq and that this kind of publicity does not help. But do stories like Abu Ghraib, comments by Tancredo about bombing Mecca, etc. really help either? Our ultimate goal is to stop (Islamic) terrorism, which will have to be done physically (Afghanistan/Iraq) and emotionally (President Bush visiting a mosque soon after 9/11 comes to mind.) The problem is we seem to be going one step forward and two steps back all the time. Afghanistan was one giant step forward to me, and we can argue on and on about whether Iraq is a step forward or backward.

One further thought: If these cartoons have hurt our image in the minds of Muslims, so to have the actions of Islamic demonstrators carrying signs about how the EU’s 911 is coming. Making non-hostile denunciations of the cartoons would have seemed the better way to respond and show which side has class. Instead, their actions have confirmed the depiction of the cartoons.

But I do have to say that it strikes me as childish and backward that a reaction to these CARTOONS is to randomly fire off guns, riot, break into buildings, and take hostages.

Clint, good point about the context with the Muslim/European thing we’ve seen so recently in France, for example…

The Commisar has put out a call for bloggers to post the Danish cartoons of the prophet Mohammad that have Muslims worldwide kind of ticked.
I’ve been slow to the party on this one, but not because I disagree about free speech. Certainly it is …

I’m also not sure what to make of the fact (thanks to Owen for bringing this to my attention) that it was Fatah gunmen doing the intimidating and kidnapping in Gaza. Perhaps they are trying to get back in touch with the base that rejected them at the polls? If Hamas and Fatah are going to take turns playing good-militant-bad-militant, this doesn’t bode well for Palestine.

Penelope-

I’m not sure. Are you saying you were offended by the deeply offensive cartoons that Danish Muslims drew themselves and then claimed were put out by the Danish newspaper? If so, I understand your offense — but you need to realize that it’s not the Danish paper that you should be offended with.

Mark-

Your red ants analogy is well taken — there are far too many people willing to stir things up in order to get attention. But I think this has to be seen as part of a continuing narrative going on in northern Europe at the moment between muslim immigrants and European natives. Put this in the context of the sensational murder of a filmmaker for offending muslims, continuing death threats against politicians, writers, journalists and filmmakers, and actual legislative debates about passing laws making it a crime to say or write things offensive to muslims.

In the context of legislative debate in the nearby British Parliament on a new law to ban speech deemed offensive to muslims, how can it possibly be beyond the pale to publish a political cartoon mocking the tendency of the muslim community to demand censorship? Yes, it was a stunt. Yes, it was intended to provoke an offended reaction — but a reaction that’s very relevant to an ongoing political debate in Europe.

That context makes all the difference. This is more akin to burning an American flag at a protest against the Flag Burning Amendment (should that ever come up for serious debate again) than to burning an American flag as an expression of hatred for America.

I haven’t jumped into the fray on the Muslim cartoon brouhaha, the main reason to see what others were saying, and second, it’s just not my cup of tea.

I really admire Michelle Malkin. She has graced this site with many an appreciated link. And I know she puts up with a lot of garbage from the leftward fever swamps.
Which is why it pains me to say how disappointed I am with her latest post. From …