Back to My Observations and Hope for a Fiery Discussion.

I have been reading all of the articles about "Muslim outrage" over cartoons picturing Muhammad and wondering what this is really all about. I was really curious to see for my self how outrageous these cartoons were. I was thinking they would be blasphemous and terrible to cause such a violent reaction.
After a little research, I found the cartoons and explanations of why they were drawn and what each cartoonist was saying.

So here it is:

the drawings

On September 30, 2005, the daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten ("The Jutland Post") published an article titled "Muhammeds ansigt"[4] ("The face of Muhammad"). The article consisted of 12 satirical caricatures (of which only some depicted Muhammad) and an explanatory text, in which Flemming Rose, Jyllands-Posten's culture editor, commented:

The modern, secular society is rejected by some Muslims. They demand a special
position, insisting on special consideration of their own religious feelings. It
is incompatible with contemporary democracy and freedom of speech, where you
must be ready to put up with insults, mockery and ridicule. It is certainly not
always equally attractive and nice to look at, and it does not mean that
religious feelings should be made fun of at any price, but that is less
important in this context. [...] we are on our way to a slippery slope where
no-one can tell how the self-censorship will end. That is why Morgenavisen
Jyllands-Posten has invited members of the Danish editorial cartoonists union to
draw Muhammad as they see him. [...] After an invitation from
Jyllands-Posten to around forty different artists to give their interpretation
on how Muhammad may have looked, twelve different caricaturists chose to respond
with a drawing each. Some of these twelve drawings portray Muhammad in different fashions; many also comment on the surrounding self-censorship debate.

In the clockwise direction of their position in the page layout:

1. The face of Muhammad as a part of the Islamic star and crescent symbol. His right eye the star, the crescent surrounds his beard and face.
2. Muhammad with a bomb in his turban, with a lit fuse and the Islamic creed written on the bomb. This drawing is considered the most controversial of the twelve.
3. Muhammad standing in a gentle pose with a halo in the shape of a crescent moon. The middle part of the crescent is obscured, revealing only the edges.
4. An abstract drawing of crescent moons and Stars of David, and a poem on oppression of women "Profet! Med kuk og knald i låget som holder kvinder under åget!". In English the poem could be read as: "Prophet you crazy bloke! Keeping women under yoke"
5. Muhammad as a simple wanderer, in the desert, at sunset. There is a donkey in the background.
6. A nervous caricaturist, shakingly drawing Muhammad while looking over his shoulder.
7. Two angry Muslims charge forward with sabres and bombs, while Muhammad addresses them with: "Rolig, venner, når alt kommer til alt er det jo bare en tegning lavet af en vantro sønderjyde" (loosely, "Relax guys, it's just a drawing made by some infidel South Jutlander". The reference is to a common Danish expression for a person from the middle of nowhere.)
8. An Arab-looking boy in front of a blackboard, pointing to the Farsi chalkings, which translate into "The editorial team of Jyllands-Posten is a bunch of reactionary provocateurs". The boy is labelled "Mohammed, Valby school, 7.A", implying that this Muhammed is a second-generation immigrant to Denmark rather than the founder of Islam. On his shirt is written "Fremtiden" (the future).
9. Another drawing shows an angry Muhammad with a short sabre and a black bar censoring his eyes. He is flanked by two women in niqaabs, having only their wide open eyes visible.
10. Muhammad standing on a cloud, greeting dead suicide bombers with "Stop Stop vi er løbet tør for Jomfruer!" ("Stop, stop, we have run out of virgins!"), an allusion to the promised reward to martyrs.
11. Another shows journalist Kåre Bluitgen, wearing a turban with the proverbial orange dropping into it, with the inscription "Publicity stunt". In his hand is a child's stick drawing of Muhammad, referring to Bluitgens upcoming illustrated children's book on the life of The Prophet. The proverb "an orange in the turban" is a Danish expression meaning "a stroke of luck", here the added publicity for the book.
12. And in the centre:
    A police line-up of seven people, with the witness saying: "Hm... jeg kan ikke lige genkende ham" ("Hm... I can't really recognise him"). Not all people in the line-up are immediately identifiable. They are: (1) A generic Hippie, (2) politician Pia Kjærsgaard, (3) possibly Jesus, (4) possibly Buddha, (5) possibly Muhammad, (6) a generic Indian Guru, and (7) journalist Kåre Bluitgen, carrying a sign saying: "Kåres PR, ring og få et tilbud" ("Kåre's public relations, call and get an offer")

The picture is not great but it gives you an idea of just what caused the problem. One page in a Danish right-wing newspaper. The entire country has just over 5 million residents and I cant imagine that too many of read this newspaper.

A paper that has far less readers than the NY Times or the Washington Post has caused quite an uproar. Now that we are all informed. What do you think?

Is there reaction understandable? Justified? Over-the top? Or dare I say expected from our peace loving Muslim neighbors?

I have an opinion but I do not want to influence yours any further than I have.

COMMENTS PLEASE!