The Danish Cartoon Mess

In the latest episode of the culture clash between Islam and the secular West, tensions have never been higher and reactions have perhaps never been so widespread and utterly ridiculous.

I'll start with my stand on the cartoons. Are the cartoons distasteful? Absolutely.

I think it is unfair to stereotype any group (except for Raiders fans and Texans) as evil so demonizing an entire faith through political cartoons was insensitive and inappropriate.

But let's pay attention to why most Westerners oppose the cartoons. It isn't because they exclusively disrespect Islam. It is because they stir racial and religious discord and reinforce cultural stereotypes. In the West, we are upset on the basis of universal tolerance.

Unfortunately, the same is not true in the world of Islam. They do not riot for tolerance, coexistence, or pluralism. They riot because they are upset specifically about the ridicule of Islam.

To support my point, I'll raise the fact that Iran's largest newspaper is now holding a contest for the most offensive Holocaust cartoon, which it will publish in response to the Danish illustrations of Muhammed. Read about it here on the Al Jazeera Satellite Network.

That's my take on the cartoons. Now let's talk about the reaction.

What is reinforcing anti-Islam stereotypes in the West more - distasteful political cartoons or global rioting? Violent Muslims in protest, not Danish cartoonists, are doing more to widen the cultural divide.

Muslim leaders have been trying to distinguish their peaceful faith from the radical Islamists for years, especially since 9/11. Now, violence is rife throughout the entire world. These riots are not the works of extremists. Arguing that Islamist violence is radical rather than synonomous will be a harder argument now.

Furthermore, the same leaders that ask for distinction between Islam and terrorism are now protesting entire nations for the decisions of a few publishers. Corporations are being boycotted for the location of their headquarters. Embassies are being burned. Furthermore, these boycotts have the support of many Muslim leaders. How are they failing to distinguish between journalists, governments, and companies?

These riots are deplorable and are only reinforcing the unfavorable perception of Islam in the eyes of the West.

Finally, let's talk about the effects. The West is uniting against rioting. Islam is uniting against the West. This leaves less room for compromise at a crucial moment in history.

Hamas is in control of Palestine now, which already has Western leaders on edge. As Hamas struggles for legitimacy in the international community as a willing partner for peace, this new government will have a hard time cooperating with the West without enraging its angry rioting constituents. This will place domestic barriers to Hamas' international agenda, posing a serious threat to the peace process.

Iran is obstructing international efforts against nuclear proliferation. To this point, Iran has beena pariah with even Russia and China supporting UN inspections and possible sanctions. However, this cartoon charade helps Iran appear as a victim to Western bullying and other Islamic nations are now more prone to support Iran's resistance to the secular, disrespectful, international powers.

It will be interesting to see how this crisis diffuses and even more interesting to see the wake it will leave on the world's larger current international dilemmas.

I want to hear your thoughts.

~cbell