Have Muslims Become Caricatures?
Another point of view

It is alleged that the initiative to publish the 12 drawings was a campaign against the Muslims in Denmark and in the rest of the world. President Musharraf of Pakistan called it a “glaring mistake”, saying that they will stoke tensions between the Muslim world and the West. He clearly was referring to the clash of civilization theory which is viewed as war between the religions or crusades in the Islamic world.

The Muslim world is up in arms and some extremist voices are asking for revenge. Saudi Arabia, of all countries, has recalled its ambassador from Denmark, Libya has closed its embassy in Denmark. Egypt, a perennial loan hunter from the international sources, has refused to accept a $72 million Danish loan. Danish products are being boycotted all over the Muslim world. There have been threats and some Danes claim that they expect bombs in their country pretty soon.

Jyllands-posten, a Danish Newspaper, published the drawings some four months ago. There were protests from the Muslim community in Denmark. Artists and editors received death threats; the embassies of several Muslim countries lodged a complaint with Danish prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen (who refused to meet with them "because it is so crystal clear what principles Danish democracy is built upon that there is no reason to do so"); and 5,000 Muslims protested in the streets of Copenhagen”. After that it appeared that the story had lost steam. But that was not to be. Reportedly, some Muslim clerics from Denmark traveled to the Middle East and Palestine and re-ignited the issue within the last week or so.

The Newspaper Jyllands-posten quickly came out with a sort of apology on the front page of its web site. Explaining the circumstances behind the drawings, the Editors wrote, (1)

“On 30 September last year, Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten published 12 different cartoonists’ idea of what the Prophet Mohammed might have looked like. The initiative was taken as part of an ongoing public debate on freedom of expression, a freedom much cherished in Denmark.”

Jyllands-posten maintained the right to publicize such things.

Was this really a project or initiative to test the boundaries of press freedom or was it a deliberate attempt to test Muslim sensibilities in Denmark? If it was part of an ongoing public debate then, apparently, only Muslim sensibilities were the subject of this project. The paper never followed it up by discussing the Jewish or Christian sensibilities.

The Islamophobia in Demark is on the rise. The ascent in Denmark of the far right anti-immigrant Danish People’s Party has made people notice the cracks in Danish society. In Denmark this is a recent trend.

The country has always been one of the most liberal countries in Europe. Religion has never been an important issue for the Danes. Barely two percent Danes attend church on a regular basis. It is a fairly tolerant country but things began to change in the 70s when Muslim immigrants started to appear in Denmark claiming political asylum. “Denmark after 1986 became a destination of choice for Islamist Militants from places such as Algeria and Egypt. They did not integrate well with Danes -- they refused to learn Danish, refused to work, allow women to work, demanded state Islamist schools for their children, many other items. Beginning in the 1990’s the Danish immigrant advocates who had supported immigration began to pull back after several quite difficult events -- and that created the opening for the anti-immigrant political party, which on the whole has drawn move members from the Social Democrats on the left than it has from the Center right parties -- Venstra and Conservative.”

Omar Marzauk, a Danish comedian, used to joke that he should have born a poodle, not a Muslim [in Denmark] “Dogs in this nation have their own burial grounds, and Muslims don’t," he would say. "So I either have to be sent out of this country in a box or change my name to “Fluffy”. Like most satire, there is truth in jest: Denmark’s Muslims have not been granted land for Islamic cemeteries and have had to conduct traditional burial rights in other countries.(2)

“The Danes love their beer -- and since they joined the EU in 1972, they have fallen madly in love with French Red Wine. They eat oodles of Pork, and much of their national wealth is based on their superior breeds of lean pigs. In recent years many of the Islamist Mosques have been campaigning against any compromise with people who "live like this" -- setting up the cultural conflict that is now way beyond "tolerance" messages. “

“Two years ago Denmark made laws to exclude Muslim Clerics who are not fluent in Danish -- and they are gradually ending the visas for those who came earlier who preach a separatist Islamic message. They have indeed passed laws that allow them to send people home which have not been enforced broadly.”(3)

Denmark has a fair amount of anti-immigration sentiments which followed the Dutch-like feeling of losing whatever was thought to be the Danish identity.

Jyllands-posten has been regarded as a right-wing paper in Denmark. “The paper has regarded itself as an independent right-wing (borgerlig in Danish)” newspaper (4). It is published from a right-wing stronghold city and has a circulation of about 150,000. The anti immigrant sentiments in that area run pretty high and there are some genuine concerns that this was not just an initiative in “an ongoing freedom of press debate” but was a deliberate attempt to ridicule and humiliate Muslims in Denmark.

Most European countries have deemed it a Freedom of Press issue. Several newspapers in different parts of Europe, notably French and German, have shown solidarity with the Danish paper by publishing the drawings. BBC in England has shown glimpses of them in its programs. European Union has tried to wash its hands from the controversy by hiding behind the Freedom of Press mantra.

The Prime Minister of Denmark finally stated a personal regret of the problems. But he also indicated that he cannot control the national press.

The question is: can this be strictly called a freedom of Press issue? Remember that this issue came up on the heels of published reports about the desecration of the Quran at the Guantanamo Bay. The suspicion that it was a deliberate attempt to humiliate Muslims cannot be brushed aside. Some commentators are claiming that it is a clear case of Hate Speech. “If this had been Judaism that was being profaned, there would have been a huge outcry about it. You wouldn’t see Judaism defamed like this in any mainstream newspaper in the West. You wouldn’t see Christianity defamed like that in a mainstream news outlet either, for that matter. Apparently Islam, the religion of "lunatics and radicals" is fair game.”

Whether it is a freedom of press issue or the hate speech issue would probably never be decided as all parties would take a strong position and would have some irrefutable arguments to support their contentions. But this is a debate that is taking place in the Western World.

What about the Muslims world?

It is quite obvious that, like the previous incidents, the Muslim world again is caught in hysterics. There are reportedly threats of violent actions. A UN office was ransacked in Gaza and a German citizen was kidnapped to be released immediately. There are demonstrations in pretty much every Muslim country. So far no one has died but if the tempo of the demonstrations continued to escalate, loss of life is certainly possible. In some demonstrations extremely distasteful signs were displayed. The pictures showed some signs demanding beheading etc. Some of those pictures were clearly photo-shopped but they had an impact.

Only one Islamic cleric Abu Sistani of Iraq so far has come out with a reasonable statement condemning both the drawings and the violent reaction by the Muslims.

Like the Danish paper had a right to publish the drawings, Muslims too have every right to demonstrate and boycott the Danish products. The boycott is a form of civil disobedience and there should not be any argument about it. If the Danish Paper can publish the drawings, Muslims certainly have every right not to buy the Danish products.

The worrisome part is the violent reaction from some Muslim groups. The Theo Van Gogh murder has not been forgotten in the Europe and the West.

It is a sad but an accepted fact that Muslims tend to show a vicious side when they are put in tight political or religious situation. The Islamic fundamentalists strongly believe in the tribal and ancient custom of eye for an eye.

There have been many incidents in Europe and the US where sensibilities of the both the Jews and the Christians were severally challenged. The “piss Jesus” and “dump on Madonna” are not forgotten in the Christian circles. Neither have the Jews forgotten many anti-Semitism incidents. Both communities protested strongly clearly showing that the Muslims do not have monopoly on both fundamentalism and intolerance.

However, both communities handled the situation with civility. No threats on life were issued, no bombs were brought into the discussions, and no office was ransacked or was fired upon.

Instead of violent and ridiculously over-the-top rioting by Muslims about the drawings that were honestly and fairly offensive, the Muslims now have an opportunity to engage the West in a serious dialog about their faith, their sensibilities and the religious taboos.

There are elements in the West that would continue to deride the Muslims but the vast majority in the West or in rest of the world would surely appreciate a reasonable and peaceful exchange of views on this subject.

Tim Cavanaugh, the editor of Reasononline Probably had the best comment. He wrote, “The Jyllands-Posten controversy is disturbing, but ultimately it is a step in the right direction for both Muslims and secularists. In an ideal, or at least a slightly better, world, nobody would be drawing goofy pictures of Muhammad because there wouldn’t be any pressing need to provoke Muslims. We don’t live in that world, so the best thing we can do is let controversy rage. It’s the only way to clear the air.”(5)