[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by mani

Jordanian independent tabloid al-Shihan reprinted three of the cartoons on Thursday, saying people should know what they were protesting about, AFP news agency reports.
"Muslims of the world be reasonable," wrote editor Jihad Momani.
"What brings more prejudice against Islam, these caricatures or pictures of a hostage-taker slashing the throat of his victim in front of the cameras or a suicide bomber who blows himself up during a wedding ceremony in Amman?"

I believe the editor has since lost his job for saying that, which is a great pity.

Originally Posted by mani

yes we do realise that some of the reaction has been more than over the top. protest if you must but why step over the mark and start death threats...

I do agree with this. Everyone should have a right to protest about something which they find hurtful and offensive to themselves, their way of life and their religion. If that objection was put forward in a dignified and civilised way then I think they would be far more likely to gain people's respect and perhaps people would look at themselves again and ask are they being humerous or are they merely seeking to belittle and ridicule. To me the former is acceptable, the latter isn't.

I find it interesting that we are told the face of the prophet must never be depicted and yet there are paintings and drawings of him which have existed for centuries, some even produced by muslims.

Those cartoons would probably have faded into obscurity if such a fuss hadn't been made but now so much attention has been drawn to them that more and more people are clamouring to see them and more and more people are publishing them. I've seen them and personally I think they are a load of rubbish. They have obviously been drawn by (a) narrow minded individual(s) who should never have attracted so much attention. Unfortunately there will always be people who think along the lines of those cartoonists whether they see the cartoons or not, you can't make laws which stop people from thinking even if you stop them from expressing those thoughts. There are also many people who think the cartoons are tasteless and moronic, but who have now come down in defense of their publication purely as a result of the reaction from the muslim world and I find that very sad indeed.