Cartoon Riots: Violence is Islamic Reality

By: Steve Yuhas

In May of 1754 Benjamin Franklin published the first editorial cartoon in what would become America.

In September 2005 the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, published a series of cartoons that depict various views of Islam and Muhammad. 

After nearly five months the people in the Middle East have decided to react. 

They did not write letters to the editor or call into radio programs; there was no peaceful boycott (outside of a lopsided attempt in Egypt) and the attempt to show Islam as the religion of peace, a phrase made famous by President Bush when talking about the war on terror, has failed.

The shameful truth is that Muslims in the Middle East are acting exactly the way they always have when it comes to political dissent and protest: violently and in the name of Allah against the west.

What a way to change minds: feign offense several months after a comic strip appears, ignite the Arab street (particularly in places where demonstrations for freedom or against the ruling elite would be quashed) and then to show your anger in exactly the way a cartoon shows that you would.

The interesting thing about the protests in the Middle East and elsewhere is that cartoons depicting decapitation of Americans, burning effigies of Western leaders and anti-Jewish cartoons are commonplace. 

It appears that the anger about cartoons is not only misplaced considering that people in the Middle East are burning Israeli flags along with those of the United States and European nations (no Israeli and few US newspapers have published all of the cartoons; they are included here so they can be seen in context), but hypocritical on top of it.

Now the Middle East is ablaze with the imaginary anger of Muslims who would not have seen the cartoons, but for their political leadership allowing them to see them.  If Muslims are trying to disavow the depiction of a violent religion in Islam someone really needs to step up and let them know that rioting and killing in the name of Allah is not exactly the best way to show that Islam is peaceful.

When 3,000 people were murdered in 2001 we know at least one set of terrorists yelled “Allah Akbar” before their deaths. They were killing in the name of Allah and for their religion and there were many in the Islamic world dancing in the streets, passing out candy and shooting their AK47s into the air in celebration.

Now there are Muslims in the streets again.  This time they are upset that a cartoon face of Muhammad was printed in a newspaper.  Any genuine critic has to realize that for pretend depictions are not exactly the same as creating a golden cow.

Iran and Syria are allowing people to riot and burn the embassies of foreign countries (sovereign territory – someone should tell the Danes that they have the right to defend them) and Muslims are doing exactly what the cartoons they oppose accuse them of being: violent in the name of Allah.

Cartoons will forever be a staple in politics and international affairs.  It is shameful that a few cartoons have been hijacked by dictators for the benefit of foreign cameras and to ignite even more religious zealotry than is already there.

The old cliché is true: what goes around comes around and what Muslims have to understand is that the world is watching as cartoons they print move across the world at lightning speed.  Why should their prophet or their religion be off limits to commentary? 

It should not and I say reproduce them so all can see and hope that a courageous news channel will put the innocuous cartoons in split screen next to burning buildings and dead bodies that resulted from them.

If Muslims are willing to kill over cartoons – what else are people to think except that they are willing to kill over just about anything? By the way, in 1754 nobody rioted, dumped tea or killed a single Muslim.

How times change.

Steve Yuhas is a columnist and radio talk show host on KOGO AM 600 and may be reached at www.steveyuhas.com or steve@steveyuhas.com