i'm curious about the controversy over this danissh cartoon strip. i
would like to see the cartoon myself and see if that affects my
opinion on the matter. however i have noticed that the image is not
easily attaned on the internet. whats going on?

The cartoon can be viewed at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyllands-Posten_Muhammad_cartoons

In order to understand the depth of insensitivity shown by this set of
caricatures, here is a link the words of an exceptional muslim leader
in the world today, the His Highness the Aga Khan, in the Awarding of
an Honorary Doctorate by University of Évora for his ?Material and
Spiritual Service to Humanity?: http://akdn.org/speeches/2006Feb12.htm

A brief history of His Highness the Aga Khan: http://www.iis.ac.uk/hhak/hhak_l2.htm

If you/we/all humans really want the truth, remember that the mind is
like an umbrella; it only functions when it is open. I encourage
you/we/all humans to listen and not shout, and appreciate the
diversity of human beings in a humble and dignified manner.

Alnashirk

OK.  I read the linked article....and I just don't know where to begin.

Have you not seen the cartoons of the Holocaust that Muslim papers
have been publishing for years?

Do you not think that offence is one thing, but Jihad is quite another?

Things offend everyone from time to time - but mostly we just move on;
freedom of speech and beliefs and all that.

Personally I think all religion is nonsense - but I'm quite happy to
defend the right of any person to believe what they want.

And as for the outrage expressed in Iran...well, when they stop
stoning women to death for being accused of adultery then perhaps I'll
listen.

Christianity, Islam, Jedi, Pastafarianism (yes, the spaghetti god),
Greek pantheon - all completely mad in my view and quite dangerous.

Oh, and I feel exactly the same about Bible-bashers in the US.

Poet

Let me fuurther clarify my stance. I am not aware of holocaust
cartoons prior to the Danish caricatures. My apologies for that.
However, I must hold myself to the same standard I have set and also
oppose their display in the media. One thing that may be slightly
different is that the way muslims revere Muhammed is both on an
esoteric as well as exoteric levels. It is very, very forbidden on all
levels to portray images of Muhammed, especially those that seem to
implicate all muslims as being turban-attired, serial bombers. I stand
to be corrected if my Jewish brothers and sisters have something
similar ideologically , such as muslims have the reverence of
Muhammed.

Given the migratory patterns of human beings brought about by
globalization and its effects, if we, people from different walks of
life, are to live together in peace and harmony, and now knowing that
it would cause muslims to be very upset, why try to justify freedom of
speech by such a reaction?

The North American media have the right to publish the caricatures as
it is not illegal in the eyes of the law of that land. Absolutely
true. But, given the immense sensitivity behind this issue, why would
any media outlet still publish these caricatures? There are other ways
to show who's boss while respecting what one holds true to the soul.

I am not condoning the subsequent violence. The violence seen is as
bad as the hurt caused by the caricatures. Let alone deaths from
rioting.

Insofar as criticisms of Iran in terms of gender imbalances, the true
justification of an action shouldn't be another negative reaction.
Most, if not all, countries in the world have gender imbalances and
associated evils. One cannot compare rape in North America to stoning
a woman, or Pedophilic behaviour to gang rapes in Pakistan, sexual
assaults in the work place to forced female genital mutilation in
Malawi: In all these cases, the woman's mind, body and soul are
violated. There are ways and means to combat rape and pedophiles in
civilised countries, brought about by a legal system that our
forefathers have worked tirelessly to achieve, as well as education at
all levels of the human being.

I am not condoning any of these behaviours. Just that if we are to
leave the earth to our children better off than we got it, we have to
work very, very hard socially, culturally, economically,
environmentally, and politically to ensure this happens. Trials and
tribulations are a part of life. Religion and/or faith provides solace
to a human being to get through life and get the most out of life. If
there are over 1 billion muslims, over 3 billion christians, and given
the fact that communities are becoming more and more diverse, more
attention needs to be paid by government and civil society to ensure
people are able to live in peace and harmony. Not agreeing is a part
of life. But proving something at the expense of destroying a person's
faith-based axiom I feel is not a sustainable path we need to follow.

The violent response to the cartoons is based on the perceived insult
of showing a representation of prophet: something that many muslims
feel is blasphemous. Given that, I do not understand why there was no
outcry when the cvartoons were repulished on 17 October in an Egyptian
newspaper, al-Fagr. The paper said they were racist and would insult
Muslims everywhere and predicted an outcry. However, at this stage,
nothing happened on the streets. Surely the response should have been
even stronger, since the publishers clearly new that what they were
doing was wrong.
All of this suggests that the real reason for the outcry is less
religious than political

Alnashirc, I wanted to thank you for your very thoughtful and helpful
comments here. I've read too much garbage about this controversy on
both sides, and it was refreshing to come across your wisdom. If only
everyone who ran newspapers and governments thought with such clarity
and goodwill! As a Jew, let me say that I hope we can all find a way
to live together in justice and peace.

B'shalom, 
Roger

there is a website that might be of help tho....
http://danielneamu.rdscv.ro/?q=Danish-Mohammed-Cartoon     check it
out