That's the point. The cartoon didn't offend Muslims until United Russia members in Volgograd decided it did. And boy did they make a hulabaloo.
So not only did Putin's party pander to extremist Muslim views, it artificially created the outrage and deliberately sought to stoke Muslim party opinion.
Ultimately this was all about sending a warning to the press: "We can shut you down whenever we damn well please."
That is how life is in "Free" Russia, which is now vying with Belarus for the sobriquet of "outpost of tyranny."
Nonsense! The newspaper broke the law. Is that hard for you to understand?
Interestingly, Belarus may adopt Russian currency in a step towards unification. Evil dictators unite! Since Putin now appoints governors, Belarus would be saved the trouble of rigging elections.