First they came for the funny ones

Not this time for the ones losing newspaper jobs, but for those whose lives are literally on the line thanks to outraged Islamists offering a bounty for their heads.

The cartoonists in question are a dozen Danish artists who drew Muhammad-themed cartoons last September for the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten during an exercise to test the limits of free speech. The cartoon-a-thon was conceived in response to complaints from a Danish author who couldn't find anyone to illustrate her Muhammad children's book.

Although the book itself was not controversial, the Muslim faith considers it blasphemy to depict the Prophet in any way. Thus, in December, the youth branch of Pakistan's largest religious party, Jamaat-e-Islami, offered a bounty for murdered cartoonists.

One could make a quick argument against publishing some of the cartoons for being mediocre, but free speech makes no demand for quality. More to the point, the Danish cartoon controversy proves the larger truth that those groups most vocal in demanding tolerance from others are usually themselves the least tolerant.

Denmark is a cautionary tale for those who doubt the insidious and serious nature of our enemies and illustrates the deep schism between believers in democratic ideals and many of those we hope to convert. In the relaxed parlance of our uniquely Western attitude toward irreverence, they don't get it.

Until Muslim nations and peoples do get the idea that free expression means freedom to offend as well as the necessary correlative -- to be offended -- we have a problem. And people like former President Bill Clinton, who essentially sided with jihadists with his recent comments on the cartoon controversy,

February 1, 2006: Islam and Cartoon Physics

by Laura Mansfield

Those who have appointed themselves as protectors of the “good name” of Islam have gone too far once again with the outcry over the cartoons published in the Danish newspaper. But all of the uproar is bringing even more attention to a series of cartoons that would have probably quickly been forgotten had they just been ignored.

It appears that they are getting ready to once again learn one of the most critical laws of "Cartoon Physics": for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

In this case, the action is the widespread outcry over the cartoons that some claim defame Islam. The ensuing reaction on the part of the West will be interesting to watch.

The protesters have managed to accomplish the same thing with this that they did when the Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the death of author Salman Rushdie or insulting Islam in his book Satanic Verses. Millions of people who would never have even thought about buying and reading the book were compelled to go out and buy it, catapulting it onto the best seller lists.

The cartoons, published first in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, have sparked protests and boycotts of Danish products throughout the Islamic world.

But honestly, what’s the big deal here?

We’ve seen cartoons throughout the Muslim world demeaning everyone from Jesus Christ to world leaders such as George W. Bush and Tony Blair, but the western world barely notices.

We get insulted and then get over it. After all, freedom of the press is something we value highly in the west. But in most of the Arab world, where the masses are used to being spoon fed Pablum pre-approved by government censors, I suppose we shouldn’t expect more.

I would suggest that perhaps those who are interested in protecting the “good name” of Islam consider going to the source of the problem: the terrorists who are committing atrocities in the name of their religion.

But it appears that today’s Islamic leaders would rather call for a death sentence on cartoonists and writers, instead of calling for an end to the violence and terrorism by the likes of Bin Laden and company.

I guess that would be too much to ask.

By the way, if you’re interested in seeing the cartoons, you can access them through the link on the front page at http://www.lauramansfield.com/j/default.asp . Please note that the cartoons are the property of the copyright holder, Jyllands-Posten, and if you wish to copy or reuse these cartoons, you must first request their permission.

For more translations and news on terrorism, visit http://www.lauramansfield.com

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