Certainly, I think all the violence in the Islamic countries over cartoons is uncalled for, and probably fueled by anti-Western sentiment that is longstanding and deeply ingrained. But it does seem to me that the western reaction does betray a striking misunderstanding of Islam – and its basis.
The Islamic belief is that God has been revealed throughout history before Mohammed, notably Abraham. But what has happened is that in the process of conveying these revelations, the essence of God’s word has been lost. Therefore, a basic tenet of Islam is that the word of God, as revealed to Mohammed, is the definitive revelation. It should not be translated or paraphrased. A corollary is that the image of Mohammed is forbidden, lest it become a worshipped image, or a translated or interpreted image. So the prohibition against representation is not just about caricature, it’s about any image of either Allah or Mohammed.
I think the Moslems have a right to ask that we respect that belief. I think their burning down buildings and rioting in the streets is an absurd way to ask…
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