http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=sto...afp/europeislammediajordanarrest_060204143615
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060204/ap_on_re_mi_ea/prophet_drawings
One of the reasons the Danish paper asked cartoonists to make the pics was because they observed media self-sensorship re these muslim peculiarities.
In fact then, there has been appeasement all along, on the prime front that can make a difference, the press. At one point, a small Danish newspapaper decided it was tired of living in fear. These Danes represent all of us who are tired of living with death threats coming from dead prophets. Those of us who are condemning the Danes demonstrate a high tide of hypocrisy, while the enraged muslims demonstrate a high tide of dishonesty. Both sides, those threatening, and those being threatened are dishonest with us and themselves.
Many of us secretly cheer the Danes, while lip servicing the radicals. Despite appearances, the Danish actions are change for the better from the status quo stalemate. This is true morality, and kudos to them. Do we think that when old, useless structures are challenged that there won't be a backlash? Then we are just kidding ourselves. If we are not ready for even this, we cannot be ready for the next positive steps.
Cartoons are ultimately non-violent forms of protest. Cannot the proud Arabs think of a few cartoons of their own with which to respond? To accept this violence through appeasment will only cater to the inherent dishonesty about it, and delay the necessary change in human consciousness we will need to move foreward and survive on this planet.
This whole business of taking offense, percieving insult...IS the problem...not the cartoons. This is the consiousness that needs to change to move foreward.
JohnnyK