Islam-OpEd: CARTOON RIOTS - WEST DOESN'T UNDERSTAND ISLAM

Indeed, we are perplexed that Mr. Ahmed considers that the cartoons only display "visceral" hatred towards Islam, that the protests across the Islamic world have been "mostly" peaceful, and that behind these reactions is the fear of our "Western motives" and our "failure to redress ongoing grievances". Anyone else wonder what these grievances are?

THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN ISLAMIC
RELATIONS ^
FEBRUARY 9, 2006

[Parvez Ahmed is board chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group. Contact him at pahmed@cair-net.org. ]

THE WORLDWIDE FLAP over a series of cartoons published in a Danish newspaper was avoidable had all sides approached the issue with wisdom and restraint.

Denmark's Jyllands-Posten published the cartoons depicting Islam's most revered personality, the Prophet Muhammad, in a way that was inaccurate, derogatory and intentionally provocative. Other than demonstrating visceral hatred toward Islam, the cartoons achieved little else.

Muslim outrage over the cartoons has lead to boycotts of Danish products across much of the Middle East, resulting in hundreds of Danish employees losing their jobs. Protests across the Islamic world have been mostly peaceful, but some have
unfortunately turned very violent.

Characterizations of the controversy as a clash of cultural values or upholding freedom of press miss the point of the debate.

At the core of the reactions in the Muslim world are fears about Western motives, bolstered by lack of redress of ongoing grievances.

On the other hand, lack of understanding about Islamic culture explains why many in the West seem perplexed at how a mere cartoon could draw such an emotional response.