IU community discusses cartoon controversy

A panel of IU experts Tuesday said recent controversy over cartoons depicting the Muslim Prophet Muhammad is about more than drawings and insults.\nSeveral panelists concluded that the outrage and protests in Muslim countries were not merely because of the drawings, but were a response to consistent anti-Muslim sentiments outside the Islamic world.\n"There is a much larger context behind the cartoon controversy, both in Europe and in the Muslim world," said Kamran Khan, a law student who attended the discussion. "Perhaps the reactions that we're seeing around the Muslim world are not only to the cartoons, but to a whole host of issues -- the cartoons being the last in a long line."\nAnthropology professor Nazif Shahrani echoed Khan's thoughts.\n"Muslims feel that they are confronted by Islamophobia," Shahrani said.\nThe cartoons, originally printed in September 2005 in a Danish newspaper, prompted a series of protests, some violent. Some protests lead to destruction of property, and others left dozens dead, including 24 people in Nigeria on Tuesday.\nA total of five professors spoke to about 75 students and faculty members in Woodburn Hall. The professors spoke about their particular areas of expertise.\nPanelists also shared their ideas about the Danish newspaper that printed the offensive cartoons, saying freedom of speech should not only be a right, but also a responsibility.\nJournalism professor David Boeyink, a panelist who specializes in journalism ethics, agreed.\n"It is one thing to offer a \ncartoon expressing one's reaction to the actions of these religious movements and another to draw ... sacred images that extend far beyond these particular movements," he said. "This is an offense that has no purpose and distorts religious understanding at the same time."\nSome students said they thought the cartoons were important to discuss.\n"As far as I'm concerned, there's two sides to the story," Khan said. "As a Muslim, I was offended by the cartoons. My feelings have been hurt. I believe that legitimate protest should have occurred, and did occur, but as far as buildings being burned or people being killed, this is completely un-Islamic."\nOne professor, Christiane Gruber, an art history professor at IU, discussed portrayals of Muhammad in Islamic art. She said that Muhammad has been drawn before, but never in such an offensive manner.\nKevin Jaques, a professor of religious studies, provided background on the cartoons, and discussed some of the political motivations involved in printing the cartoons.\nKurt Wenner, a professor emeritus of Political Science at Arizona State University, said politics are a huge reason why some newspapers in Europe reprinted the cartoons. He explained that some politicians benefited greatly by distancing themselves from Islam.