Outrageous outrage

For all the ink the "cartoon crisis" in Europe has generated, there are a few oddities that make the situation weirder than your typical international spat. Some believe the Islamic reaction has been understandable, finding reason in the violence. Others see a cataclysmic collision of liberal democracies and Islam, two wholly incompatible structures, whose values cannot be merged.\nYet, few of these commentators have noted the thoroughly bizarre quality of the whole affair. For one thing, the cartoons in question were first printed in the Danish paper, Jyllands-Posten, in September 2005, including the most controversial depiction, showing the Prophet Mohammed with a bomb for a turban. Curiously, however, the widespread outrage hasn't surfaced until now, despite the supposed outrageous nature of the cartoons.\nHere's something else: The two "sides" of the conflict are sitting on ridiculously silly positions. The liberal democracies of Europe are crying that they are exercising free speech to offend others. Are these the same liberal democracies that extensively legislate anti-Jewish hate speech and hold an extremely broad definition of slander and libel? \nMeanwhile, the response of much of the Middle East has taken the stance of political correctness -- that one shouldn't insult anyone else. Excuse me? These are the same folks who regularly allow disgusting anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli cartoons and editorials to appear in their papers? The same ones who don't lift a finger to prevent angry mobs from burning down foreign embassies? The hypocrites on both sides are making an anthill into a mountain. \nAdditionally notable, the spread of communications technology has played an integral role in the dissemination of the images. In another time, the cartoon would simply have been published, protested, apologized for and forgotten. But an extensive campaign to raise outrage has been perpetuated throughout the Muslim world, powered by e-mails, online newspapers and news articles, in order to frame the crisis as a cultural showdown rather than a complaint against a private newspaper. \nSo what's going on here? Why have these cartoons, satirical jabs at self-censorship, become the focal point for this struggle? \nWell, Islamist extremists have picked their fight very well. Depicting the Prophet Mohammed in an image is considered idolatry by many Islamic scholars, and those spreading the hatred know well the power of the image. Any image, particularly one with such striking offense, can be easily molded to fit outside the context of the original cartoon and article. One measly cartoon has become the symbol of Islamophobia in Europe, and the offender has become whole systems of governments, not just one cartoon in one paper.\nBy spreading the offensive images, it's fair to say the instigators have ironically replicated it far more than the original newspaper ever intended, but in the process they have made their violent reactionary ideology sympathetic throughout the world. The actions of those who burned down the embassies are indefensible and the printing of the cartoon was probably in bad taste. \nBut the whirlwind of outrage surrounding one satiric cartoon is tragically misplaced (seriously, burning the Danish embassy?) and we must be wary about the frightening ease with which Islamists have manipulated this situation to their \nghastly favor.