The danish cartoon tempest

I have been catching up on the riots and protests over the cartoons published in a Danish newspaper ridiculing Mohammad, and the paroxysm of protest and anger that has followed in the Muslim world. I honestly don't think that these cartoons are the point; the real reason for these eruptions is that the Muslim world is angry, in

Instapundit quotes a Muslim reader who writes, "It doesn't matter, I'm told. It literally means nothing to them, because in their world, everything should revolve around them and their culture, and God made the world for Muslim Arabs to control." Now, Iran has decided to rename Danish pastries "Mohammedan" pastry. And in the stupidest stunt yet, they're burning Swiss flags outside Danish embassies.

A common argument is that Christians often react like Muslims, for example when they protested "The Last Temptation of Christ. But if that is the case, why are people not burning down the art expo in Madrid where there is a sculpture of Jesus holding a Phoenix missile? Certaintly not because of the Vatican, who takes the side of the mobs by declaring that the right to freedom of expression does not include the right to offend the religious feelings of the faithful.

There are definitely some in the Muslim world who haven't lost their sanity; muslim blogger Big Pharaoh has some frank advice for his peers.

Brit Hume puts it perfectly when he says, "And it is a disgrace not least because of the obvious, howling double standard involved here. The really great sins are ignored. And this trivia is protested." Mark Steyn hits it on the head too (via lgf):

Thus, NBC is celebrating Easter this year with a special edition of the gay sitcom "Will & Grace," in which a Christian conservative cooking-show host, played by the popular singing slattern Britney Spears, offers seasonal recipes -- "Cruci-fixin's." On the other hand, the same network, in its coverage of the global riots over the Danish cartoons, has declined to show any of the offending artwork out of "respect" for the Muslim faith.

Which means out of respect for their ability to locate the executive vice president's home in the suburbs and firebomb his garage.