The Danes Just Don’t Get It

I still think the editor of the Danish paper who published cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed (insert blessing) should apologize to his Muslim readers. See, it is a major sin to portray the Prophet. Your legal right to do it doesn’t make it less sinful; in the eyes of the believers it will always be a major offence. You ought to respect that. In return, you can ask the Muslim community to respect your values and traditions. That way, everybody can live happily together.

The Danish PM is right in that there is nothing he can do – legally. But refusing to see ambassadors from eleven Arab states is a major snub. Recognizing that the paper has stepped on some peoples’ most sacred value would have been a gentleman’s move. A modest acknowledgement that what is right often depends on where you are standing. To challenge other people's conception of what is right and wrong is healthy. But there are better ways of doing it than throwing crap in someone's face. The Danes won't get it, but in the eyes of the believers, that is precisely what they have done.