Well, Irfan’s article is far more satisfying and hopeful than the screaming match between Christopher Hitchens and his Muslim ‘opponent’ last night on ABC News Radio on the matter of the cartoons. His last paragraph: “My message to Muslim mobs is simply this - before you consider tearing down the houses (and embassies) of others, think about cleaning up your own” sums up the worthy and mild opinions of an intelligent and educated Muslim who has spent all but a few months of his life in the West.

But, apart from the imams who have apologised to Denmark, and the Jordanian editor (a Muslim) who has found himself locked up for publishing the cartoons in his own paper in an attempt to demonstrate the silliness of the cartoons the mobs have over-reacted to, we are not dealing with intelligent, educated Muslims, surely? And that’s the problem, isn’t it; millions of illiterate Muslims and non-Arab speaking Muslims having medieval, irrelevant to modernity, nonsense pumped into their heads? A recent example is a Pakistani man proudly telling a non-Muslim scholar and writer of the great swathes of the Koran he had learned by rote (in Arabic) and how he was saving up for a translation so that he would know what it meant.

Cartooning Muhammad is uncalled from the point of view of taste and courtesy, even though there are many historical references indicating that the Prophet was not the ‘golden boy’ his followers believe. But freedom of speech must prevail, and Muslims – not just educated ones -- must understand that.

Irfan,
My compliments on a well balanced and articulate piece.

I would only wish the Western world leaders could also adopt this ‘clean your own house’ stance before meddling in others. The combination of poverty and lack of education are the two surest ways to both enslave and allow manipulation of a populace. The despots of the Middle East are no strangers to this.

However I would also argue that the Western world ‘leaders’ are also aware of this and are manipulating the social fabric of the west to achieve a similar (if not well cloaked) situation, for their and their God’s (read money) own ends.

Nice to see the majority of posters (of all persuasions) recognising your effort to promote more tolerance. Though typical that the likes of ‘coach’ have no ability to say anything other than rant on in a ignorant and close-minded way.

Irfan, again, keep up the good work…

If we are not required to consider each others sensitivities and feelings then how are we ever going to live in Peace and Harmony?

Irfan, thanks for such an honest and helpful article. Really good stuff. Maybe this is a place for one of those "agree" buttons which were mentioned on one of the other threads.

R0bert

Irf, A well written article.
I know others have commented to the same effect, but it has me rolling about laughing, to think that anyone would engage in violence to demonstrate their displeasure at their precious prophet being depicted as being violent. What a distinctly odd group of people these muslims are.
What makes it even more hilarious is that the historical records show that this so called prophet was indeed violent. I thought it was well established that he was a deviant serial pedophile, and murderer. But then that is against the standards of the day.
As for the Koran being the direct word of god, the recent finds in the Yemen show that it evolved, and has a history. But no one is allowed to study or talk about that. Yet another indicator of the
intellectual shakiness of the whole thing.

I too wish to add my compliments to your latest article Irfan. You have surpassed yourself this time. You said everything that needed to be said. I will continue to hope that the real muslims will not be too afraid to stand up as you do.

An interesting Muslim website (the prolific Irfan contributes here also) for more information on how the Muslim community is reacting to those who can only claim to be Muslim but simply aren't:

http://www.altmuslim.com/