The recent protests throughout the Islamic world of the caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad that appeared in a Danish newspaper have left me reeling, and with mixed feelings. In a recent trip to Iran I would watch every day repeated mocking of certain figures and nations, most prominently American President George Bush, shown at times in animated music videos confessing all his sins while doing a belly-dance. In light of that, I found the exaggerated reactions to the caricatures hypocritical.

At the same time I can understand that on some levels the situations are not comparable. The caricatures not only mocked the Prophet Mohammad, but did so in a way that perpetuates and re-emphasizes a prominent and damaging stereotype about Muslims: the relationship between Islam and terrorism. That, combined with situations such as the war on Iraq; the abuses of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and, no doubt, other prisons; the disproportionate lack of attention to Palestinian victimizations; the mounds of literature and media attention insisting that acts of terror and violence are things that occur inherently within Islam, create a very volatile atmosphere and a people who constantly feel frustrated and demoralized. In this context, the caricatures were a sort of provocation that is unique and distasteful. It seems that there is a lack of empathy and foresight that is truly disturbing - certainly, the newspapers knew that such a provocation would occur, since these particular cartoons were reprinted many times. It may have behooved the editors of this paper to consider that this action was probably not the most helpful in an already unstable situation.

Therefore, I can understand the emotive nature of the protests - although I will say that the burning of the two embassies was inappropriate and unjustifiable (as well as appearing ironic to other parties - is a violent reaction on the part of Muslim groups really the way to repair our socially-constructed reputation?). As well, the recent renaming of Danish pastries in Iran to "pastries of the roses of the Prophet Mohammad" is frankly ridiculous.

I can say that I found the cartoons distasteful, personally. But I absolutely do not believe the editors should retract and apologize, and I feel the protestors should not expect one. It may not have been the most sensitive publication, but in no way was it illegitimate.