Islam vs. The Rest of the World

It's become nearly impossible to write about the Great Cartoon Jihad without saying something that hasn't already been said. It's become almost as difficult to write about the topic without adopting an "us vs. them" tone.

Despite our own President's statement suggesting that western newspapers, even with freedom of the press, should act responsibly when choosing what to publish, the US is viewed in the Muslim world as being equally to blame for the cartoons. In nearly every protest rally, US flags are seen being burned right alongside those of Denmark, and one can hear chants of "death to America" and "death to Israel" along with protests against Denmark.

Consider that:

• Just yesterday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran said "...the people of the U.S. and Europe should pay a heavy price for becoming hostages to Zionists.", apparently saying that America and Europe are engaging in a smear campaign of Islam at the behest of Israel.
• The Muslim edict against depictions of Mohammed is not something written in the Koran but rather a later interpretation of Islamic teaching forbidding idolatry. How is it that non-Muslims drawing or publishing depictions of Mohammed constitute idolatry?
• The media in Islamic countries such as Iran, Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia have long been a source of the most vile content targeting Jews and Christians, with nary a peep out of the west in protest. Yet this almost comical swipe against Islam, intended or not, is met by Muslims with protests that amount to a statement of Islamic supremacy over all other religions and cultures.

It follows, then, that the frenzy being whipped up in the Muslim world is being caused less by any real offense taken to the cartoons than by an earnest desire among Islamic leaders to force a clash of wills between the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds. Sadly, while some European nations are trying to show signs of backbone, Britain and the US are undermining their efforts by condemning displays of free speech and groveling in the face of a culture that sees us as worthy only of contempt.

While there may be political expediency in such diplomatic weaseling, the governments of both the US and Britain must decide if they belong to "us" or "them".