Cartoons and Globalization

Finally, it appears that the violence in response to the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed has begun to die down. This is just another example of so much violence over something so trivial and stupid. Of course, that’s the opinion of an avowed atheist and not of a devout muslim. To a muslim, perhaps this was the appropriate response. Or was it? Is this what the Koran states that muslims should do when confronted with blasphemy? Honestly, I don’t know if that is what it says and maybe that’s part of the problem.

Should people like me be more knowledgeable of Islam and its customs? Sure, from the perspective of being more worldly, I should know more about Islam as well as other world cultures. But should I be expected to adhere to Islam’s code of conduct? In my opinion, that is debatable.

At the core of the issue is religion. While religion represents many things to many people, at its most basic level is a code of conduct for mankind to live by – created by man, for man. Because there are numerous religions around the world, there are also various codes of conduct. What is tolerable and what is permissible can vary greatly between these codes, and sometimes these codes may be in direct conflict.

With globalization today, people of different cultures and religions interact more than ever. This can create further conflicts between the various codes of conduct, and it may mean that a single country which was previously homogeneous is now multi-cultural. The first generation of people living under this new umbrella of multi-culturalism will surely have the hardest time adjusting to the change in their country. I think this is what we are seeing in certain European countries. The dominant culture reacts negatively to the newcomers who don’t appear to be integrating into society. Of course, in America we’ve seen this countless times and it still happens today. America is a country built on immigration, and while the first generation of a new group of settlers may struggle with the dominant culture, the second generation tends to integrate and at the same time redefines the dominant society. Each generation of Americans born here seems to forget that fact as newcomers arrive.

In the struggle of the dominant culture and the new culture, the cartoon controversy is not a surprise. Ignorance of the customs of each society abounds on both sides. To a muslim, a cartoon depiction of the Prophet Mohammed is offensive, yet to many in the West, the prohibition of depicting the Prophet Mohammed in a cartoon is equally offensive. Many people are chiding Europeans for publishing these cartoons and provoking muslim society, yet I don’t hear anyone criticizing the muslim reaction as ignorant of Western customs. Should the people of Denmark begin to riot in reaction to muslims disregard for their fervent belief in freedom of speech? Maybe they should. Perhaps that would point out the flaw in reacting with violence to such offenses.

The point here is that both societies need to be more tolerant of each other. Muslims cannot expect the rest of the world to abide by their customs, and vice versa. State sponsored riots don’t accomplish anything except further alienation, which is exactly what those states want.