I support free speech...but why, WHY....would somebody purposely inflame the muslim world?  Why do people INSIST that insulting someone is a freedom of expression.  

But it is freedom of expression.. and I think it´s not the point to "purposely inflame the muslim world", but to mock what some people actually think are irrational beliefs.  I think that the problem is that religion gets a free ride on "respect", even though it often times proves that it doesn´t deserve respect. Any other ideology is criticized and bashed without any problems, religion is just another belief/philosophical system that should not be immune to criticism and mockery. It´s blinded people who think that there are some evil people out tehre whose only goal in life is to "provoke them" (which always makes me laugh when I hear this, it´s like these people admit that they have no control of their behavior.. ).

I support free speech...but why, WHY....would somebody purposely inflame the muslim world?  Why do people INSIST that insulting someone is a freedom of expression.  On the other hand, this cartoon brought home the very point the cartoonist was trying to make - that there are some people who are so crazily blinded by religion that they would actually kill someone over a cartoon.  It seems to me that everyone has a lot of time on their hands to inflame, insult, get angry, plan an assassination...blah, blah...why not put ALL THIS ENERGY into making the world a better place, instead of the cespool of raw emotion that it has become?

But it is freedom of expression.. and I think it´s not the point to "purposely inflame the muslim world", but to mock what some people actually think are irrational beliefs.  I think that the problem is that religion gets a free ride on "respect", even though it often times proves that it doesn´t deserve respect. Any other ideology is criticized and bashed without any problems, religion is just another belief/philosophical system that should not be immune to criticism and mockery. It´s blinded people who think that there are some evil people out tehre whose only goal in life is to "provoke them" (which always makes me laugh when I hear this, it´s like these people admit that they have no control of their behavior.. ).

The point to my post was not to defend one side or the other but to simply point out that if people put as much energy into doing good as they did in pointing out who is right and who is wrong, insulting eachother or provoking people ect....I think the world might be a better place.  Everyone deserves respect....not just religious people or athiest or agnostics.  Just having a hard time understanding why people can´t just be nice to eachother.  I know that depicting Mohammed would insult muslim people, so I would never dream of doing it....Do I have a right to?  Sure, but it is more important to me to protect the feelings of fellow humans that to exercise my right to free speech. 

Why....maybe to boost their sense of importance....maybe because they want attention?  Maybe they are stupid and insensitive?

The point to my post was not to defend one side or the other but to simply point out that if people put as much energy into doing good as they did in pointing out who is right and who is wrong, insulting eachother or provoking people ect....I think the world might be a better place.  Everyone deserves respect....not just religious people or athiest or agnostics.  Just having a hard time understanding why people can´t just be nice to eachother.  I know that depicting Mohammed would insult muslim people, so I would never dream of doing it....Do I have a right to?  Sure, but it is more important to me to protect the feelings of fellow humans that to exercise my right to free speech. 

If a civilisation owes its development to decreasing extra ordinary power the church, having fun with religious institutions and figures would be sth. casual for the new generations of this civilisation.

I think there is not a single poster in this thread I don´t agree with

On the one hand, I am against playing the religion card just to cause riots, on the other, I believe religions should be subject to criticism just like any other moral or ethical codes.

The question here is whether the Dannish cartoons were posted to insult or to point out what Catwoman wrote - that there are people who abuse religion in order to justify bloodshed. I think it was the latter and the reaction that followed was way out of proportion. 

Just like BM posted, there are hundreds if not thousands of cartoons or photos making fun of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and cults. Why should Islam be the only one punishing it by death?