My sense of rapprochement with religion is struggling with the current row between the European newspapers and the Islamic world over the cartoons of the prophet Muhammad. I admit that the cartoons promoted negative stereotypes (which is within the purview of satire) of Muslims. I acknowledge that they were deeply offensive to most devout Muslims and their publication was probably not very well timed considering the world political climate (but is it the place for political newspapers to be involved in diplomacy?). None of this, however, justifies the violence threatened by some Muslims.

I was pleased to see that the Catholic Church offered some solidarity with Islam, but I was less enthused that it was done at the expense of the freedom of the press. Quoth Cardinal Silvestrini of the Vatican: “Freedom to satirize which offends other people’s feelings becomes prevarication‚ĶFreedom of the press, including satire, must stop where religious belief begins.”

But what bugs me the most is the hypocrisy of Muslim governments demanding that the Danish government punish the newspaper that published the cartoons. There are clerics in certain Muslim countries who encourage, incite, even mandate and sanctify violence against others because of their religious or national affiliation, and I don’t see them be reprimanded in any way.

I’m looking back on what I’ve written so far, and I realize that I’ve probably fallen into the same trap of highlighting the violence I perceive in Islam.

As I think more deeply about this, I realize that the majority of the world’s billion plus Muslims are probably not involved in Danish flag burnings or to be found among the more militant imams’ followers. My narrow focus on these exceptions (encouraged by the media’s attention to them) is probably akin to the Islamic press’ focus on one insignificant paper in a little corner of secular Europe. I need to learn more about Islam—from Muslims.

I discovered recently that the largest mosque west of the Mississippi is right here in Orange County, California. I think I’ll be paying a visit soon.