A discussion of religion can branch into any number of topics, over any number of denominations and sects, about its effects on law and politics, and its role within society. However, mention religion today, and one subject arises universally: Danish cartoons. Out of context, this sounds ridiculous, but within a sound framework, the subject broaches religion at every possible entry. Perhaps no event in recent history, excluding 9/11, has provoked such a universal and rapid backlash. Retaliation against the publication of these comics stunned and shocked the world and led to the mass proposition of one question: Why? This line of thought sprung many queries. Why are Muslims so offended? Why did the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten publish the comics in the first place? Why is Islam seemingly out of control? Simple minds propose that Islam just can't handle a few jibes, and that the religion produces lunatics. However, sift through the misconceptions and the prejudices, and a more complex answer lies within, one that includes surprisingly little Islam and a far greater amount of oppression and subjugation. The heart of these protests lies not within Islam, but in the molding of the ignorant by power and the makings of history.
The explosion of protest began on September 30, 2005, when the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published twelve cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Mohammad in a variety of settings, many deemed offensive by Muslims and others. The most controversial cartoon depicts Mohammad wearing a bomb in his turban, which is a blatant reference to Islamic suicide bombers. The cartoons have since been reprinted in fifty countries, ("Jyllands-Posten Muhammad Cartoons ...