The Cartoons

The world's 1.3 billion Muslims have many legitimate grievances: foreign troops occupy Palestine, Iraq, and Afghanistan; even as citizens, Muslims are discriminated against in Europe with regard to employment, etc.; their culture and religion are regularly subjected to insults. Writing in the San Antonio Express -News, November 19, 2004, Mansour O. El-Kikhia described the media spin with regard to the death of Yasser Arafat. In the eyes of his people, Arafat was revered and loved as the father of his country. El-Kikhia's op-ed is entitled "Arafat was correct to snub Barak deal," and El-Kikhia explains why. Yet many in the US media "displayed great exuberance" at Arafat's demise and hurled insults at Arafat and the Palestinians. "It is strange that supporters of Israel in the U.S. media give themselves the right to demean my race, culture, and faith. There is a limit to how much one can endure of such diatribes," El-Kikhia writes. "Had I or any other writer called Israelis just one of the derogatory terms used to describe Arafat, Palestinians or Muslims, my editor's phone would not stop ringing." And it is true. There is a terrible double standard. When one hears the inflammatory comments against Muslims made on radio talk shows, one gets the impression that there are many who are hoping for a "clash of civilizations." The publication of the anti-Mohammed cartoons is further evidence of this.