It's happened again. Some magazine or newspaper printed caricatures of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), causing Muslims in some countries to go berserk and kill French nationals, some of whom who were worshiping in a church. In Pakistan, as expected, they also burnt vehicles in their own country.
Why are Muslims like this? The French and others in Europe and the U.S. have mocked all religious figures, including Jesus and Moses. Yet no one takes the law in their own hands or kill anyone. I remember an American scholar doubting that Jesus was born of a virgin, saying that his father was a man named Joseph. A New York Times article once began with the words, "Abraham, the prophet, probably never existed". But no one sued the newspaper (which is still thought to be owned by Jews). There was no reaction from Christian or Jewish fundamentalists
As for burning vehicles yesterday in Islamabad during a protest outside the French embassy, the rioters probably did it because they think all vehicles are insured and the insurance companies would provide money to buy new vehicles. A Jamaat-e-Islami chap actually told this to me once when I asked him why his party members damaged cars during their frequent protests. And this man is educated, unlike those who did the burning.
Perhaps the French cartoonist knew that Muslims would react in this way and cause damage to other Muslims. Whatever the reason, France is not going to make it a crime to make fun of religious persona. Muslims in France particularly should try to convince Christians there that they too should protest non-violently when such things are allowed in the name of freedom of speech. That's the only way to solve this problem.
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