Incensed Muslims sacked Christian neighborhoods and burned the Dutch Embassy in Lebanon Feb. 5, angered by the publication of caricatures of the prophet Muhammad.
Although some Muslim leaders appealed for peace, more than 20,000 protesters threw rocks, burned buildings and sacked cars in an outpouring that left at least one person dead and 30 wounded, according to Associated Press reports.
In Beirut, protestors attacked a Maronite Catholic Church and broke windows at the Lebanese Red Cross office, causing street fights between Christian and Islamic Lebanese. While the 12 editorial cartoons, originally published in Denmark in September 2005, sparked demonstrations in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, the Palestinian West Bank, India and New Zealand, protests in Lebanon have taken a decidedly serious tone.
Coupled with the current political unrest and history of civil war, Lebanon’s large Christian population makes it an easy target for Muslim frustration. Recent Syrian control in Lebanon, tensions between Shiite Muslims and other religious communities, and increased resentment against Westerners also contribute to the turmoil.
The editorial cartoons and riots renewed the debate over freedom of the press.
John Seigenthaler, founder of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University, said the First Amendment protects the publication of potentially offensive cartoons in the United States. He cited the 1988 Supreme Court decision to allow a Hustler magazine cartoon parody of televangelist Jerry Falwell.
But, Siegenthaler said, a national culture of silence toward Muslims has fueled Islamic hatred of Christians.
“The problem, from my perspective, is that since 9/11 words of support and tolerance for people of Islamic faith have been virtually non-existent,” Seigenthaler said. “No one in our government or the media makes an effort to reach out. When there is no communication, this is the result.”
Some authorities think trouble with Syria also fueled the latest Beirut riots. Even though Syrian troops have withdrawn from their 29-year military control, many Lebanese continue to feel an unwelcome Syrian presence.
The offending cartoons, initially commissioned by Denmark’s Jyllands-Posten newspaper, circulated worldwide after several European papers printed them. According to the New York Times, the Danish paper said it had asked cartoonists to draw the pictures because the media was practicing self-censorship when it came to Muslim issues.
The New York Times and Washington Post did not publish the cartoons, one of which depicts Muhammad with a turban in the shape of a bomb. Another drawing shows Muhammad at heavens’ pearly gates, telling would-be suicide bombers that he has run out of virgins.
Several news organizations worldwide have issued statements expressing support for the Danish newspaper, saying the press must uphold its right for free speech. However, Scott Libin, a news leadership faculty member at the Poynter Institute, said the journalists and readers should carefully study the context in which a potentially inflammatory issue is released.
In a delicate balancing act, the U.S. State Department condemned any anti-Muslim images as equally unacceptable as anti-Christian images, but State officials continued to defend the right of the Danish and European papers to publish the cartoons.
“We vigorously defend the right of individuals to express points of view,” Sean McCormack, State Department spokesman, said in a statement on the controversy.
Associated Baptist Press