Those cartoons ...
Right now, Danish media - and quite a lot of non-Danish media - is filled with stories about Muslim outrage at a set of cartoons, originally printed in September 2005 in a Danish newspaper.
And yesterday, Saturday February 4th, the conflict escalated, when Syrian protesters burned the Danish and the Norwegian Embassy.

So, here's this Danish pastor's view.

First : The printing of the cartoons was - in my opinion - a piece of teen-age idiocy. It was a "nyah-nyah-nyah, we don't need to show anyone any courtesy or respect, neither Christian nor Muslim". Unfortunately, that is the way much of the media in this country treats anything religious. It isn't turned against Muslims specifically (even if few Muslims will believe that). Christians get their (big) shovel of flack too, because the "general opinion" in this country is, that if you believe in God (any God), you are - automatically - ridiculous. People like me have learned to live with it :-) But I do believe it was a first major stab at a non-Christian community.

Second : Once they were printed, and the protests came from Danish Muslims, the newspaper could have gone out and said : We didn't realise that it was such a sensitive subject, and that it could be seen as such an affront, we apologize ... and the story would - in all probability - have ended there.

Third : We are now in October 2005. Ambassadors from Muslim countries expressed concern, and asked for a meeting with the Danish Prime Minister. At this point, someone should have reminded the man (PM), that courtesy doesn't cost anything. He ought to have taken the meeting, and spent time explaining to the ambassadors that the press and the government are two completely seperate entities in this country, rather than sending them a letter saying so. In a face-to-face meeting, he could also have shown them Danish cartoonist Roald Als' depiction of himself as a caveman to prove his point. And to show that it isn't Muslims "everyone" is after, he could then have shown them Monty Pythons "Life of Brian" or Jens Jørgen Thorsens (rather boring) Jesus-film.

Fourth : The cartoons appeared in September 2005. Someone has had an interest in keeping the story, and the rage, alive, and have been conscientiously fanning the flame since then. This (or probably "these") someone carries a lot of responsibility for bringing the situation this far.

Fifth : It's always the idiots who gets the press. Right now, it's the idiots at Jyllands-Posten, the idiots in the Danish government, and the idiots in the Middle East who get all the big pictures, all the stories, all the attention.

Sixth : This is a very good reminder to all of us, that Christians can poke fun at Christians, and Muslims can poke fun of Muslims, but don't try to mix the faiths. It is bad taste for a Christian to tell jokes about Muslims, just as it is bad taste for Muslims to tell jokes about Christians. This holds true, not just for religious jokes, but for gender-jokes and nationality-jokes as well.

Seventh : And what am I going to say to the congregations gathering in the churches I serve, today ? I really don't know ... which is possibly why I am spending this Sunday morning writing this blog.
I have written a nice sermon, based on today's lectionary, but I'll probably not hold it. I feel that I must adress the issues inherent in a situation which now includes the burning down of embassies.

I will probably remind everyone (and "everyone" in the following includes myself), that the great majority of Muslims around the world are, like the great majority of Christians, peace-loving people, who just want to live their ordinary lives.

I will remind everyone, that stupidity comes in all forms, shapes, faiths, colours, genders and ages, and that any community, no matter how you define it, has it's share of idiots. The bad thing happens, when one set of idiots turn to violence, and the worse thing happens, when another set of idiots decide to answer in kind. This pulls the not-quite-idiots into the conflict, and instead of having just two minor groups of idiots, shouting at each other, you suddenly have a mob ... and it is a well-known fact, that the IQ of a mob, any mob of any faith in any country in this world, dwindles proportionally with the number of people in the mob.
The bad thing has happened. I just hope and pray, that the worse will not.

I will remind everyone, that the fact that "this group" has idiots in it, does not mean that "this group" is a bunch of idiots. Therefore the Danish community "in general" should not take out our frustration, anger and fear on the Muslim community of Denmark.

And what more ?
Pray for illumination.
Pray for understanding.
Pray for peace.
Please pray with me.
Thank you, and God bless you.