Common courtesy tells us it is wrong to gratuitously insult another person’s faith. That’s why there was appropriate criticism of a Florida pastor’s recent plan to burn the Quran, Islam’s holy book. He fortunately decided against burning the Quran.
But disparaging someone’s faith does not excuse violence or threats of violence against the person who made the provocative remark.
So it is troubling that an editorial cartoonist for a newspaper in Seattle, Wash., has been forced into hiding in fear for her life because of threats against her by radical Muslims.
The artist, Molly Norris, had drawn a cartoon of Islam’s prophet, Muhammad, and urged others to do the same. (Muslims consider depictions of Muhammad sacrilegious.) Her suggestion rapidly started making the rounds of the Internet, and she later apologized to Muslims and urged artists not to draw Muhammad after all.
Unfortunately, word had already reached a radical Muslim cleric in the nation of Yemen, and he placed her name on an execution list. The cleric labeled her a “prime target.”
She continued her work for a while. But now, warned by the FBI that she could be in serious danger, she has “moved, changed her name and essentially wiped out her identity,” an editor at the Seattle newspaper told Fox News.
Meanwhile, an editorial cartoonist in Denmark has been under police protection for nearly three years after he drew a cartoon about Muhammad that drew threats from radical Muslims. There have been three attempts on his life.
No one should seek to offend others on account of their religion. But it is appalling that such actions – however ill-advised – should lead to threats or violence.