Cartoon Conflicts

Here's a great article by Tariq Ramadan. Remember him? He's the moderate Muslim scholar who got a job teaching at Princeton.. but the government wouldn't let him in the country and wouldn't say why. While he is an outspoken critic of terrorism, he isn't a supporter of the Bush administration... hmmm...

We are in dire need of mutual trust. The crises provoked by these cartoons shows us how, out of "seemingly nothing", two universes of reference can become deaf to each other and be seduced by defining themselves against each other - with the worst possible consequences. Disasters threaten that extremists on both sides would not fail to use for their own agendas. If people who cherish freedom, who know the importance of mutual respect and are aware of the imperative necessity to establish a constructive and critical debate, if these people are not ready to speak out, to be more committed and visible, then we can expect sad, painful tomorrows. The choice is ours.

click here for full article