DAN K. THOMASSON Muslim violence damaging to Muslims

WASHINGTON -- The question from NBC's Tom Brokaw to Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf went right to the heart of the matter. Why, Brokaw asked in an interview with the general, is there such violent reaction to a handful of innocuous newspaper cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad and none when radical Muslims blow up mosques and kill women and children of their own faith?
Musharraf's reply was couched in the cautious rhetoric of a politician who is beset by his own religious-driven problems. He said that of course no one could condone bombing and killings but that the reaction was because the cartoons violated the Koran's ban on depicting the image of the founder of Islam. In other words, he really didn't or couldn't answer the question.
But that is exactly what puzzles most non-Muslims as they watch in dismay the continuing deadly riots over cartoons originally published in an obscure Danish newspaper. Distilled to its basic element, the answer actually would seem to be that radical Islamic preachers use any excuse whatsoever to encourage violence, particularly against societies that cherish freedom. Taken a step further, the implication is that Islam itself is a religion built on violence and not on free expression.
Open societies
Certainly, that is the impression and it is one that moderate, God-fearing Muslims the world over need to correct quickly if the millions of them who live in open societies around the globe are to fit into the polyglot religious cultures of the modern world. If they are citizens of democracies then they must respect those institutions without violent disagreement.
In a recent commentary, the editor of the Danish newspaper said he printed the cartoons against the air of intimidation that had begun to pervade his country's dealings with Muslims. He cited a number of examples where Muslims were given deference not afforded other religions because of fear of retribution and violence. The death and destruction that followed his decision was ample proof that the fears were warranted.
Religious textbooks generally are filled with examples of man's inhumanity to man, page after page certifying the perverse nature of human beings. It is also true that more barbaric acts have been committed in the name of religion than any single thing. The Bible and the Koran are not that different in many respects and both religions stem from the same figure, Abraham. The difference, of course, comes in the interpretation of the teachings and the strictness of adherence demanded by those doing the teaching. Yet the one overriding theme of both books is peace.
Whatever the extremes there can be no excuse for not respecting the sanctity of those who believe otherwise or conversely for deferring to one over the other out of fear of reprisal. Maligning someone else's faith needlessly is not good business and Americans who originally settled this country to escape religious persecution understand this as well as anyone. But they also demand the right of fair comment without the threat of drastic, deadly response.
Bad judgment
The Italian minister who displayed a depiction of the profit on his T-shirt for political reasons clearly showed bad judgment and lost his job. On the other hand one can seriously question the decision of the publishers of the University of Illinois "independent" daily newspaper to suspend its editor for reprinting some of the cartoons as a means of stimulating a debate among its readers. A good case could be made that the paper's operators succumbed to just what the Danish editor was trying to highlight in the first place -- a growing tendency to cave in to intimidation aimed at repressing open discourse and comment.
There are religions being practiced in this country that do the same thing, just without the violence. They sue or call for boycotts or conduct campaigns to badger anyone who might criticize their activities. Fortunately, except for a few "stars," they are of small influence. Unfortunately, they have succeeded sometimes in quashing legitimate observation and investigation.
Muslims could do their religion and themselves a great deal of good by demanding an end to the violence that is so damning to them personally. Without some moderating influences within their own ranks, the confrontation between the followers of Muhammad and the rest of the world can only get worse. American Muslims should lead the way in disavowing this behavior. Otherwise Muslim and violence become synonymous whether it is a fact or not.
X Dan K. Thomasson is former editor of the Scripps Howard.