Some governments in the Arab world, particularly Syria and Iran, have exploited the Muhammad cartoon issue to pursue their own political agendas but the predominant sentiment manifested by responsible Muslim leaders in Europe is to resist violent protest.
And yet they want to register, rightly, their protests over double standards in European media about publishing material offensive to Muslims at a time when they are convinced that balances of power and communications are tilted decisively against Muslims and the Middle East.
The cartoon crisis originated in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten when it published the cartoons last September. The newspaper's editor now admits as much, having regard to the unforeseen consequences of the decision. This misjudgment was exacerbated by the Danish government's prolonged refusal to receive protests by Muslim leaders against the decision. The issue could readily have been defused last autumn if the political will had been there. The fact that it was not is connected to that government's hard line on immigration and dependence on a right-wing populist party to remain in office, as more and more Danes point out.
Thus, this is a specific Danish problem as much as an abstract one about press freedom, the right to criticise and transgress religious taboos or the need to resist intolerant Muslim opinion. There is no absolute right to freedom of expression, which is everywhere constrained by respect for other values, including the need to protect people from hate speech. Journalists have a particular responsibility to exercise such judgments carefully. They should try to do so in a way that enlarges these freedoms for all concerned - and not just narrow media interests or political ideologies. These are universal values which are not restricted to any one culture, although they are rarely enjoyed in the Muslim world.
"With freedom comes the responsibility to be thoughtful about others." So said President Bush yesterday after meeting King Abdullah of Jordan. Calling on governments to stop fomenting protests against the use of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, he rejected violence as a way to express discontent with what may be printed in a free press. These are sensible remarks, which could contribute to resolving the crisis which has built up around the issue. At the same time, examination of the Arab press will demonstrate the demonisation of western liberal values, which merits condemnation also.
The last six months have been so fraught a period in political, security and military relations between the western and Arab worlds that there is an urgent need for diplomacy and dialogue to be foregrounded, not civilisational or military confrontation.
With freedom of the press, which is cherished in the West, comes the obligation to publish responsibly. Many Danes now realise this to their cost - and so too will most Muslims if the lessons are not learned. It is a time for some realism.