In Door County or Denmark... dare to exercise your freedom to peek.

Message from
The Fellowship of Reconciliation

Offensive Cartoons: Respecting what is Sacred

The response in parts of the Muslim world to publication of crude and deeply offensive cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad is shocking and distressing. Yet the pain felt by Muslims is real and understandable. By insulting the core of their religion, the cartoons constitute a vile attack on Muslims everywhere. But despite the egregious nature of the insult, it cannot not justify mass violence, arson and death threats.

The cartoons, which depict Muhammad as a violent, degenerate criminal, were first published in a Danish newspaper last September, in an act of extraordinary insensitivity and poor judgment. (Interestingly, the editor who commissioned them now admits to his own ignorance of Islam and of the way Muslims feel about the Prophet Muhammad.)

But ignorance is only part of it. There is clearly a certain malice involved, if not in the first Danish publication of the cartoons, then in their repeated publication in newspapers around the world. No longer can editors claim ignorance. The whole world now knows that the Prophet Muhammad is not supposed to be depicted at all, let alone in a disparaging manner.

Nor can offending newspapers claim that this is valid political or social satire, protected by free speech. These cartoons of the Prophet do nothing but ridicule the core idea of an entire religion. They attack what is sacred. And there is no deeper wound, no deeper fury, than that.

Many Muslims feel an intimate, personal connection to the Prophet Muhammad. When they think of divine mercy, kindness and integrity, they think of the Prophet. He is the embodiment of every virtuous ideal. In fact, the ideal of every Muslim is to become as much like the Prophet as possible. He is regarded as the best of human beings, the exemplar of humanity.

In short, the Prophet Muhammad is sacred to Muslims.

Westerners understand the concept of the sacred. Christians have been hurt and outraged by disrespectful and blasphemous depictions of Jesus. Jews feel pain when the holy Torah, the word of God, is ridiculed, vilified, or desecrated. In this country, burning of the flag -- near-sacred to many -- gives similar offense.

The emotional wound caused by the cartoons cannot be undone, but there is plenty that can be done. After 9/11, a great effort was made in the West to learn about Islam and to understand Muslims. That effort should be stepped up.

The incident also provides an opportunity for people of all faiths to recognize and acknowledge that which is sacred in other religions, even if it is not sacred to them personally.

For Muslims, this is an opportunity to examine the issue of how to respond to what offends them. Retaliating with a call for a Holocaust cartoon contest, as an Iranian newspaper has done, is to fall to the same level of ignorance, bigotry and malice that the original cartoons represent. Instead, Muslims should transform the incident into an opportunity for dialogue, education, and understanding.

There is a story in the Hadith (sayings and doings of the Prophet Muhammad) that Muhammad was with his companions in the simple mosque of Medina.The mosque had an earthen floor and was open on all sides. A Bedouin man walked in and began to urinate in the corner. Muhammad's companions were incensed, yelling at him to stop and threatening to assault him.

"No," the Prophet told his followers. Let him be. He does not know any better." When the man had finished, Muhammad addressed him gently: "This place is not meant for urine, but only for prayer and the remembrance of Allah." Then he told his followers to get water to wash the floor.

Burning embassies and demanding that editors be executed is not an Islamic response to insult. That response lies in the nonviolent actions of the Prophet Muhammad, as illustrated above. Educate those who have offended by violating what is sacred to you. Reach out to them. Teach them so they may know better.

This statement was written by a team of FOR staff representing the Muslim, Christian and Jewish faiths.

Jennifer Hyman, Communications Coordinator
Rabia Harris, FOR Chaplain
Ibrahim M. Abdil-Mu'id Ramey, Disarmament Coordinator

For bicyclists, there is no better mid-size city than Madison, according to the March 2006 issue of Bicycling magazine.

According to the magazine, Madison is at the top of the list for cities with a population of 200,000 to 500,00 because of its commitment to providing a friendly environment for cyclists. Along with its hundreds of miles of bicycle paths, Madison has had a bicycle transportation plan on the books since 1975.

The city is also looking to receive a “Bicycle Friendly” certification from the League of American Bicyclists later this year, according to a release from Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.

In addition to its recognition for bicycle friendliness, Madison also boasted a Metro ridership of over 11 million in the last year. The city’s highest metro usage since 1986 resulted in the reduction of over 15,000 tons of CO2 emissions, according to the mayor’s office.

Author Nancy Wikarski moved to Fish Creek from Chicago recently. She stopped in the Coffeehouse for an iced soy latte, celebrating acomplete denial of winter. Her latest novel exposes an affection for historical research coupled with her love of crafting an engaging mystery...

The Fall of White City takes place in 1893. The entire world has come to Chicago to marvel at the wonders of the Columbian Exposition World's Fair. When a penniless seamstress is found stabbed to death in Chicago's grandest hotel, wealthy and eccentric Evangeline LeClair sets out to discover the truth of the matter. It doesn't take long to find out that nothing is what it appears to be.

Find out more at her Web site: NSWikarski.com.

Chinese New Year's resolution... to post "local" news more often

Adrian LaTrace and Tedeana McFarland commute regularly from Barrington to their condo in Ephraim. They carry a laptop and hunt for wireless connections to manage their on-line business - an e-Bay specializing in iPod accessories. Stopping in at the Compass Coffeehouse in Fish Creek, they get wired before heading back to Illini-land.

"Our basement in Barrington is a warehouse full of iPod stuff," says Ted... (on the left). "When somebody needs something like a replacement battery they are often down and out until they get one," says Adrian (at the keyboard). "So, they want it NOW."

Check out their stores... MyPOD Products and the Quick Cadet Warehouse for sports memorabilia and speedy service.