The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published a series of controversial cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, instigating a “clash of civilizations” in the Middle East and leaving dozens dead. The 12 cartoons, which included one of the Prophet Muhammad wearing a turban resembling a bomb, were printed in Denmark in September and reprinted in other European countries during the past three weeks.

Western powers, including the United States and the United Kingdom, have offered Denmark their unconditional support. The Danish and European newspapers have received hostile criticism since the cartoons were published, driving the editor of Jyllands-Posten to take a vacation for an indefinite period of time.

The cartoons incited riots and protests in many Islamic countries, including the firebombing of Danish embassies in Syria, which led to at least 11 deaths before Feb. 11. Last week in Benghazi, Libya, 11 protesters were killed in a riot; and at least 15 protestors were killed in Maiduguri, Nigeria on Feb. 18, according to The Vancouver Province.

The main problem that many Muslims have with the cartoons is that the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad is offensive to the principles of Islam.

“The reason for this is to prevent idolatry of the Prophet Muhammad and the other prophets. The Prophet Muhammad, during his life, stressed to followers that we need to worship God, and not him, since he is only a prophet,” said senior Hatice Dogan.

“We refrain from pictures of prophets to avoid idolatry and also to avoid distortion of images by oppressive and ‘superior’ cultures for the images to fit their culture.”

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blamed the recent reappearances of the cartoons on an Israeli conspiracy in retribution for Hamas’ recent victory in Palestinian elections.

Hamshahri, an Iranian daily newspaper, started an international contest for a cartoon depicting the holocaust. The contest is meant to test the boundaries of free speech and oppose Jyllands-Posten, which used freedom of speech as a defense to ward off criticism of their cartoons. There have also been calls from the Islamic world for the assassinations of the responsible cartoonists.

Pope Benedict XVI recently criticized both sides of the conflict. He said that he abhorred the violence by Muslims against Danish and European embassies, but he also added that freedom of speech must never be used to defame religion.

“I think that the Danish cartoon is ridiculously disgraceful and was done to intentionally offend Muslims,” Dogan said. “The Prophet Muhammad was a peaceful man, and true Islam is a peaceful religion.”

“It’s just crazy,” said Ken Gilmore, Chair of the Political Science department. “There’s so much irresponsibility. It’s irresponsible for the papers to publish the cartoons, but then again I understand the right to free speech.”

Gilmore tied the chaos into the political science theory that Benjamin Barber called “Jihad vs. McWorld.” The theory describes the “clash of civilizations” between the globalization of western powers and the reaction to globalization from Islamic nations.

“The level of offense [Muslims] feel is not just about intolerance of tasteless and offensive free speech, but about groups who don’t have the power to define global discourse or to influence global culture,” said Shelini Harris, Chair of the Religious Studies department and Assistant Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies. “This issue is not unrelated to the problem of globalization in the wake of colonization and development, and the increasing marginalization of cultures that are not the ones who define global cultures, economics or the market.”

Max Carter, Director of the Friends Center and Campus Ministry Coordinator, posed this question to those who pigeonhole Muslims as terrorists: “Why is it that people call things Muslim terrorism and not Christian terrorism?”

“You could legitimately ask that when you kill 20,000-30,000 innocent civilians in the invasion of a country, and our country is perceived as a Christian country, ‘is that Christian terrorism?'” Carter said. “We don’t think it is; we think it’s our right as a sovereign nation.”

“I do not support bombing embassies as a reaction to cartoons, but at the same time I am upset with the cartoon’s depiction and am fed up with the way we are portrayed as terrorists,” said Dogan. “Those who do that do not represent all Muslims, but at the same time I can understand their anger and pain.