The War of the Words

What to do of these Muhammad caricatures that are inflaming Europe and the Middle East but so far miraculously spared America? Charles Krauthammer makes a good point when he says "The mob is trying to dictate to Western newspapers, indeed Western governments, what is a legitimate subject for discussion and caricature." Like most Westerners, I can't accept this and I shout, from the top of my lungs, "Free speech!"

My fear, however, is that we fail to grasp the meaning of those caricatures in the cultural context of the Middle East. The sense of outrage is of astronomical proportions. Will the protestors really understand the value of free speech in this context where we defend it for our own advantage, at their expense? Should it be promoted in such a conflictual context? I don't think the free speech message will make any inroads in the Middle East thanks to these caricatures.I think we should drop the issue altogether and find other ways to promote free speech in the Muslim world.