JUST when it has become apparent to levelheaded people around the world that what is needed in the Danish cartoons row is a period of calm, an Italian government minister tries to make things worse. Roberto Calderoli, Italy’s minister for reform has had T-shirts printed with the offensive cartoons and says he plans to wear them.The editorialist suggests the proper response:
The Muslim response must be dignified. We need to treat this with the contempt it deserves, and Italy must be made aware of the affront done. But Muslims worldwide should not respond by blaming Italy or the Italians as a whole, most of whom will be as shocked as Muslims are."Shocked"? Let's not get carried away.
Certainly, no one should start boycotting Italian goods or stop eating pizzas and pasta or, even worse, trying to burn Italian embassies or offices of Italian-owned companies; indeed, the riots, burning embassies and dead protesters that have been seen in the past few weeks in the backlash against the cartoons simply play into the hands of the Islamophobes.Not to mention playing into the hands of the Grim Reaper. Don't give your audience any bright ideas, O Arab News Editorialist.
Tags: cartoons, Prophet-cartoons, Denmark, Islam, Italy
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