CARTOON CONTROVERSY CONTINUES. On Saturday, the Progressive Muslim Union of North America issued a statement deploring the violent protests as well as the cartoons. It says, in part,

Freedom of expression is a cardinal value in both the West and in Islam. (The Prophet never chastised his followers for challenging him, for questioning, indeed he praised people who did not let their shyness get in the way of speaking frankly. Another value, we note, that many in the Muslim world have neglected to uphold). We must defend the right of cartoonists to draw satirical, biting, even blasphemous commentary, and the right of papers to publish items which may be offensive or perceived as heretical by some. A society without such freedom rapidly becomes poisonously repressed and out of balance.

Here's a Reuters article that samples positions and priorities of moderate Muslims.

Photo: David Marc Fischer