Unless you have been living in a cave for the past few weeks, you undoubtedly have heard of the cartoon riots. Come to think of it, even those fellows hiding in caves probably have heard of this. Who would believe that a dozen rather unimpressive caricatures of a religious figure would ignite riots around the world?

Last September a small town Danish newspaper published 12 drawings of Mohammed as editorial cartoons. This type of journalism is by nature controversial. Editorial cartoonists attempt to make a statement—most often, a provocative one. And caricatures of their subjects are always unflattering. That is, editorial cartoonists treat all people equally badly! As the saying goes, good news does not sell newspapers; bad news does. The same is true for the editorial cartoons.

The free speech debate rages against political correctness this time. News outlets are twisted in knots, not wanting to instigate the fierce reaction others generated by publishing the caricatures. Yet, they have been published in Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary, New Zealand, Poland, the United States, Japan, Norway, Malaysia, Yemen and Australia. And the list is growing.

In reaction, Muslims have protested the caricatures in Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Canada, the Netherlands, Bosnia, Germany, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Syria, Algeria, Iran, India, the UK, Iraq, New Zealand, the U.S., Lebanon, Malaysia, Kenya, Afghanistan, South Africa, France, Ghana and Austria. Most of the protests in Western countries have been peaceful. Most of them in Muslim countries have been violent, resulting in property damage (to churches and embassies) and in death. So far, Denmark's small town newspaper has cost that country alone hundreds of millions of dollars in cancelled trade with Muslim countries. Other countries are feeling the pinch economically, as well.

This is not a laughing matter.

Sympathetic people have heard that it is against the Islamic faith—forbidden by the Koran to portray Mohammed in any manner, favorable or unfavorable and that therefore, the publication of the caricatures amounts to a grievous sacrilege.

"Not so!" wrote Amir Taheri in a Wall Street Journal Online editorial, "Bonfire of the Pieties," February 8th. He catalogued numerous paintings of Mohammed, which are currently on display in museums throughout the Muslim world, as well as in Europe. He points out that Mohammed is carved into the relief on the wall of the U.S. Supreme Court that depicts noted lawgivers. Taheri said in a follow-up television interview that after his editorial ran, several people contacted him to remind him of many more works of art featuring the Islamic prophet.

Well, it's not right to use satire or humor when speaking of religion, then. So, that's what made people angry. Again, Taheri says, "Not so!" "The truth is that Islam has always had a sense of humor and has never called for chopping heads [radical clerics are calling for the hands of the publishers of the caricatures to be chopped off!] as the answer to satirists. Mohammed himself pardoned a famous Meccan poet who had lampooned [which is what a caricature does] him for more than a decade" (ibid.).

People are wringing their hands, saying that this all came about at a terrible time, when sensitivities are already running high between Muslim and Western cultures. Wait a minute! When did it come about? Last September! So why is the rioting taking place in February of the next year?

Something is obviously stoking the controversy. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been pointing an accusing finger directly at Syria and Iran for seizing upon this as a ready tool for inflaming Islamic rage.

Damascus and Tehran are lashing back, demanding an apology for Dr. Rice's remarks, and the controversy threatens to merge with the anti-Semitic, anti-Western rhetoric coming from Iran's Ahmadinejad.

The United Church of God is not political. We do not take sides for or against lampoons! The big story here is that tens of thousands of people have been stirred to violent anger over 12 cartoons.

The world today is much like a powder keg. It would not be difficult for this or some other gap in perception to ignite a religious war—words that the diplomats dare only whisper—between Islam and traditional Christianity. This actually folds perfectly into Bible prophecy, as you can see in our feature booklet. So be sure to request or download now your free copy of our booklet, The Middle East in Bible Prophecy.