Islam strictly forbids any depiction of the Prophet, and many Muslims have reacted with violent outrage at the irreverent cartoon.

However, Danish imams also showed Middle Eastern Islamic leaders cartoons that were much worse than any of the ones published, and those cartoons have often been cited in countries where some of the worst unrest has occurred.

In addition, some rumours — like right-wing Danes planning to burn copies of the Koran, or the Danish government planning to censor the Koran — that inflamed Middle Eastern Muslims were untrue.

i can easily see how rumours like this would whip up fear that the world’s white and well-weaponed super powers might be dangerously rascist. and of course i think most muslims would sympathise with the terror that some in the west- especially in countries that were invaded and occupied by Hitler’s army like Denmark- might associate with any kind of control over the press. control by fear would have been a disturbing warning sign that fasicsm was coming to a nation. the elder statesmen and editors throughout Europe lived through those times and, understandably, might feel a knee jerk desire to resist anything that raised the spectre of them. after having to face what eastern and western civilization had produced, (there have been genocides on all sides) and having to stare at heaps and piles and lists and archtectures of horrifying horrifying evidence, we all should be demonstrating peacefully against statements made by any nation that attempts to distort history.
i just read this piece about the Armenian genocide so i’m all freaked out.

compare this to unfortunate twisting by Iran’s leader, who\s trying to somehow make this isreal’s fault.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060207.w2proph0206/BNStory/International