Cartoon Protests Cause Islamophobia

Submitted by Gabriel Grosso (Italy), Feb 14, 2006 at 11:50

First of all, I have got to praise Mr. Pipes and all commenters on this web-site for using very responsible words about Muslims and Arabs. If you read all letters, you will hardly find any Islamophobic comments.

Secondly, I am afraid that cartoon protests might increase European frustration and Islamophobia. If I was from the Middle East, I would not like to live in Denmark now. These cartoon protests will cause general hostility against people from the Middle East in Europe and in America. I have just read that an Islamophobic political party has increased its support in Denmark and the same might happen in the rest of Europe. I hope that will not happen. But, if these protests carry on, it will be unavoidable.

Again, I hope European will be responsible enough to reject all forms of racism, and that included Islamophobia. But anti-European and anti-Western violence are more likely to increase the worse feelings in European society. Like Mr. Pipes suggested, these events will just increase misundrestandings between different people. Ultimately, the cartoon protests will harm Muslims. I hope Europeans will behave rationally and reject violence or intolerance. I hope Europeans will choose peace. We have got no interest in a confrontation with the Middle East, because neither of us will benefit. Europeans will not benefit. And Muslims will clearly not benefit.

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