Reflective article on caricature printed in Jewish media

The Respect Of A Cousin
Edward Miller

After the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten's 12 caricatures of the
prophet Muhammad were republished in European newspapers, riots
erupted in Damascus, Gaza, Beirut and elsewhere throughout the
Muslim world.

The violence is an extreme manifestation of the deep hurt felt by
virtually all Muslims. As we condemn the violence on the streets,
perhaps we should take a moment to understand the hurt in the hearts
of the great majority of Muslims who did not engage in violence.

For Muslims, the mere rendering of an image of Muhammad is
sacrilege. The portrayal of Muhammad in a pejorative fashion is to them
an inconceivably offensive desecration, on the level of what would be
for us the defilement of a Torah scroll. Because it was done in
newspapers across Europe, it was a slap in the face repeated thousands
of times.

Perhaps it's a question of respect, not freedom. Freedom of
_expression theoretically protects the right of a non-Jew to desecrate
a Torah scroll. Yet we would all view freedom of _expression as a
hollow defense to such a vile act.

Some say Muslims can't take criticism and simply don't understand
freedom of the press. In my own limited experience, that has not been
the case. For the past year I've written a column in a Muslim
newspaper, Muslims Weekly, in which I've criticized suicide bombing,
the treatment of Jews under Islamic rule, the anti-Jewish rantings of
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and even Muslims Weekly's own
reporting about Israel. But it was all done with respect, an informed
appreciation of the wonderful benefits that Islam conferred upon the
Jewish people, along with a willingness to look at our own
imperfections together with those of the other.

> Regardless of whether or not the European press was
constitutionally free to publish the offensive images, the act was a
blatant and vulgar act of disrespect to Islam. Such insults no doubt
contribute to the frightening specter of a clash of civilizations.

> What can we do as Jews to lessen the hostilities? Perhaps, just
perhaps, a little respect would help. Rather than ripping the wounds
wider with editorial musings extolling freedom of speech and
condemning violent protests, is it not time for a bit of healing?

> The pages of this Jewish newspaper present a place for a small
start by showing Muslims right here that though we too have the freedom
to say anything we like; we choose to convey respect to our Muslim
cousins.

> Printing something positive about Muhammad best does this. There
is a space between romanticizing the past and vilifying it. There is a
time to focus on the dark side of history and a time to view the other
in the best light. There is a time to cull from our rabbinic writings
the good our sages saw in Islam and there is quite a bit of such
sentiment recorded. We Jews need to learn to be more flexible,
pursuing the claims of Jews expelled from Arab countries and
criticizing anti-Jewish TV programs and cartoons in the Muslim media,
while at the same time displaying gratitude for all the good Islam
did for us. There is a time to jump over our pain and see the humanity of
the other. That time is now. Let us start:

There is a Hadith (oral tradition concerning the words and works of
Muhammad) recorded by Bukhari in the name of Amer Bin Rabiha that reads
as follows:

> "A funeral procession passed us and the Prophet stood up for it.
We said, 'but Prophet of God, this is a funeral of a Jew.' The Prophet
responded, 'rise.'"

One can search the writings of the ancient non-Jewish world for a more
powerful example of a public display of respect for the humanity of the
Jew. There simply is no more powerful statement than the single word
uttered by Muhammad nearly 14 centuries ago. Some readers will bombard
this newspaper with reams of material showing a darker side to Islam,
as if it were just too much for them to hear one good thing. But it is
there, it is a sacred part of their tradition, it is good and we
should hear it and respect it. When you give respect you get it. When
you take criticism, you earn the right to give it. Perhaps this
article will be republished in Muslim newspapers, complete with its
critical comments about the pain we feel in the face of anti-Jewish
cartoons and worse in Muslim media. Muslim readers may come to
understand that an article by a Jew, in a Jewish newspaper, was one of
respect, telling its audience: "We know that the one mocked in
newspapers in Europe is the one who had the humanity to tell his
companions to rise for the funeral procession of a Jew."

Edward Miller, a local attorney, is active in efforts to reconcile Jews
and Muslims. Special To The Jewish Week