Cartoons and the Globalization of Protests

Violence bred by the infamous Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad has spread to sub-Saharan Africa. The ubiquity of such protests, and not simply their ferocity, has surprised many commentators. The cartoon controversy is not without precedent. In 1989, Salman Rushdie’s “The Satanic Verses” incurred the wrath of Iranian ayatollahs who regarded it as a heretical vision of Islam. But the reaction was very limited. Since then, the protests have increased in scale: In 1989, Iran’s hardliners pitted themselves against the lonely figure of Rushdie, whereas the Danish cartoon flap now represents a clash of civilizations. The debate between moderate and extremist Muslims could determine the outcome of this global conflict. – YaleGlobal.