It came as a rude shock not only to the people of Saudi Arabia or the Muslim world, but to the entire sane and civilized society that adhered to the right to worship and sanctity of the religious faith. There is no denying the fact that Islam has always been subject of wrath from certain groups in Europe and the Americas. Even before the tragedy of Sept. 11, Islam was subjected to such insults and humiliation from certain groups of so-called intellectuals and political organizations. Sept. 11 ratcheted up such tirades and provided a justified reason for a sustained campaign against Islam.

If we go by the logic that states that Islam caused Sept. 11 then would it be justified to blame Christianity for the Holocaust? Certainly not.

What has pained the Arab and Muslim world as well as the civilized society is the fact that until now all such campaigns against Islam was more or less on an individual basis. But here is case where the Fourth Estate, which is considered to be void of any such social and political influence, was inviting general people to indulge in the game of abusing Islam. No doubt media has its own slant and its own angle and its own biases and prejudices but it has never invited the public so blatantly to come out with their anti-Islamic imagination.

The Danes are generally a polite and courteous people. Denmark has a long history of pacifism and it has never ever taken sides in political and social turmoil despite having its own political and social philosophy. Such a campaign by certain quarters of media to tarnish the image of Islam and insult Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) defies and contradicts all values and ethics embedded in Danish society.

Danes must put their hand on their heart and ask a question: If people elsewhere in the world drew caricatures and perverted cartoons of their national heroes, how they would react?

If supposedly New York Times initiates a cartoon competition in which they ask their readers to draw a cartoon of Niels Ebbessen, a Danish national hero who assassinated the tyrant Count Gerhard of Holstein in 1340, how would they react? Would it hurt their national pride and generate anger? Here the attempt is not to draw a parallel between the Prophet and the Danish national hero. The example is just to let the Danes reflect on a mirror turned upon them. Now if they could feel hurt and angry because their national hero is being insulted, what would happen to the civilized world in general and the Islamic world in particular if any such attempt is made on the Prophet?

Difference of opinion and disagreement on ideological level is a healthy sign of a society, but humiliating a race, religion or a caste purely out of biases and prejudices is nothing but a reflection of a perverted mind.

At a time when we are looking to the world as one global village cutting across the national and social barriers, such campaigns will eventually isolate the perpetrators of such hateful campaigns.

Islam, its leaders and the followers have been victim of such campaigns from time immemorial and history has proven that Islam has always emerged stronger and stronger unscathed, unperturbed and faith unshaken.

The Islamic world is not worried about the image of Islam or the image of its prophets, as they will remain untarnished. But, yes, those who perpetrate such campaigns are exposed and eventually they will be isolated. History has proven this.

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(Muhammad M. Al-Harbi is a Saudi writer. He is based in Dammam.)