Danish cartoonists insulted Muslims; therefore, Muslims must now insult Jews?

After a Danish newspaper published caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad almost a year ago, I wrote this article defending its right to do so. But I also made a point of expressing solidarity with Muslims who reacted to the caricatures with non-violent moral indignation, initially.

Unfortunately, when they proceeded to orchestrate violent protests all over the world that seemed motivated more by political than religious concerns, I was also constrained to write the following:

My record of support for Muslims seeking to hold (Muslim and non-Muslim) leaders accountable for social, economic, political and religious discrimination against Muslims is beyond reproach. But my support does not extend to those who pervert their own religion for a polyglot babel of political purposes – as seems to be the case with the vast majority of Muslims now rummaging, pillaging and killing in the name of Islam.

Now the Islamic Republic of Iran, as the self-proclaimed defender of Islam, has removed all doubts about what motivated Muslims to react so violently to the caricatures of Muhammad. Because, by perverse reasoning only an anti-Semite could fashion, a state-run Iranian newspaper opened an exhibition in Tehran yesterday featuring caricatures of the Holocaust, which it billed unabashedly as:

...a response to the outrage caused among Muslims last year by Western caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

But, overlooking the patently flawed reasoning, is this response fair game (tit-for-tat, lex talionis)?

I say yes, unreservedly. After all, the same freedoms (of the press and expression) I defended when caricatures of Muhammad were published apply also to the publication of these caricatures, no matter how spiteful, immoral and anti-Semitic they may be. Moreover, I am just as keen to stand with Jews who react to this Tehran exhibition with non-violent moral indignation.

Now, for a little exercise in moral relativism, let’s see how many Jews take to the streets all over the world to rummage, pillage and kill in the name of Judaism….

Tehran Holocaust cartoon exhibition