Two p.s. postings in a row inspired by events in the Muslim world do not mean that I am obsessed with Islam, but that the news media currently are (which makes a pleasant change from constant coverage of events and non-events here in Northern Ireland).

An "International Day of Anger!" in response to cartoons featuring the Prophet Mohammed has become a fortnight, in which people have died, flags and embassies have been burned, western aid workers have left Palestine and sales of Lurpak butter across the Muslim world have declined… resulting in workers being laid off in Denmark.

Meanwhile, western libertarians and right wing media are calling for solidarity with the Danish newspaper, in defence of free speech, describing this as a clash of cultures. That same week, the British government's bill prohibiting the promotion of Religious Hatred was stalled, if not defeated, while prominent BNP leaders were cleared of inciting racial hatred despite, among other things, having described Islam as a "wicked, vicious faith." In both cases campaigners described these as victories for free speech.

It is questionable whether religious sensitivities should be legislated for in a society which truly prizes free speech; Islam does not deserve any more sensitive handling than Christianity, or vice versa. The playing field must be level. One of the ironies of the controversy over the Danish cartoons was that some of the Muslim papers that objected to them see nothing wrong with publishing anti-Jewish cartoons. In our context we cannot make fun of the beliefs, practices and people of other faith positions and then object vociferously if people and positions we hold dear are then lampooned.

Our hard won liberty does not grant us license to gratuitously offend. Anyone. But it is difficult to legislate for this. It requires a moral sea-change throughout society, one which is concerned for the rights of others rather than our own. If we were all looking out for each other, then none of us need worry. But we're not - we're too busy focusing on the speck of sawdust in the other person's eye to notice the railway sleeper sticking out of our own.

We don't need an international day of anger focused at what someone else has said or done to us and ours and the beliefs that we hold dear. We don't need a special day to do that, because it goes on all the time, what we need is an internal day of anger. Anger is not necessarily a bad thing. It just depends on who we get angry with, why we get angry and what we do about it.

The Gospels of Luke and Mark both tell the story of Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath. In Luke the Pharisees are described as being angry at such blasphemy. In Mark Jesus is described as being angry at their hardness of heart.

So let's take a look at ourselves and the things that we as individuals, churches and communities do to bring derision and shame on ourselves and our faith. Get angry about the things that Jesus would be angry at in us.

Perhaps, in this whole sorry mess, we should be inspired by the editor of a newspaper: a Muslim newspaper. Jihad Momeni the editor of Shihan, a weekly tabloid newspaper in Jordan, republished the offensive drawings with an editorial urging Muslims to "be reasonable." In his editorial, Momeni asked, "Who offends Islam more? A foreigner who endeavors [sic] to draw the prophet as described by his followers in the world, or a Muslim with an explosive belt who commits suicide in a wedding party in Amman or elsewhere?"

However, if we are to take Jihad Momeni as our inspiration, beware: He was subsequently fired and is now facing prosecution.

But then again, our ultimate inspiration is Jesus: when he challenged the attitudes and prejudices of the religious people of his day he wasn't just fired, or prosecuted…

David Campton

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