TomPaine.com - Decoding The Cartoon Crisis

TomPaine.com - Decoding The Cartoon Crisis: "This is no mere clash of cultures. It is a new form of the colonial struggle that defined European-Arab/Asian relations in the 19th century. The difference this time is that the natives in the south are not helpless and quiescent in the face of the West's large guns, disdainful rhetoric or insulting cartoons. Muslims, Arabs, Asians and others today are much more aware of the policies of Western states, concerned about their goals, angry about Western double standards, able to resist through the use of mass media, political and other channels, and willing to stand up, fight back and assert their right to live in freedom and dignity. The message from the Arab-Islamic heartland is that the 19th century has officially ended."