The answer is simple:  to defend the West from radical Islamists who are murdering innocent men, women, and children in an attempt to intimidate us into submission.  I have no hidden agenda, and I perhaps poorly expressed my reasons in the original post.  Jyllands-Posten published these cartoons precisely because they became aware that any criticism of Islam was being violently repressed and that if something was not soon done that Europe would soon be submissive to their violent rule.  The cartoons were meant to illustrate, literally, the truth of this growing threat.  The fact that we are all here talking about it proves that it worked and was unfortunately needed.

Radical Islamist are torturing, raping, enslaving, and murdering people who disagree with them all over the globe, and not just in Europe.  The true obscenity here is this evil campaign of terrorist brutality.  Comparing these murderous actions to the publishing of some cartoons that point out this reality is obscene.  Cartoons of this type that make fun of every conceivable subject, including Christian and Jewish religious topics, are published routinely throughout the Western world.  Are there objections at times to specific instances where people feel they have gone too far?  Absolutely, such a case is happening right now in the US concerning the depiction of a wounded US soldier.  As heated as the feelings are on this domestic soldier cartoon controversy, nobody has been hurt, will be hurt, or will be threatened to be hurt during the course of the debate.

This is the functioning of a civil society.  Conflict is frequent and often intense but it is limited to words and arguments, not murder and intimidation.  But no subect is allowed to be immune to criticism in the West, NOBODY has the right to be immune from criticism of their beliefs or actions.  This is the defining characteristic of a Free Society, for once limits are placed on who or what can be criticized then tyrants use this to suppress opposition and democracy fades into the sham it is in so much of the world where elections are routinely rigged.  Like Saddam in his last election where he supposedly got 99+% of the vote.  God could descend from the heavens and he wouldn’t get that much of the vote.  Freedom of expression and a Free Press are absolutely necessary and often unpleasant pre-conditions for the continuation of legitimiate and non-oppressive Representative and Elected Governments.  Free expression is sometimes and regretfully ugly, but necessary to our chosen way of life and culture.

I understand that many Muslims are insulted and hurt by these cartoon depictions, and this was not my intention or goal.  I have followed this controversy since about October of 2004, and have posted about it a few times since then.  I thought of publishing the cartoons several times since then but refrained because I did not want to cause insult.  The point had been made and it was looking like the brave Danes would not submit to pressure, so I did not think that adding to the tension would be helpful or necessary.  Increasing violence and intimidation along with the capitulation of various participants lead me to decide that in conscience I should do what little I could to assist those standing up to terror and intimidation by publishing the cartoons on my small blog.  I am sorry for the hurt caused to those innocent Muslims who have caused no harm and wish to live in peace with others.  I am pleased to be aggrivating the murderous Islamist thugs who are trying to terrorize all of us here in the West and the politicians here who for various reasons want to capitulate to them.

Update:  For those linking in directly to this post, to see my original posting of the cartoons click on this link.