The leader of a Muslim student organization at Iowa State watched with anger and dismay last week as violent protests raged in parts of Europe and the Middle East in response to cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of the Islamic religion.

The 12 caricatures, first published in a Danish newspaper and then reprinted in newspapers across Europe, include the revered prophet wearing a bomb-shaped turban with fuse lit, among other things.

Followers of the world’s second-largest faith, living anywhere from Afghanistan to Ames, were insulted and outraged by the drawings because Islam forbids any visual depiction’s of Muhammad for fear of idolatry, the worship of a physical object as a god. The Quran does not specifically mention artwork and Muhammad, but Islam has traditionally also banned depictions of others considered to be prophets, including Jesus.

“The fact they drew him in the first place is why they’re angry,” said Omar Manci, president of the ISU Muslim Students Association and sophomore in pre-business. “The fact it was negative – the fact he has a bomb under his hat – just adds to it.”

European publications reprinted the cartoons in the name of freedom of expression, but MSA Adviser Ahmed Kamal, professor of electrical and computer engineering, said he felt the newspapers didn’t simply use that freedom, but abused it.

“We believe in freedom of expression, but we don’t believe in freedom of slandering,” Kamal said. “Freedom of expression comes with responsibility.”

He said the cartoons amounted to an irresponsible and insensitive use of that freedom.

“With freedom of speech you are free to say whatever you will say, but not to harm people,” Kamal said. “And I think psychologically harming someone can actually be worse than physically harming them.”

Non-Muslim students at Iowa State see the controversy from a different point of view than their Islamic counterparts, but Chelsea Kaihoi, junior in mathematics, said she understands why the drawings are offensive.

The stereotype that all Muslims are terrorists is the result of the actions of a small minority, she said, but it is perpetuated by the Danish cartoons.

“It would frustrate the Muslim community,” Kaihoi said. “[The cartoon] is mocking their religion; it’s mocking their groups.”

Others see the widespread violence and demands for retribution as an overreaction to the publishing of an offensive opinion.

Aaron Reiter, senior in mechanical engineering, said in a free society citizens have to take “both the good and the bad” from the press – insulting cartoons included.

“I can see where they are coming from – they have the right to protest,” he said. “But to demand death for drawing a cartoon and expressing what you think is ignorant.”

Manci said he worries that the violent reaction to the cartoons overseas will justify its publishing in the eyes of Westerners, when people should be questioning stereotypes such as the one depicted.

“Muhammad stood against all this,” he said. “This rioting and this violence that is going on is feeding what the cartoon is saying. To me it is only proving the cartoon.”