Never before bigotry in the world on such a large scale had it so pervading as it is today in the wake of ongoing ‘clash of civilizations’following the cartoon wars, described by The Economist as the’battle for expression’.



South Asian countries with sizeable Muslim population reacted rather lately. In the initial stages, it appeared that saner elements prevailed over the Muslims in these countries, often swayed by the religious bigotry amidst sweeping poverty and ignorance coupled with lack of education.



However, Muslims in these countries too were swayed by the religious frenzy, aoused by small town politicians for their narrow and vested political interests. Little wonder, Hazi Yaqoob, a semi-literate and a neo-rich politician, who is also a minister in Uttar Pradesh province of India, announced a cash reward of more than about 12 million US $ to anyone who would behead the Danish cartoonist.



It is a heartening development that the liberal elements among Muslims, who often lacked courage to oppose such absurd outbursts and ‘fatwahs’, came forward to decry such annoucements and decried them by stating that they were against the basic spirits of Islam. Some of these liberal Muslims have gone to the extent of suggesting pardon to the offending cartoonist by quoting ‘Hadith’ that to forgive is the basic obligation on the part of a Muslim.



The feeble defence by the Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who seemed to be suffering from Islamophobia, of the anti-Muslim remarks cannot be justified as the violent opposition to the cartoons by the frenzied mob cannot be.