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A mob is a mindless beast, so one should not interpret the rioters as representing the mind of Islam.
However, there is a passion in Islamic countries that I don't see in Western countries. One stark example: America's Muslims, while they are perhaps offended by the depiction of the Prophet in these cartoons, have not rioted; and when Christianists in America are offended by something, they tend not to turn to violence. And even when they do (bombing of abortion clinics, for instance) such acts earn the opprobrium of even the right-wing, anti-choice community.
Partly this has to do with the historical fact that Western countries have had to cope with and adapt to multiculturalism/multisectarianism to a much greater degree than Islamic countries. Multisectarianism tends to lead to tolerance. India is NOT (IMO) an exception to this rule, because despite the many many religions, you basically have two opposing religious forces in India which are in a very precarious balance, and so tolerance is less "reliable."
Also, I think you have an issue that many Islamic countries have despotic rulers, and so have weaker traditions of free expression.
As I recall from my comparative religion classes, as an infidel, my opinion of the Prophet is supposed to be completely irrelevant, and cannot even be considered blasphemous. This, for me, is the great shame that the rioters are heaping on Islam by their intolerance. I think they have done Islam a great disservice, hardening already hard hearts in the West, and reinforcing a million bad stereotypes.
Oh, and by the way, welcome to DU!
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