Jordanian editor: 'Cartoons silly,' time to move on

By Joanna Chen

The furor over a Danish newspaper's publication of provocative caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad continues to spread across Europe and the Mideast. On Thursday, further outrage was triggered throughout the Muslim world when the Jordanian weekly Shihan republished the caricatures seen by many as a crude affront to Islam. The Jordanian government and press association swiftly condemned the publication and Shihan's editor in chief, Jihad Momani, was fired. On Saturday, Momani was arrested for violations of Jordan's press law, which forbids insults against religion. Before that arrest, NEWSWEEK's Joanna Chen spoke to Momani by phone about the ongoing public outcry. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: Did you expect that publishing the offending caricatures would cause such an outcry in Jordan?

Jihad Momani: I was shocked and surprised to hear the statements released by the Jordanian government condemning my decision to publish the cartoons. And it's continuing. Today there have been more demonstrations.

Source: [Newsweek]

It's not the first time caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad have been published. Why are they causing so much controversy now?

I think there is a political motive behind the Muslim uprisings. Why are the voices protesting these cartoons so very loud? We are talking here about countries that have taken the step of supporting the uprising and encouraging boycotts.

You're suggesting that people are looking for an excuse to complain about the West.

Well, I think it's true to say we're talking about a new era between Islam and the West. The two sides are trying to rebuild their relations. They are trying to approach the relationship in a different way, to go back to the ‘80s or early ‘90s of the golden age between Americans, between the Western world, and Islam in general. So now, in opposition we are hearing loud voices protesting against these cartoons. The Americans are working through back channels. They're holding negotiations with Islamic groups in the Middle East. This is good. Now we are looking at the amazing victory of Hamas in Palestine and it's clear the [United States] will not just sit back and observe. They will go forward, maybe they will talk to Hamas, accept Hamas.

Don't you think that by publishing the caricatures you were just fanning the flames of hatred?

No, not at all. I was trying to calm them down, to tell them these cartoons are not the end of the world, that insults have happened before and will happen again. The cartoons are silly. They don't deserve such an intense reaction.

Does the world lack a sense of humor?
Religion is a red line. No religion should be laughed at. But you have to know how to respond [appropriately].

Is there more prejudice today against the Muslim community in general?
Yes, and I think it will increase even more because of the reaction to these silly cartoons. We're seeing more discrimination against Muslims throughout the world.

What do you think the answer is?

Talking to each other face to face and resolving our problems frankly. What we are seeing here is a conflict between civilizations, West and East. We must put an end to this struggle because it simply isn't good for our future. We have to rebuild these relations and to do something positive to stop what is going on. And we have to start at home.

What should the Muslim world do?

We must forgive. We're talking about a foreign newspaper in Denmark, far away from the Muslim world. Maybe they didn't know they were doing something wrong and either way, they have apologized and the Muslim world must accept it. I'm not empathizing with them, I don't agree with them but we can't just go that far with our punishment. I feel we, the Muslims, are overreacting.

I didn't publish the cartoons because I support them. My position is to show our leaders how silly they are and how they insulted the Prophet Muhammad. They show him as a terrorist and I'm against this. We must respect not just Muhammad but all religions.

So what is the point of these protests?

They are receiving worldwide support. They say they want an apology but I think they're seeking not just an apology but more understanding towards Islam. Let us rebuild the bridges between our two worlds.

Do you think freedom of speech is being curtailed in the Muslim world?

No, in the mosques here they have the freedom to talk about this issue, so we have freedom of speech. But I'm waiting for our national media to listen to me as they listen to the other side.

Do you think the recent riots in France were a precursor to this public outcry?

It's more like a continuation. Tomorrow we'll witness demonstrations against Jews, or Christians. That will be the next step and it will be dangerous.

If you could turn back the clock, what would you do?

I wouldn't publish the cartoons. I feel I haven't done anything wrong but I wouldn't do this again. I believe in freedom of the press and I have always fought for it. But what I wanted to do was to show the people exactly what they were protesting against. When I looked at these images, I just saw silly cartoons without any meaning.

Related stories:

For single page combination of all stories on the Danish cartoon row click here

• Row deepens over Danish cartoons of Prophet
• Norwegian magazine prints Prophet caricatures
• Saudi cleric wants Danish paper punished for cartoons
• Danish goods boycott begins over Prophet caricature
• Jordan foreign ministry summons Danish consul
• Saudis recall envoy in row over Danish cartoons
• Libya shuttering embassy in Denmark over cartoons
• Palestinians storm EU Gaza office over Dane cartoons
• Danish Cartoons: Making a moutain out of a molehill
• Islamic fury grows over Danish caricatures
• Norway apologizes over Prophet caricatures
• Danish paper issues apology for Prophet cartoons
• French paper reprints Denmark's Prophet caricatures
• Newspapers across Europe reprint Prophet cartoons
• Gaza gunmen close EU office over Prophet cartoons
• Editor fired after publication of Prophet caricatures
• Hezbollah: Rushdie death would stop Prophet insults
• Jordanian paper reprints Danish Prophet cartoons
• French editor of 'Soir' fired over Prophet cartoons
• Jordan editor fired for Prophet cartoon reprint
• BBC, ITV show cartoons; Muslims vent outrage
• Syrians set Danish, Norweigan embassies ablaze
• Boycott over Danish cartoons costing Arla £1m daily
• Cartoon controversy reflects deeper Danish problem
• Prophet cartoon protests leave 4 dead in Afghanistan
• Iran becomes new focus of Prophet cartoon protests
• Two editors in court in Jordan over Prophet cartoons
• Iraq Christians edgy as Prophet cartoon row escalates
• U.S. Muslims react with tempered anger over cartoons