At it's core, I think this is more than the cartoon's themselves. Because of the oppressive nature of the governments in several aspects(mainly in the free speech dept) on top of the radical clerics who incite this kind of violence(with the one recently putting a bounty on the cartoonist heads in mind), it would seem that many in that area of the world have little moral common sense.
When read correctly, all mainstream religions are strictly peaceful. Yet we have individuals/groups like terrorists, clerics and Iranian presidents who bastardize it in the through process that if it isn't Islam, they are absolutely wrong. To them, that's power. Using negative media portrayals of the Iraq/afghan war, and anything negative Islam such as these cartoons as tools to say "hey, look at how the west is trying to invade/insult us". (I haven't seen Al-Jazeera show anything real pro-western for that matter) They tell these people that the 'west' is saying Mohammad and all Muslims are terrorists, when that is not the message that is intended. When asked in Afghanistan some rioters never even seen these cartoons.
To a lesser extent, political groups in this country do this same type of thing. It seems sometimes, that when one side pushes for something the other has to go the opposite direction and argue to hell with the other about it. Slightly off the topic, I think it's particularly childish, these people are supposed to govern the country and make laws to better our lives yet they are reduced to bickering and name calling. Anyway, then we have these moveon.org/shift boat organizations who spread wrongful/exaggerated accusations to further their own cause.
I wouldn't be against pressing charges against those who released the 3 fakes, don't want to make them matyrs tho. I guess we could attempt at a massive media leaflets/commercials whatever to get the point to them, in the best way possible of free speech/religious tolerance. I would doubts about it tho.
At least some of the national iraqi insurgents have come to their senses that "Hey, if we stop bombing the Americans and actually start helping they'll actually leave faster!"
It's late for me, so i hope I made sense. %)
