For once I agree with the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in the UK who said in a statement that he thought the reprints were irresponsible and disrespectful. Notice, not the Danish original just the reprints.

The original publication of 12 artists work in Denmark was part of a larger piece to do with testing the boundaries of free speech. That sparked this whole thing off back in September of last year. Months later a Nowegian conservative Christian newspaper reprinted the cartoons (without permission) and bundled Norway into it. Now France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Jordan and Indonesia have followed suit to a lesser degree. Was this reproduction really an exercise in free speech or nothing more than a cynical swipe at a religous group? In the case of the French Soir magazine who are in financial difficulties it might even be regarded as a cynical and tacky sales ploy.

The Sunni Muslims have a law that prohibits any depiction of the prophet Muhamed. In their eyes the publications that printed these were wrong to do so, and more so it seems so are the governments that refused to be drawn into an international argument over censorship and the right to freedom of speech. Drawn in they now are anyway.

But are the nations that are withdrawing their ambassadors and closing embassies really right to do so? I honestly don't know, so let's try ot put this into a little context.

Whenever the American flag is burned by nationals of another country there is often an quite the outcry. I know the US has asked that flag burners be arrested in various countries before. I'm sure if drawings of Ariel Sharon were made of him in a Nazi uniform Israel would be protesting vehemently. Stick a caricature of Jesus on a cross being fellated by Mary Magdalen and i'm sure lots of Christian groups would be up in arms. It's all about context.

These nations that are boycotting goods and removing their representatives from embassies, missions and so on have the right to do so, just as a Denmark publication had the right to publish those original cartoons, and the other international media outlets have the right (so long as they actually do have a legal right). Have they exercised their rights responsibly? Perhaps not.

On top of this, misinformation is making the whole situation worse. Listening to the reports coming from Gaza and Palestine where Norwegian aid workers were worried about reprisals, they were assured by Palestinian representatives that they were safe and that it was only the dogs of Denmark and Sweden that would suffer under the sword of justice. Sweden? So far they haven't printed or said anything.

And in all of this who are the people that are suffering? The muslim minorities in Europe, and the European aid workers and companies working and helping in the middle east and Indonesia. While the media 'exercises' it's right to free speech without thinking, and radical clerics call Government's refusal to act a declaration of war, it is normal people who are going to suffer.