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The Danish newspaper was pre warned that the cartoons were offensive to the Muslim Religion, the cartoons were in poor taste, and offensive. Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Press is an important asset of democracy, but it does not entitle an individual to run into a public building yelling fire. Along with freedom comes responsibility. To now say "I didn't know this was going to happen is irresponsible. Newspapers are not suppose to make the news, they are suppose to report the news without prejudice. Your choice not to print the cartoons was a good one, to bad the other news medias are not as honorable. Name and address withheld

Living in the Middle East, it is easy to see the genuine pain that the cartoons have caused. However, images of the Prophet are not uncommon (lots of them in Medieval art for example), Shia Islam does not ban depictions, the prohibition on depiction is not binding on non-Muslims, and the Saudi authorities seem to have encouraged their newspapers to pick this story up as a way of distracting attention from the Hajj disaster. Some of the cartoons have been published before without causing offense. Finally, some Islamic groups are doing their level best to mislead the public here. Cartoons depicting the Prophet as a pig and other such images are being handed around and said to have been published in Jyllands-Posten. These images have not been published in the West, yet respectable newspapers here in Dubai have reprinted the allegations. Looking at the flashpoints of violence and intimidation, you have to wonder how much of this controversy is people looking for a quarrel with the West. Kate Godfrey, Dubai, UAE

Are these cartoons worth the consequences? This issue is a consequence of the frustrations created by political correctness. Some fight against it while others embrace it. Both attitudes as this case highlights cannot at the same time exist in. Those wishing to publish are now knowingly free to cause offence in so doing. They however are not free to choose the consequences, the consequences being the backlash; the choice (rightly or wrongly) of those who take offence. Surely those who take offence are entitled to take offence as they please, in a free society where others are likewise free to offend. Liz Young, Middlesex

I strongly disagree with what Ms. Murphy has said previously [see below] and I don't think anyone should pass judgement on anything if they don't know the facts. Also, who is to say whether something is 'unacceptable' or not, isn't this a matter of opinion? The Qu'ran does not encourage poor treatment of women or homosexuals. The Qu'ran gives freedom and equal rights to women. The hijab for women, which includes the covering of the body and head but also requires modest behaviour, is not a form of oppression of Muslim women, but a form of liberation. The hijab lets women be respected for their intelligence and beliefs rather than for their appearance, and protects them from fornication and sexual abuse. The hijab also applies to men, involving the covering of parts of the body and modest behaviour. Therefore this is an equal system catering for the varying needs of men and women. There are countless other ways to illustrate this fair system in Islam. Regarding homosexuality, the Qu'ran does not advocate any behaviour, positive or negative towards it. Rather it states that homosexuality is a 'transgression' of nature and is a sin. There are so many other comments that I completely disagree with but I think that if anyone is willing to question their views, then they will find out the facts for themselves. Laura Jones, Cardiff

I am glad to hear that the British press have refrained from publishing the pictures that have caused offence to the Muslim community. Such gratuitous insults which cause hurt and outrage are not the right way for the world to proceed. It is not the way of peace. Why do the leaders of so-called civilized countries persist in behaving like bullies in a school playground? They should watch what they do otherwise this whole world is going to fall apart. Damaris Pitt, Aberdeen

After looking at the images, it seems that an attempt has been made to disrespect another religion. People are arguing that there is a sense of hypocrisy here. However there is a line drawn between freedom of speech and respect for other religions. This line has been drawn here through cheap publishing which portrays all Muslims as terrorists. Hence, this is not just a case of freedom of speech but rather the enticement of religious hatred. F Aldin, London

Would Christians like it if sacrilegious cartoons of Jesus were being printed? No. Yes there should be freedom of speech, but common sense (which isn't common anymore) and compassion would tell someone that they can get their point across without getting ugly. I am appalled that people think that because a few Muslims want to take the lower road, they must to. The world can do with understanding and compassion, grow up. Robin Castellanos, San Antonio, TX, USA

Unless it is no longer legal to consider religion ridiculous, it is ludicrous to imagine it is above ridicule. Satire has for centuries been a valuable tool for expressing all manner of dissatisfaction with all manner of subjects. It has been especially useful in exposing those with little intelligence or wit through the application of a little intelligence and wit. Leaving aside for a moment the obvious issues of freedom of speech, satire like this is a long held cultural tradition, and our Muslim brethren should consider the irony of asking us to abandon our culture in order to stop a so called offence to theirs. James Griffiths, Birmingham

It is very strange to witness the present outrage, because there already exist numerous drawings, paintings and cartoons of the prophet Muhammad. The Danish version of the internet encyclopedia Wikipedia has a very big selection, some of them very recent, including drawings bought in Tehran of all places. Here you can also find a link to antisemitic cartoons published in Arab newspapers. As a Dane I have followed the affair from the start, and it is obvious that the whole thing has been stage managed by so-called leaders of the Danish Muslim community, perhaps with the assistance of some Muslim ambassadors in Copenhagen. These community leaders went to the Arab world with the cartoons plus some extraordinary offensive ones which had never appeared in the newspaper in question, spread lies about the situation of Muslims in Denmark, and did their best to whip up anger. Moderate Muslims would do well to distance themselves from this behaviour, as they are indeed beginning to do in Denmark. Dan Andersen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Less than a month ago, a letter was published in The Times from a group of prominent British Muslim groups defending Sir Iqbal Sacranie's assertion that homosexuality was "harmful". They wrote that "All Britons, whether they are in favour of homosexuality or not, should be allowed to freely express their views in an atmosphere free of intimidation or bullying. We cannot claim to be a truly free and open society while we are trying to silence dissenting views." Yet now I read that the Muslim Association of Britain has said any publication of the cartoons "will only infuriate the British members of the Muslim community". Can there be any greater hypocrisy? Gavin Mortimer, Montpellier, France

The gun-wielding protesters are infinitely more offensive and grotesque than the Danish cartoons. Grimacing, bomb-threatening, yoghurt-boycotting, they are living caricatures of Islam's worst excesses. With reality like this, the cartoonists will be out of a job. Name and address withheld

The radical Muslim solution to an offensive message is to kill the messenger, not deal with the message. Of course, images of blood-drinking Jews, copies of "The Elders of Zion," theories about Mossad knowing about 9/11 beforehand, and general anti-Semitic rhetoric circulate freely and are thought to be the "truth" in the Muslim world, with no hint of a concern for the offended. These people are the new puritans, the new fascists. Sleep with my sister? We will kill my sister for her dishonor. Say something bad about Islam? We will kill you. As Bob Dylan said, "You don't count the dead when God's on your side." Gary Cinnamon, San Clemente, California