A discussion of religion can branch into any number of topics, any number of denominations and sects, its effects on law and politics, and its role within society . However, if you mention religion today, one topic stands out universally: Danish cartoons. Out of context, this seems ridiculous, but within a valid framework, the topic addresses religion at every possible angle. Perhaps no event in recent history, excluding September 11, has provoked such a rapid and universal reaction. The retaliation against the publication of these comics has stunned and shocked the world and has led to the mass asking of a question: why? This line of thinking has given rise to many questions. Why are Muslims so offended? Why did the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten publish the comics? Why does Islam seem to be out of control? Simple minds argue that Islam simply cannot bear some ridicule and that the religion produces madmen. However, if you examine the misconceptions and prejudices, you find a more complex answer, one that includes surprisingly little Islam and a much greater amount of oppression and subjugation. The heart of these protests lies not in Islam, but in shaping the ignorant through power and the events of history. The explosion of protest began on September 30, 2005, when the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published twelve cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad in a variety of contexts, many of which were deemed offensive by Muslims and others. The most controversial cartoon depicts Muhammad wearing a bomb in his turban, which is an obvious reference to Islamic suicide bombers. The cartoons have since been reprinted in fifty countries ("Jyllands-Posten Muhammad Cartoons Controversy") ensuring that the main... half of the paper... cartoon protests in Nigeria." CNN. 19 February 2018. 2006. Associated Press. February 20, 2006. Ajami, Fouad “The Fire This Time.” February 21, 2006. “Cartoon Row: Danish Embassy on Fire.” Associated Press, February 20, 2006. Davidson, Lawrence America's Secret War, New York: Broadway Books, 2004. Goodenough, Patrick "Islamic Students' Views on the Portrayal of Muhammad Not Identical." CNS News. February 7, 2006. February 20, 2006. “Jyllands-Posten Muhammad Cartoons Controversy.” Wikipedia. February 20, 2006. Rahman, Fazlur. Islam and Modernity. Chicago: The University of Chicago P, 1982. Standing, Peter "The Koran is a Book of Peace, Not War, Say National Geographic Scholars." News September 25, 2001. February 21. 2006 .