The world is booming with repercussions of some people in Denmark who have exercised their right of freedom of speech to draw caricatures that ridicule Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Naturally, there was an international outcry from Muslims all over the world. Some called for an official apology, some called for dialogue and peaceful protest, and others (a small minority) called for blood. The reaction of Muslims worldwide shows one thing we all have in common — our love and respect for the final Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).

The terrible irony of the whole situation is that the caricatures that labeled the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as expounding particular violent and non-Islamic behavior are, in fact, a reflection of the current behavior of many of those Muslims who have developed a violent, aggressive, and reactive mentality that goes against everything the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called and stood for.

So there were some Danes who drew the caricatures, but from whom did they get their initial ideas and impressions of Islam and what the Prophet represents? The peaceful protests of Danes apologizing to the worldwide Muslim community for the disrespectful caricatures drawn by their countrymen is more in line with Islam and the principles the Prophet taught than the bloodthirsty slogans slapped on placards and marched through the streets by those who claim to love and follow the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

What a marvelous thing it would be if our everyday lives reflected our love for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) by following his example of practicing moral behavior, truthful words, sincere intentions, peaceful lifestyles and attitudes, not harming others, not being extreme, and believing in the equality of all people. Does it take someone to draw caricatures of the Prophet before we wake up and realize how important he (peace and blessings be upon him) is to us and to all of humanity?

Because of the greatness and nobility of his life; because of the example he (peace and blessings be upon him) set of moderation, kindness, forgiveness, wisdom, and devotion to serving mankind; because he represents the peak of humanity, the best a person can ever be, any attempt to degrade him, to make little of him, or to deride him becomes a more serious action because in doing so mankind's greatest role model is hindered from view. Ridiculing the guide sent to mankind is actually an injustice to all people because it takes away the hope of what mankind can become if it would only follow his (peace and blessings be upon him) guidance.

Caricatures of the Prophet! What a travesty of human dignity! Speaking and acting against his (peace and blessings be upon him) teachings, yet doing so in his name! What a farce!

Of all the tools of life at man's disposal, freedom of speech is the noblest, greatest, and the most powerful. Speaking the truth, speaking your mind, communicating heart to heart, touching the spirits of others, inspiring with hope and motivation — these are all powerful weapons that can change the course of life events.

Don't underestimate the power of the word! The spoken and written word can break down tyrants, inspire social change, unseat corruption, and forge mankind into a unified whole.

But like all tools that are also potential weapons, there must be ethics that are practiced with nobility and conscience so as to ensure the rights and dignity of everyone. Words, like any other weapon, can be aimed and shot out randomly like a gun in a drive-by shooting, which all people with conscience would acknowledge to be wrong, immoral, and punishable. After all, it's just not right to drive by a crowd of people and harm them — just because you have the power and ability to do so. Right?

At the same time, premeditated misuse of this "weapon" could spell harm, mayhem, and aggressive resistance from those who have been aimed at and shot (the target of the harmful words)! So the shooter (the writer or speaker) just concocts his or her "bullet" (words) and shoots it into a crowd that is already jumpy and quick to retaliate, and then sits back and watches the reaction. Any harm that occurs after the "bullet" was shot could be said to go back to the one who pulled the trigger.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught mankind a message of peace. He forbade violence, vengeance, oppression, and a host of evil behaviors that have threatened to destroy mankind since the beginning of time. If he (peace and blessings be upon him) were here with us today, I wonder what he would advise us to do in the face of people who have ridiculed him? Remember, during his (peace and blessings be upon him) lifetime he was continually belittled, ridiculed, and threatened, but how did he react?

His responses to ridicule are matchless in all the history of mankind. He never took revenge for any wrong done to him personally! He ignored the ignorant, gave them "salams," guided, advised, and forgave. He could have ordered his armies to invade and kill all those who ridiculed and insulted him, but he never did! Even when he entered Makkah in triumph as its leader after he and his followers had been persecuted and exiled, he forgave those who had sought to harm him and his message. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) knew that Allah is the Protector of all things and that success comes from Him. So where does that leave us?

No doubt there exists an assault against Islam on every level — from the battlefield to newspapers and magazines. An intellectual battle should be fought from an intellectual perspective. The world has now turned its head and is looking in the direction of the final Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So now is the time to present the lessons the Prophet taught mankind — the wonderful message of his life and how the message of Islam is indeed the answer to today's woes.