3. The Muhammed Cartoons

The publication of 12 cartoons depicting Muhammed by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on September 30, 2005 created a great deal of controversy over self-censorship, freedom of speech, and accusations of religious incitement. Numerous protests were organized by Muslim activists around the world, and later tens of people were killed and hundreds injured due to the violent reactions. Following a framing analysis approach, this chapter focuses on the YouTube reaction toward these cartoons by analyzing 261 video clips and 4153 comments. Results show that the majority of the video clips and comments were moderate and positive toward Islam and Muhammed; however, a small percentage either called for jihad against the West or involved lethal threats against the artist. Other comments carried curses or insults against Denmark, whereas few others were anti-Islamic. Online reactions are varied in tone but might lead to a certain kind of activism that unites many Muslims under what is known as the Islamic Ummah or nation.