Why so Touchy over Those Mohammed Cartoons?

I think I’ve found the answer to one of the great questions of our times. Why, exactly, has there been quite so much touchiness over these Mohammed cartoons? I’ll agree that this possibly isn’t the most scientific of answers but if true, would help to explain a certain amount of the promptness to an irritated reaction.

As I noted back in January last year there is an injunction, in certain flavours of Islam, that one should shave the hindquarters. As Ask the Imam points out:

Q: Do we have to shave scrotum? What exactly is 'hind parts' that we have to shave?
A: One has to shave the scrotum. By hind parts is meant the circle around the anus, as faeces could get attached to any hair present there.

That all sound perfectly logical. Until one reads this account from Ramblings of the consequences of doing so.

Unfortunately again, this exertion caused me to sweat, and when I finally reached my room, my cheeks were sliding back and forth against each other like a pair of horny cane-toads. I quickly dropped my pants, and attempted to dry my ass off by sticking it in front of a fan and spreading my cheeks. As I pulled the two mounds of flesh apart, a horrible stench burst free and filled the room. Every dog within a 4 block radius started to howl. I had it worst of all, as the ripe aroma of festering shit/sweat went into the fan and blew back into my face. I fought to keep from heaving. And as I sat there, fighting vomit, my ass cheeks spread and dripping, with the concentrated aroma of my body odor mixed with the tangy smell of my own shit blowing right into my face, I had only one thought: "It will be like this until the hair grows back. Weeks."

Could we therefore explain the readiness of the Arab Street to riot and burn flags at the flic of a cartoonist’s pen upon the near constant irritation brought about by this (cultural? religious?) practice?

Hhhm. Intruiging though it is, probably not. Ah well, back to the drawingboard. (sorry, sorry)

Tag mohammed cartoon