I'm not sure this is the right place for this comment, and maybe i'll get downvoted to oblivion, but, I feel I need to clarify something in regards to the particular subject of free speech and Islam, especially regarding the prophet Muhammad. and I'd like to apologize in advance for my sub-par English since it is not my first language.

people who are unfamiliar with Islam are shocked when a "radical" or a group of "radical" Muslims commit an act of crime like the recent Paris shooting in reaction of a cartoon. it's just a cartoon! why can't Muslims have a sense of humor about it? why can't they understand the concept of free speech?

Well, first of all you see, Muslims love and admire the prophet Muhammad and respect him in very high regard, more than anything and everything else, in fact, in Islam, your faith is not true and complete until your love for the prophet is higher and deeper than the love you hold for your parents, your children and your own self. Now, many people do not "practice" or translate this love in reality, as by definition such great love would mean that one is obliged to follow his teachings as much and as closely as possible, however, many people don't do that, practically they don't, but emotionally and spiritually the majority of them do, they do love him, the vast majority of Muslims would laugh at a joke made at them or at their father or mother or whatever if its clean humor, but making fun of the prophet is just something you just don't do. its basically insulting their entire religion and faith, you not just insulting a person, you're insulting their core beliefs. you are insulting their most highly regarded figure.

to add to the point above, the mere act of drawing (as in actual painting) the prophet Muhammad in any way or form, even in respectful manner is prohibited in Islam, let alone in a form of a cartoon, let alone in a sarcastic matter.

So, knowing this, you might get a better idea why those people did what they did. So, Free speech: Imagine you are a white guy, and you walk up to a group of strangers, black (African-American) guys and you're like: hey Niggers! how would you imagine they would react? does any publication or news organization in the United States dare utter the term Nigger and justify it as free speech? you just don't do that, its racist, hateful, ignorant, call it whatever you want, but you just don't do that, now multiply that by a hundred or a thousand fold, that's what making fun or insulting the prophet Muhammad is to Muslims.

Now, I am not claiming that those people who satirize the prophet Muhammad, are fully aware of what exactly their making fun of, but it is possible, it is possible they do know and they're doing it just to piss Muslims off, I imagine so of them must. since this isn't the first time such an incident has happened, they must have wondered and done their research.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, you just don't make fun of, or insult someone's most sacred person or belief and justify it as free speech. if not for political correctness, out of common courtesy to your fellow human being.