Blame the victim

I've only just come across this appalling piece in the Guardian.

Prejudiced Danes provoke fanaticism

Why did the editors of Jyllands-Posten want to mock Islam in this way? Some of us believed it was in bad taste and also cruel. Intentional humiliation is an aggressive act. As a journalist now living in the same town as Westergaard, I thought some at Jyllands-Posten had acted like petulant adolescents. Danes fail to perceive the fact that they have developed a society deeply suspicious of religion. This is the real issue between Denmark and Muslim extremists, not freedom of speech. The free society precept is merely an attempt to give the perpetrators the moral high ground when actually it is a smokescreen for a deeply rooted prejudice, not against Muslims, but against religion per se. Muslims are in love with their faith. And many Danes are suspicious of anyone who loves religion.

So what? Why should we 'respect' religious views any more than we respect other daft, deeply irrational ones? And most certainly, why should we respect any religion who's adherents believe the appropriate response to being disrespected is murder?