What's good for the goose is good for the gander, and I think the average Western citizen could be excused if he or she said something like:

'Zealots are literally nailing veils on the faces of women in Afghanistan and Pakistan and are busy hanging some of those women, as well as homosexuals, adulterers and infidels. But I was raised in the tradition of freedom and human rights, especially freedom of expression in enquiry, vital in a civilisation of my values. I am offended.

'Meanwhile, Islamic fanatics in Europe murder film-makers they don't like and threaten anyone else whose opinions they dislike. Therefore, I demand that the governments of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Sudan apologise to me. Otherwise I am forced to threaten, beat up, kidnap and behead their citizens. Because I am sensitive about my cultural identity. I am offended.

'Other fanatics destroy priceless art such as the Buddhas of Bamiyan. And Arab videos show journalists being beheaded, while Jews see themselves depicted as cannibals and pigs, Western women as decadent sluts.

'I find this offensive, and I demand that all the editors and TV news directors in the Islamic world apologise to me, or I will have to boycott Palestinian fruit and burn the embassies of Qatar, Iran and Lebanon.

' Azly Rahman equates the Western freedom of its citizens to offend their own religious and political institutions as 'imperialism.' I am stupefied by this and therefore will not visit Kuala Lumpur again or sniff a durian, and will call for a boycott on palm oil.'