It's another day and another series of destructive riots as angry Muslims all over the world burn, stone and threaten to kill because of what they perceive as insults to their religion.

Non-Muslims should take a good look at what's going on because this grotesque and bizarre behavior says much more about the extremist world view of these religious zealots than their critics could dream up. Protesting Muslims are expressing what they believe is justifiable disagreement over the publication in Denmark of cartoon images of Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

They are a people clamoring, with justification, for patience and tolerance from those unfamiliar with their religion. But when it comes time for tolerance from their side – like not storming or burning embassies or not threatening to kill those with whom they might disagree – forget it.

What's amazing, so far at least, about these rampages occurring in the Middle East and Africa is the degree to which many foreign governments are acting as it the protests are somehow justified. British government officials have condemned the publication of the Danish cartoons as somehow an unseemly, incendiary assault on peace-loving religious people.

In fact, the cartoons, one of which showed Muhammad's turban as a bomb set to explode, are and ought to be the price of admission to the civilized world, where freedom of speech and respect of contrary viewpoints must reign supreme.

The Muslim religion prohibits the depiction of Muhammad in any form, and it's certainly understandable that Muslims especially would not like images that are unflattering. But the violence perpetrated by wild mobs can never be acceptable. The extent to which this violence is seen as appropriate by Muslims shows that the threat of Islamofascism can never be underestimated by those who wish to remain free of violent assault.

Muslims everywhere should view these riots as a source of shame. Everyone else should consider them a warning.