 Supporters said that the publication of the cartoons was a legitimate exercise of free speech regardless of the validity of the expression , that it was important to openly discuss Islam without fear or that the cartoons made important points about topical issues . The Danish tradition of relatively high tolerance for freedom of speech became a focus of some attention . The controversy ignited a debate about the limits of freedom of expression in all societies , religious tolerance and the relationship of Muslim minorities with their broader societies in the West , and relations between the Islamic World in general and the West . Critics of the cartoons described them as Islamophobic , racist , or baiting and blasphemous to Muslims , possibly intended to humiliate a Danish minority . Others saw them as a manifestation of ignorance about the history of Western imperialism , double standards , and stereotyping . 
