This isn't just about cartoons anymore.

They have sparked something much bigger.

Across the world, people are protesting caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad.

Islam forbids any material depiction of Muhammad.

Since their original publishing in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, the cartoons have been republished in other places — recently by SpartanEdge.com here on campus.

The State News has chosen not to reprint the cartoons.

Several protests have appeared on college campuses in this country, including the University of California and right here at MSU. Although these recent protests on campuses concerned the same cartoons, the results were different from those reported in Europe and elsewhere.

There was no violence.

Instead, there was discussion between Muslims and non-Muslims about why the cartoons are considered offensive, whether they should be displayed and the message they send.

It's a tough situation with room for many different opinions. What some people might not see is there are more than just two sides to this issue.

People might approve the message, but disapprove of publishing it.

Disapprove of the message, but respect the right to publish it.

Approve both the message and publishing it.

Disapprove of both the message and publishing it.

The only way people can understand each other is through discussion. And with more understanding, intelligent methods of communicating will be used in place of violence and irrational arguing.

Although the debate about the cartoons has turned into freedom of speech against religious beliefs, there's much more surrounding the discord produced by publishing the cartoons — something this editorial board can't completely explain.

We don't know why 48 people have died since January as a result of violent protests. We don't know all the reasons why the Danish newspaper decided to commission the cartoons of Muhammad.

What we can only guess is that tension deeply imbedded in different societies and cultures has erupted as a result of these cartoons. Violent protesting and arguing louder than opponents isn't going to help ease what has already gone too far.

Long after the cartoons fall out of mainstream debate, there will be other issues to take their place.

And when they come up, we need to address them peacefully.