Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - Iran and other Arab regimes are fueling anger over cartoons of Mohammed to advance their own interests -- to deflect criticism of their regimes and deter punitive measures against them, sources here said.

Several people have been killed in violence related to the cartoon protests that have spread across the Muslim world. European diplomatic missions have been attacked in Iran, Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

Some Muslims say that according to Islamic law, it is forbidden to depict Mohammed in any form. The cartoons were first published in a Danish newspaper in September, and the anger -- organized opposition in many cases -- has been building and spreading since then.

"It is a combination of spontaneous and organized [protests]," one source in Jerusalem told Cybercast News Service.

"The idea is to change the [international] agenda," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

If someone has a problem with the world because of his nuclear program or the threat of sanctions or because of elections that were not so democratic, then he could point to the cartoons and say his own problem with the West is "all because of Islam."

Dr. Martin Kramer of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy said some protests may have started locally with the imams, but he also said it is important to look at "who is getting a ride" on the wave of resentment.

The answer to who is behind the trouble "is in the palaces" of the Arab and Muslim world - the leadership. The goal is to divide the transatlantic alliance between Europe and America on key issues facing the world, Kramer said.

"Iran needs for the West to be divided. Syria needs for the west to be divided [and] the Muslim Brotherhood wants to break any embargo [that might be placed on the] Hamas principality," said Kramer.

Saudi Arabia and Egypt want to escape Western pressure to make democratic changes, he said.

"The affair is a godsend for the regimes. They are not interested in Danish apologies. They want to be paid off...in the U.N. Security Council and in the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] and the inner conclaves of the financial institutions [like the World Bank]," he said.

Iran is under threat of United Nations sanctions for pressing ahead with its nuclear program, which the West believes is a cover-up for making an atomic bomb; Syria is under threat of sanctions unless it cooperates with an investigation into the murder of a former Lebanese prime minister. Syrian leaders, in fact, are suspected of involvement in the assassination.

Hamas, which won a majority of seats in Palestinian parliamentary elections, is the first group of the radical Muslim Brotherhood to triumph in elections. But Hamas, which is likely to form the next Palestinian Authority government, is under pressure to renounce terrorism and to recognize Israel or face a cutoff of U.S. and European funding.

"Syria and Iran [want Europe] bowed into meek submission," said Kramer. They are trying to escape sanctions, he said.

There is also the possibility of creating a division between Europe and the U.S. on the issue of funding Hamas, he said.

According to Kramer, al Qaeda probably is not behind the cartoon-related troubles, since its "method is to set off bombs in Europe." But Egypt might have a hand in it, he said.

Egypt, considered a strong U.S. ally in the Middle East, is nevertheless under intense pressure to make democratic reforms. But Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is resisting those efforts, because he wants to keep the Muslim Brotherhood out of power.

It was Egypt's foreign minister who first started protesting the issue of the cartoons, Kramer said. It could be that the government of Egypt wants to be seen as a defender of Islam in place of the Muslim Brotherhood.

At the same time, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are playing a double game: while the West is pressing them to make reforms, they are saying, "we're the only one who can guard your interests," Kramer said.

No appeasement

Prof. Raphael Israeli, professor of Islamic History at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, said appeasement of the Islamic world would be a mistake and the U.S. and Europe must remain united.

"Appeasment never worked," Israeli said. Making an apology like the Danish prime minister did or even worse, condemning incitement against Islam like President Bush did, does no good and can instead encourage the Muslim world, said Israeli.

The West needs to state a policy, "be firm" and make its own legislation based on Western values, he said.

Western countries should pass laws against blasphemy while at the same time maintaining freedom of the press -- and then uphold that freedom. Each cartoon (or case) would then be judged on its own merits.

Israeli referred to a case in Israel where a Russian immigrant, Tatiana Soskin, drew a picture of Mohammed as a pig writing the Koran. The picture was posted in the West Bank city of Hebron in 1997. Soskin was tried, convicted and served time in jail for the incident because it was judged that she had intended to offend the Palestinians.

"There must be a difference between anti-religious incitement and humor," said Israeli.

Israeli said enacting laws against blasphemy is the only way the West can be fair -- and appear to be fair -- and it is the only way to teach Muslims that what they would have others do, they must do themselves.

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