>should we admire them for commanding respect? <

I (imo) actually think it's fuckin crazy, but I'm not surprised by it. I think the problem stems from people down-playing these folks's outrage. The Prophet Muhammad may not be relevant to you, but he is to many.

Yeah, someone may shoot me for looking at them too long. This is the difference:

I could have been looking at them cause I thought I knew them.
I may be attracted to them or admiring an article of clothing.
I may have been looking past them entirely.
I may be blind.
etc.

I'm not sure that's the same as purposely creating a cartoon about someone's beloved religion, printing it in mass and distributing it all over the fuckin city or where ever the magazine runs.