FROM the agnostic sidelines, I watched with no little alarm as Islamists reacted to the recent internet insult aimed at their religion.

I can understand why Muslims feel justifiably angered by the American film’s provocation, but there can be no excuse for rioting.

Neither, of course, can there be any excuse for shooting the insulting footage in the first place. History shows that Muslims are always going to be upset by any denegration - or even depiction - their beloved prophet. So why do it?

I passionately believe in free speech, which sometimes involves saying what other people don’t like. But we should all use our noggins.

Sadly, in this internet age people appear far too willing to hurl insults across the ether without appreciating the potential consequences.

When it comes to religion, however, it helps if a faith is able to occasionally laugh at itself, which Islam obviously doesn’t do.

In contrast, the Jewish tradition abounds with humour - mostly involving Jews telling jokes against themselves. Which is amazing when you consider they haven’t had much to laugh about over the past 4,000 years.

Although the New Testament is no joke book, Christianity also has a propensity for humour.

Take this story I heard recently.

On her first day at the convent, a novice nun is shown upstairs to her room where she sees two crows on the window ledge. She waves her hands about and shouts: “Sod off! Sod off!” and the crows fly away. However, in the garden below she is overheard by the Mother Superior, who exclaims: “My dear, how can you use such bad language in a holy place?”

“But crows are horrible,” replies the novice. “I just wanted them to leave me alone.”

“Well then,” says Mother Superior. “Next time crows land on your window ledge just wave your hands and say ‘shoo, shoo’ - they’ll sod off just the same!”