Freedom from being offended?

The row continues over some Danish editorial cartoons that Muslims consider blasphemous. Some Muslims are boycotting all things Danish, somehow blaming an entire country for one magazine's content. Others are really going nuts, such as the Lebanese leader who says this never would have happened if Salman Rushdie had been assassinated as called for by a 17 year old Iranian fatwa. Yep, this guy thinks anyone who says something disrespectful about Islam should be slaughtered. Nice guy. Now it's being pointed out that this controversy boils down to Western values of free speech versus Islamic taboos.

My take on it is very simple. Free speech is a universal right. That doesn't mean you can yell "Fire" in a crowded theater, but someone being offended is not grounds to suppress free speech. An article I read a couple days ago about this controversy quoted an Islamic leader as saying that free speech should not include the right to offend people. What? Then it's not free speech, dumbass! There would be no need to have laws and constitutions enshrining the right of free speech if we only mean it when no one is offended. Nevermind the fact that many of these people complaining don't seem to have any problem with offending Jewish people. I think kids would say, "you can dish it out, but you can't take it".

I just hope this mess doesn't cause European nations to pass more laws restricting speech. Free speech is already in danger there thanks to their desire to never offend anyone. One really wonders how a society can advance without the freedom to discuss differing ideas.

edit: Some Farker summed up another point well:
medius
It seems to be lost on the protesters that they're behaving in the manner criticized by the cartoonist. Listen: they're not making fun of Mohammed, they're saying you're acting like assholes. Thanks for living down to expectations.