Penn State student Pasant Mostafa was so shaken by the violent response overseas to cartoons negatively depicting Islam that she discussed the matter with friends in her native Egypt.

"I don't like how Muslims reacted," said Mostafa (senior-finance), who practices Islam. "I think it's just stupid."

At least 45 people have been killed after violence erupted in parts of the Muslim world following the reprinting in some Western newspapers of an editorial cartoon that depicted the Islamic Prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban. The newspapers have defended the cartoons' publication, citing news value and freedom of expression.

Saturday, 16 people were killed in cartoon protests held in northern Nigeria.

While she found the actions of the Danish newspaper that originally printed the cartoons "uncalled for," Mostafa said she and her friends agreed that it was not an issue worth such excessive attention and violence.

Other members of the Penn State Muslim community echoed Mostafa's sentiments.

"If it all started as a joke, they're really paying for it right now," Alaa Kamnaksh (freshman-premedicine) said.

Though she doesn't advocate the violent protests carried on by some Muslims overseas, Kamnaksh said she approved of the boycotts on Danish and other European goods.

"There is a certain limit to where free speech can take you," Alaa Kamnaksh (freshman-premedicine) said. "For them to go and disrespect our prophet is unacceptable."

Mehmet Cicek (senior-industrial engineering) also said that the situation concerned him greatly.

"I've been following it for a long time," Cicek said.

He condemned the idea that Muslims are associated with radicals and terrorists.

"For us, as Muslims, if you blow yourself up or commit acts of terrorism, you go to hell," Cicek said.

Yousef Abdulsalam (sophomore-business administration) agreed.

"They are stereotyping millions of people according to what a very small number of people have done," he said.

Clay Calvert, professor of journalism and law and co-director of the Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment, said the "shocking" aspect of the situation is the reaction by some who do not live under free speech protection.

"A lot of this is cultural," Calvert said. "These reactions suggest that not everyone has the same expectations of free speech as we do."

Vicky Cangelosi, who chairs the College Republicans, said she thinks freedom of speech is the real issue driving this debate.

"From an international standpoint, it's very discouraging that certain individuals in the Muslim faith are having a gross overreaction to [the cartoons]," she said.

Regardless of their positions, European and Islamic leaders have stressed the need for dialogue between opposing forces to peacefully resolve this situation.

"Violence is not the answer," College Democrats President Alex Smith said. "We have to arrive at an intersection between the two [ideals]."

Heather Barton, Muslim Student Association public relations co-chairwoman, wrote in an e-mail message that the Penn State Muslim community hopes for peace and healing.

"In this time of crisis, we, as Muslims, find it even more important to refer back to our teachings on this, which strongly emphasize tolerance and peace, even in times of such adversity," she wrote.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.