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February
2006
AFGHANISTAN
03/02/2006 Afghan cleric urges government to join cartoon protests,
take action
Text of report in English by Afghan independent Pajhwok news
agency website
Faizabad, 3 February: Religious scholars in the northern province
of Kunduz have denounced the publication of blasphemous caricatures
of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) in Finnish and several
other European newspapers.
At a meeting in Faizabad, the provincial Ulema Council yesterday
condemned the publication of sacrilegious cartoons that projected
Islam as a religion preaching terrorism and violence.
Scholars, underlining that there would be action against those
responsible, argued that the proliferation of such hate-material
was detrimental to interfaith harmony at a time when it was
most needed.
One of the cartoons shows the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon
Him) wearing a headdress resembling a bomb while another shows
him as saying that Heaven is running short of virgins for suicide
bombers - an affront that has provoked an outpouring of protest
among Muslims.
Mawlawi Faiz Mohammad, the head of the 50-member religious
scholars' council, said: "Publishing and reproducing cartoons
of the Prophet of God was a brazen insult to Islam and Muslims."
He warned that fanning hostility against Muslims or deliberately
belittling their religious beliefs would have serious consequences
for the world at large.
He asked the Afghan government to take action and join the
protest of other Muslim countries against this contemptible
move.
President Hamid Karzai was one of the first world leaders
to lash out at the cartoons as an insult to tens of millions
of Muslims.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Dr Abdollah Abdollah also hit
out at this brainless action, telling the European press to
refrain from publishing anti-Islamic propaganda.
"As Muslims, we consider the act an insult to millions
of people and condemn it in the strongest of terms," Abdollah
told reporters in Kabul.
The cartoons were published in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten paper
last September and were reprinted recently in newspapers in
Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. Their publication
has provoked protests across the Muslim world.
Source: Pajhwok Afghan News website, Kabul, in English 1106
gmt 3 Feb 06
ALGERIA
02/02/2006 Algerian culture minister asks for apology
over controversial Danish cartoons
Excerpt from report by Iranian Arabic language television
news channel Al-Alam on 2 February
[Presenter] Algerian Culture Minister Khalida Toumi has said
that an apology for offending Prophet Muhammad, may God's blessings
and peace be upon him, is not enough. She said this in a statement
to Al-Alam [television] at of the end of the conference of Arab
and Latin American culture ministers in the Algerian capital.
Twenty two Arab and 13 Central American countries attended the
conference.
[Correspondent - recording] The final statement of the conference
expressed the indignation of Arab and Latin American countries
regarding what the Danish newspapers had published. It called
on the Danish state to address the situation and to make sure
that it does not happen again in order to serve dialogue between
religions.
[Toumi] There is denunciation and indignation at what happened
in the Danish press. We asked for not just an apology, but also
for guarantees that something like this does not happen again.
Source: Al-Alam TV, Tehran, in Arabic 1700 gmt 2 Feb 06
AUSTRALIA
03/02/2006 Australia: New community radio service in
Arnhem land
Text of press release by Australian Communications and Media
Authority (ACMA) on 31 January
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has decided
to make channel capacity available for a new community radio
service in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.
ACMA has made AM frequencies available for a community radio
service at Nhulunbuy (1503 kHz), Yathalamarra (1593 kHz), Elcho
Island (1566 kHz), Gapuwiyak (1476 kHz) and Darwin (1530 kHz).
Nhulunbuy, Yathalamarra, Elcho Island and Gapuwiyak are located
some 600 km east of Darwin.
The decision follows a proposal from the Aboriginal Resource
and Development Services Inc (ARDS), an aspirant community radio
group wishing to establish a community broadcasting service
in the Yolngu Matha language based in Nhulunbuy with translator
services across north-east Arnhem Land and Darwin.
ARDS has been operating services on a temporary community
broadcasting licence at Nhulunbuy and Darwin since May 2004.
Source: Australian Communications and Media Authority press
release, Canberra, in English 31 Jan 06
EGYPT
03/02/2006 Egyptian worshippers protest "insulting"
cartoons
Text of report by Egyptian news agency MENA website
Cairo, 3 February: More than a 1,000 worshippers demonstrated
in the Al-Azhar Mosque today after Friday prayers in denunciation
of the cartoons insulting to the honourable Prophet, peace be
upon him, published by a Danish newspaper.
The demonstrators denounced these insulting cartoons and disgraceful
behaviour against the honourable Prophet. They stressed their
rejection of all kinds of cooperation with the countries that
insulted the Prophet, mainly Denmark. They also renewed the
call for boycotting the products of Denmark and the other countries
that insulted Islam and the Prophet, peace be upon him.
The demonstrators set the Danish flag on fire and raised banners
against Denmark saying "Down with Denmark" and "Down
with the enemies of Islam". They also raised banners that
emphasize that all Muslims stand behind the honourable Prophet
and his glorious good deeds.
The demonstrators tried to get out of the Al-Azhar Mosque
but the security commanders succeeded in persuading them not
to, and to continue their demonstration in the nave of the Al-Azhar
Mosque.
Source: MENA news agency website, Cairo, in Arabic 1254 gmt
3 Feb 06
France
03/02/2006 French Muslim leaders "outraged",
urge law against "Islamophobia"
Text of report by Catherine Coroller entitled "French
Muslims outraged", published by French newspaper Liberation
website on 3 February
"I thank the owner of the daily France Soir for his courage,
and I salute his decision." The decision saluted by Mohamed
Bechari, head of the National Federation of Muslims of France
(FNMF) and deputy chairman of the French Council of the Muslim
Faith (CFCM,) in this way was taken by Raymond Lakah.
On Wednesday [1 February] the owner of France Soir [Raymond
Lakah] indeed dismissed Jacques Lefranc, the publication's president
and editor, after the daily reproduced in its Wednesday edition
the 12 caricatures of Prophet Muhammad published by Danish daily
Jyllands-Posten. When this sanction was announced, the FNMF,
which had threatened to sue France Soir, changed its mind.
Yesterday's response from French Muslim leaders was unanimous:
They were outraged. "In the name of freedom of expression
and of the press, the feelings of 1.2 billion Muslims round
the world have been insulted," Mohamed Bechari protested.
According to the Muslim representatives of Alsace, this "profanation
of the faith of Muslims all over the world" will "jeopardize
coexistence and cause a radicalization of opinions". The
CFCM's Bureau agrees with this analysis, and goes still further,
saying it thinks that "these caricatures seek to create
a rift between Islam and the West and to facilitate the advent
of a clash of cultures".
For moderate Muslims, who advocate a secular Islam and who
combat preconceptions about the religion, the parallel between
Muhammad and terrorism is intolerable. "The Prophet founded
not a terrorist religion, but on the contrary, a religion of
peace," Dalil Boubakeur, rector of the Paris mosque and
CFCM chairman, protested. "We attach enormous importance
to this image and we will not allow it to be distorted. I myself
oppose the extremist forms of Islam; we reject this parallel."
To these Muslims, this business seems like another attack
on a community that considers itself ill-treated. "Since
11 September 2001, Muslims have paid a very high price,"
Bechari said. "I had the feeling Wednesday, when I saw
the cartoons reproduced in France Soir, that the efforts made
by the Muslim community to integrate had been nullified. You
will see some presidential candidates such as [Philippe de]
Villiers (chairman of the Movement for France - Liberation editor's
note) making this their hobbyhorse for 2007." In order
to protect his community against such attacks in the future,
the FNMF chairman called for laws to protect against "Islamophobia".
Source: Liberation website, Paris, in French 3 Feb 06
GERMANY
03/02/2006 German interior minister opposes government
apology over cartoons
Text of report by German newspaper Die Welt on 3 February
Berlin: Federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble (Christian
Democratic Union [CDU]) has stepped into the row over the cartoons
of Prophet Muhammad, opposing any governmental apology for their
publication by the German press. "Why should the government
apologize for something that has occurred in the exercise of
press freedom?" Schaeuble asked Die Welt . "If the
state interferes there, then this is the first step towards
curtailing press freedom." Conversely, the press itself
had "to cope itself with what it gets up to."
Sharply criticizing the incitements to violence over the cartoons
of Muhammad, the chairman of the Turkish community in Germany,
Kenan Kolat, asserted that he could "have nothing to do"
with reactions of that kind, even though he empathized with
demands that "account must if possible be taken of the
Muslims' state of feelings." Rigorously rejecting any "muzzling"
of the press, he argued that freedom of expression was "very
important." This contrasted with the view of Nadeem Elyas,
chairman of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, who described
the cartoons as a provocation, as they portrayed Muhammad in
a "degrading manner." Any kind of protest against
them was legitimate, so long as it excluded the threat of violence,
Elyas told Die Welt . Muslims would be just as incensed if for
example Jesus were to be portrayed in a similar manner, he insisted.
Defending the reproduction of the cartoons, SPD [Social Democratic
Party of Germany] media specialist Joerg Taiss argued that,
though "religious sensitivities [could] indeed be offended"
by them, "in cases of doubt I am in favour of freedom of
expression and information, however." Greens caucus manager
Volker Beck appealed to Muslims to recognize, value, and defend
Germany's freedom of expression, arguing that: "Muslims
must tolerate precisely the same criticism and satire as the
Christian churches and Jews." The Free Democratic Party
[FDP] made a call for moderation: their media policy spokesman
Christoph Waitz asserted that: "We welcome all steps and
comments that help to mediate in and deescalate this row."
Though freedom of the press was a central basic and libertarian
right, it was nevertheless subject to limits, in cases where
religious feelings were knowingly offended, he added.
Source: Die Welt, Berlin, in German 3 Feb 06
Germany
03/02/2006 German politicians urge "restraint",
"consideration" over religion
Text of report by German news agency ddp on 3 February
Berlin: Leading politicians are commenting more and more critically
on the controversial cartoons of Prophet Muhammad.
Speaking on Bayern 2 Radio on Friday [3 February], Defence
Minister Franz Josef Jung (CDU [Christian Democratic Union])
urged restraint: "I think in this situation, too, one should
take the feelings of others into consideration, and also religious
traditions."
On N24 television, Greens Bundestag Group Chairman Hans-Christian
Stroebele pointed out that one should think about the "risks
before publishing such caricatures". Stroebele stressed
that the results are "terrible reactions by crazy people".
He would "not publish such caricatures", Stroebele
said. However, he would "struggle for being able to do
this".
Klaus Uwe Benneter, legal adviser of the SPD [Social Democratic
Party of Germany] Bundestag Group, said on N-TV television that
those who have religious feelings must know "that in our
country it is primarily the freedom of opinion and of art that
is valid". However, "everybody is called upon to take
the religious feelings of others into consideration".
Harsh criticism was voiced by Bernd Schmidbauer (CDU), the
government's former intelligence service coordinator. The member
of the Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee said on N24 that
"we cannot tolerate blasphemy, regardless in which religion".
He rejected the "cry" for freedom of the press. The
press must exercise restraint and show tolerance towards all
religious communities, he added.
Source: ddp news agency, Berlin, in German 1022 gmt 3 Feb
06
Radio, Budapest, in Hungarian 1100 gmt 3 Feb 06
INDONESIA
02/02/2006 Indonesia broadcast laws inhibit media freedom,
watchdog warns
Text of International Federation of Journalists press release
on 2 February
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has criticized
four new public service broadcasting regulations as a tool that
will impinge upon the public's right to freedom of information
in Indonesia.
The new rules will come into effect on 6 February, two months
after the government agreed to a postponement due to media outcry.
Based upon the Broadcasting Law of 2002, the regulations represent
an attempt to install a sense of order in Indonesia's media
industry, which encompasses over 100 television and radio stations
that have operated without official control since the fall of
Suharto.
The regulations deal with monitoring programmes, allocating
frequencies and licensing broadcasting stations. However, the
crucial point of controversy is the fact that the regulations
will severely restrict foreign broadcast content, having a detrimental
impact upon media freedom by limiting news and information sources.
IFJ's affiliate in Indonesia, the Alliance of Independent
Journalists (AJI), insists that the law should be abolished
and emphasizes the value of foreign news and current affairs
programs to Indonesian journalists. The president of AJI, Heru
Hendratmoko, said: "Broadcasting journalists in Indonesia
also have a benefit from foreign broadcasting because they can
learn much from their colleagues abroad about how to produce
news material, gathering information and make a packaging as
broadcast news."
Indonesia has previously broadcast a number of foreign news
programmes that include BBC, the Voice of America and Deutsche
Welle. There are fears that soon millions of Indonesians will
no longer have access to alternative sources of information.
IFJ denounces the new regulations as an attempt to inhibit
the freedom of the media and control information. The president
of IFJ, Christopher Warren, said: "We are appalled at new
regulations limiting the broadcast of foreign programmes. It
is essential that the Indonesian public have access to a variety
of media perspectives, and we implore the Indonesian government
to respect the public's right to freedom of information."
For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +61 2
9333 0919
The IFJ represents over 500,000 journalists in more than 100
countries
Source: International Federation of Journalists press release,
Brussels, in English 2 Feb 06
03/02/2006 RSF watchdog calls on Indonesia not to ban foreign
relays
Text of press release by Paris-based organization Reporters
Sans Frontieres (RSF) on 3 February
Reporters Without Borders is very concerned at the determination
of Information and Communication Minister Sofyan Djalil to adopt
a series of decrees that will ban Indonesian TV and radio from
broadcasting foreign programmes.
These new regulations, due to come into force on 6 February
2006, would also give the government the power to licence radio
and television.
It is particularly aimed at radio programmes in Indonesian
on the BBC World Service, put out by around 80 FM radios, and
TV broadcasts by Voice of America, which are relayed by several
Indonesian stations.
"These decrees mark an evident setback for press freedom
in Indonesia," the worldwide press freedom organization
said. "Nothing can justify depriving millions of Indonesians
from programmes the quality of which is rarely contested."
"In a region where press freedom is too often trampled
underfoot, the Jakarta government should protect rather than
obstruct it. We strongly urge the government not to go ahead
with these decrees," it said.
The information minister announced to legislators on 30 January
2006 that the decrees would come into force on 6 February, saying
"this regulation will mean avoiding anarchy in the broadcast
industry". The previous week he announced that programmes
produced by foreign media could be broadcast as long as they
were edited in advance.
Contradictory official statements have successively suggested
that all foreign programmes would be banned then that programmes
could be put out, but never live.
"This will turn the media into the mouthpiece of the
government", said one member of the Indonesian Broadcasting
Commission (KPI), who saw the move as a return to the dictatorial
methods of the Suharto era. He was also concerned that the decrees
will remove the power to grant licences from the KPI, a role
that it has been carrying out under the broadcast law adopted
in 2002. The KPI says it will take the case to the Supreme Court.
"The proposed regularization constitutes a violation
of the 2002 law which set out quotas on foreign media broadcasts
and not a complete ban on them," said Sinansari Ecip, vice-president
of the KPI.
A complete ban on foreign programmes could deal a fatal blow
to some foreign media, particularly the Indonesian service of
the BBC that employs around 40 people. The BBC programmes, available
to Indonesians since the fall of Suharto, are believed to attract
more than 8 million listeners.
Indonesian TV and radio also put out programmes from Radio
Australia, Deutsche Welle and Radio Hilversum [Radio Netherlands],
in the Netherlands.
Source: Reporters Sans Frontieres press release, Paris, in
English 3 Feb 06
INTERNATIONAL ORGS
03/02/2006 Organization of Islamic Conference head
discusses meeting on cartoons, boycott
Excerpt from recorded telephone interview with Organization
of the Islamic Conference Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanouglu
by Adil Abd-al-Tawab, broadcast by Egyptian radio on 3 February
[Abd-al-Tawab] Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanouglu, the secretary-general
of the Organization of the Islamic Conference [OIC], the insult
against the prophet of Islam, Muhammad, peace be upon him, has
started to move from Copenhagen and Oslo to many European capitals.
First of all, what have you done, as an organization to prevent
the spread of this infection?
[Ihsanouglu] In fact, since the first day, we have been working
on several levels. These cartoons were first published on 30
September. Since then, we have acted on many levels. I wrote
a letter to the Danish Prime Minister [ Anders Fogh Rasmussen].
We asked the ambassadors of the Islamic countries in Geneva
and New York to raise the issue at the UN. The commissioner
for human rights in Geneva has acknowledged the importance of
the issue and sent an inquiry to the prime minister of Denmark,
and there were other political contacts at the level of member
countries, in addition to a resolution by the [OIC] summit.
I also have a number of statements in this regard, which you
can find on the organization's webpage on the internet. [Passage
omitted]
I would like to say that the main point these newspapers are
depending on with their republication of these cartoons is that,
they say, that they siding with other papers in defence of freedom
of expression and freedom of the press, because prevention of
the publication of these cartoons is an assault on freedom of
expression and freedom of the press. This is basically wrong
because our defence of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him,
and the sanctity of prophets has nothing to do with freedom
of expression, but we act out of the defence of sanctities and
to remind western newspapers that every freedom should be accompanied
by responsibility, that they should abide by this responsibility
and that there is no absolute freedom. We remind them that they
do not publish similar cartoons of their religious sanctities,
their heads of state, kings or queens, the Pope or Jews and
Semitism. How then can they publish this and consider it permissible
for them. This is the basic fallacy, which the western press
commits.
[Abd-al-Tawab] You say that you have written letters, issued
statements and made contacts, but concerning this issue, which
is greater than all of this; do not you think that the issue
requires the convocation of an extraordinary summit for Islamic
countries?
[Ihsanouglu] I received an invitation from the foreign minister
of Iran to hold an extraordinary ministerial conference, for
the foreign ministers of Islamic countries. I am conducting
contacts with the representatives of the member countries of
our organization and we will exert our efforts in this regard.
[Abd-al-Tawab] Has the time of the meeting been determined?
[Ihsanouglu] Not yet. As I said to you, the foreign minister
of Iran contacted me and requested the convocation of an extraordinary
conference and I will contact the representatives of the countries
and the concerned authorities to discuss the possibility of
holding this meeting.
[Abd-al-Tawab] If this meeting is held, will it be possible
to hold an extraordinary summit?
[Ihsanouglu] We have first to discuss the issue on the ministerial
level. I believe that this problem should be solved quickly
and I think that the EU and European countries realize the importance
of the issue, and we should clarify the issue from our own side.
[Passage omitted]
On this occasion, I would like to urge public opinion to resort
to wisdom and peaceful means, and not to carry out any acts
contrary to the tolerance of Islam and rational quiet methods.
Everything can be expressed in a democratic and civilized way
that befits the civilization of Islam and the tolerant values
of Islam.
[Abd-al-Tawab] You are calling for resorting to wisdom and
peaceful means in dealing with this issue. Is the boycott of
some Danish products the best way at the moment?
[Ihsanouglu] I do not want to comment on this, but I say that
this is an emotional issue that concerns each Muslim and that
he can take his own decision in the way that he believes that
it is in the interest of Islam.
Source: Voice of the Arabs, Cairo, in Arabic 0613 gmt 3 Feb
06
ITALY
03/02/2006 Italian ex-editor-in-chief defends Muslims
in cartoon dispute
Text of commentary by former Corriere della Sera Editor-in-Chief
Piero Ottone entitled "The Danes and the prophet",
published by Italian newspaper La Repubblica on 3 February
I like Denmark very much, for both public and private reasons,
but in the fierce dispute that has been raging between the Danes
and the Muslims over recent days, I have to confess to siding
with Muhammad.
It is a serious matter. A large-circulation Danish daily,
the Jyllands Posten, has published satirical cartoons about
Muhammad. It will be as well to cite the fact that the Danes
are blessed with a sense of humour and like joking about everything,
commencing with themselves. But the Muslims, whose sense of
humour is undoubtedly different, have taken umbrage.
Who is right? The journalists are siding with the Danish daily
and extolling the freedom of the press; a sacred principle for
all of us, and, for my own part, I obviously have no hesitation
in taking my place in the front line in its defence. In the
name of freedom, the media must be free to report all the news,
even the news that makes life difficult for the people in power.
They must be free to probe behind the scenes of events. Nor
is that all: Freedom of opinion must be respected as well, whether
welcomed or otherwise by whoever happens to be in power. Watergate
is the most famous example of recent years. In Italy, too, we
have a precedent or two to be proud of.
But press freedom does not mean the right to write whatever
one likes, regardless. There are limits to press freedom as
well, and not just the obvious constraint that the news published
must be true. There are limits dictated by good taste, by a
sense of proportion, and by feelings of humanity. So had I been
the editor-in-chief of the Jyllands Posten, I would not have
published the famous cartoons on Muhammad. The truth of one
religion as opposed to another was not at stake there. All they
did was ridicule what others regard as sacred.
Why offend their sensibilities? I do not believe in Muhammad,
but they (the Muslims) do: Why make a laughing stock of them?
The reasoned confutation of one religion as opposed to another
is legitimate; condemning fundamentalism is legitimate, expedient
and advisable. A cartoon is something else.
When it was up to me to take decisions, I had no misgivings
about publishing an article by a philosopher confuting revealed
truth, and I had no hesitation about criticizing a pronouncement
by the Pope, if it struck me as right to do so. However, if
a caricaturist brought me a cartoon showing Christ on the cross,
I refused to print it, out of respect for believers.
So I am sorry about my Danish friends. I like them, and they
have a lot of qualities, but I am not on their side in this
instance.
Source: La Repubblica, Rome, in Italian 3 Feb 06
JORDAN
02/02/2006 Jordanian editor apologizes for publishing
cartoons
"I wish to express to you all my deepest regrets and
heartfelt remorse for the grave error that we in the Shihan
newspaper unintentionally committed while zealously defending
our religion and our prophet, Muhammad, may God's peace and
blessings be upon him. Our publication was but an effort to
reflect the magnitude of the ill-reputed Danish newspaper's
insult to our feelings. We published some of the cartoons in
the form of a document meant to support a report that was carried
on the same page about the Danish newspaper and the anti-Islam
wave. Our report clearly showed that we have entrenched ourselves
alongside those defending our true religion and prophet, Muhammad,
may God's peace and blessings be upon him," Jordanian news
agency Petra-JNA website reported Shihan weekly's Chief Editor
Jihad al-Mumani as saying on his behalf and on behalf of the
newspaper at 1848 gmt on 2 February.
The letter closes by asking God for forgiveness.
At 1915 gmt, Petra reports that the Jordan Press Association's
Council issued a statement "condemning Shihan's publication
of despicable cartoons that are disrespectful of the person
of the noble Prophet Muhammad, God's peace and blessings be
upon him", as well as the article written by Jihad al-Mumani
under the title "Muslims of the World, Be Reasonable".
In its statement, the council "reaffirms its firm condemnation
and categorical rejection of everything that was published in
the paper on this matter" and warns of the "consequences
of further insults" to the prophet and the principles of
Islam. The statement also calls for distinguishing between the
freedom of speech the council is keen on spreading and disrespect
for religions and prophets without exception.
At 1916 gmt, the agency reports that the Jordan Press Association's
Council has decided to "refer colleague Jihad al-Mumani,
editor in chief of the Shihan newspaper, to the disciplinary
board".
At 2002 gmt, Petra quotes Ibrahim Izz-al-Din, chairman of
the Higher Media Council, as saying that the cartoons Shihan
published "generate extreme condemnation and even more
extreme astonishment because one cannot imagine such a clear
disregard for the feelings of Arabs and Muslims by an Arab newspaper".
He goes on to say that journalists must observe certain principles
despite their freedom of speech, and describes the matter as
an isolated incident.
Source: Petra-JNA website, Amman, in Arabic 1848 gmt 2 Feb
06
KUWAIT
03/02/2006 Arab ambassadors discuss "blasphemous"
cartoon with officials in Paris
Excerpt from report headlined "Kuwait leads delegation
to discuss caricature crisis with French officials", carried
in English by Kuwaiti news agency Kuna website
Paris, 3 February: Kuwaiti Ambassador to France, Ahmad Al-Ibrahim,
led a delegation of Arab Ambassadors to the French Foreign Ministry
late Thursday [2 February] to express the Arab point of view
on the growing controversy surrounding the blasphemous caricatures
of the Prophet Muhammad that appeared in a newspaper here Wednesday
night and to hear the official French side of this story.
All 22 Arab countries, plus the Arab League, were part of
the delegation which Al-Ibrahim headed in his capacity as Deputy
Dean of the Arab Ambassadors Council in France. The French were
represented at a high level, including Pierre Villemont, the
Director of the Office of Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy,
and several members of the North Africa and Middle East Department.
In an exclusive interview, Al-Ibrahim told Kuna that the French
officials had affirmed their government's position which was
"far removed" from the stance indicated in the "France
Soir" newspaper and the insulting portrayal of the Prophet
reproduced there from a Danish newspaper which printed similar
items some weeks ago.
The French side said the publication of a dozen caricatures
of the Prophet was "irresponsible."
"They affirmed the freedom of the press but also deeply
regretted the publication and they said they wanted to pass
a political message and said they would take measures and they
asked the Ambassadors to pass this political message,"
the Kuwaiti envoy noted.
Al-Ibrahim said he thanked the French representatives at the
meeting for their positions and explanations and he told them
he too worried about how freedom of the press could be exploited
for other reasons. [Passage omitted]
Source: Kuna news agency website, Kuwait, in English 1109
gmt 3 Feb 06
SINGAPORE
03/02/2006 Singapore: Islamic Council says cartoons
on Prophet Muhammad "incite hatred"
Excerpt from report by Zakir Hussain headlined: "Caricatures
incite hatred, says Muis" carried in English by Singapore
newspaper The Straits Times website on 3 February
The decision by several European newspapers to reprint caricatures
of the Prophet Muhammad can be seen as inciting hatred, the
Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) said yesterday.
"As Muslims, we too feel unhappy with this event,"
it said in reply to media queries.
MUIS said that while these newspapers claimed they were testing
their right to free expression, their intention appeared to
be "to incite Muslim anger unnecessarily".
"The inciting of hatred against a faith of a people is
very unfortunate," it said.
Muslims found the caricatures blasphemous. Muslims also disapprove
of depictions of God and prophets as such images could encourage
idolatry or be misused.
MUIS noted that even as the authorities in Singapore allow
freedom of ideas as part of the good life, ridiculing or casting
aspersions on a religion is not allowed under the cloak of free
expression.
"We are fortunate and deeply appreciative that in Singapore,
the media and the community at large have always been mindful
of sensitivities... [ellipsis as published] and have helped
to promote racial and religious harmony across society."
At Friday prayers across Singapore today, MUIS's sermon will
carry this message: Respect for other faith communities is an
integral part of the value system of every good Muslim.
The way Muslims in Europe and the Middle East are reacting
to the cartoons is to be expected, given the sensitivities,
said Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi Hassan, president of the Singapore
Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association, or Pergas.
"But there are better and more decorous ways to deal
with the issue, like through diplomacy," he said.
Ustaz Mohammed Suhaimi Mohamed Fauzi, executive imam at the
Al-Istighfar Mosque in Pasir Ris, blamed the acts on "people
who do not respect other religions".
He said: "I am disappointed, but we should not be agitated.
We should be patient and not let what happened elsewhere disturb
harmony here." [passage omitted]
Source: The Straits Times website, Singapore, in English 3
Feb 06
UNITED KINGDOM
02/02/2006 London-based Arab paper responds to cartoon
row with its own cartoon
London-based newspaper Al-Quds al-Arabi on 2 February publishes
a three-frame cartoon on page 19, entitled "Danish Products",
reacting to the recent publication by Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten
of cartoons deemed to be insulting to Prophet Muhammad.
The cartoon's first frame shows an editor holding and crossing
out a piece of paper with a Star of David and a swastika on
it. The bubble above his head reads: "This is... anti-Semitism."
The second frame shows the same editor crossing out a drawing
of a black man's head with the speech bubble saying "And
this is... racism." The final frame shows the editor pointing
to a series of drawings labelled "Cartoons mocking Prophet
Muhammad (Peace be upon Him)" with the speech bubble reading:
"And this is... freedom of expression."
Source: Al-Quds al-Arabi, London, in Arabic 2 Feb 06
United Kingdom
02/02/2006 UK-based Islamic human rights group decries
publication of cartoons
Text of press release by UK-based organization The Islamic
Human Rights Commission
IHRC [The Islamic Human Rights Commission] has condemned the
decision by newspapers in various countries to reprint the caricatures
of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as indicative of
the level of hatred against Muslims in Europe - a necessary
prelude to systematic violence.
The initial publication of the caricatures in Danish newspaper
Jyllands-Posten - that inter alia characterizes the Prophet
Muhammad as a terrorist - was insulting, inciting and deeply
distressing to Muslims world-wide. In itself it abused the precepts
of free speech in that it demonised a community and insulted
what its adherents held dear in a context where that community
and its members have little access to media and public pace
to respond. In a climate of rising anti-Muslim hatred, such
characterisations of Islamic belief as evil and violent simply
fan the fires of hatred.
Similar instances of hatred can be found in German newspapers
of the 1930s demonising not only Jews but also the religion
of Judaism as intrinsically evil. (See IHRC Press Release, 'The
Daily Telegraph, the newspaper that taught Britain to Hate'
11 December 2004).
IHRC Chair, Massoud Shadjareh said: "The decision by
papers in other countries to reproduce these cartoons, is unprecedented.
Anti-Semitism in 1930s Europe - although rife even in the British
press, did not simply replicate Nazi propaganda. The level of
systematic hatred that the replication of these caricatures
evidences is, we fear, now part of an inevitable prologue to
systematic violence against Muslims in Europe."
[The Islamic Human Rights Commission's website, www.ihrc.org,
says it is an independent, not-for-profit, campaign, research
and advocacy organization based in London, UK . It says it fosters
links and works in partnership with different organizations
from all backgrounds, to campaign for justice for all peoples
regardless of their racial, confessional or political background.]
Source: Islamic Human Rights Commission press release, London,
in English 2 Feb 06
February 3, 2006: 5:30 PM Eastern Stand Time : New York City
PRESS RELEASE
Imam Feisal and former Archbishop Lord Carey Call for
Calm after Offensive Danish Cartoons
(New York., 02/03/06) - A prominent New York City Imam and
Chairman of the multi-faith Cordoba Initiative, Feisal Abdul
Rauf today spoke for the need for calm amidst the turbulence
that has resulted from the publishing of offensive cartoons
of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Danish newspapers, and their subsequent
republishing in the French, German, Italian, and Spanish press.
In their joint statement Lord Carey of Clifton, former Archbishop
of Canterbury, and Imam Feisal said: In our capacity as Muslim
and Christian leaders committed to bridging the divides that
separate our communities, and as members of the C-100 Coalition
of the World Economic Forum, we are saddened and appalled by
the cartoons, and the irresponsible actions of papers in Denmark
in publishing them. Moreover, we view their subsequent republishing
in various other European newspapers as gratuitous and insensitive.
While we recognize the importance of free speech and agree
that religions should not be privileged in this regard, the
publishing of such insulting cartoons is expectedly being seen
by many around the world as an affront to a world faith. This
only deepens the suspicion between the West and the Muslim world.
At a time when the need for understanding has never been greater,
it is sad to see some participate in willful fomentation while
others tirelessly advocate for mutual respect and compassion.
In the aftermath of the commotion, we call for calm and peace,
as it is firmly our belief that such actions only further prove
the need to deepen the dialogue between our faiths and cultures.
Imam Feisal is the Chairman of the Cordoba Initiative, whose
mission is to heal the relationship between The Muslim World
and America. Lord Carey Clifton is the former Archbishop of
Canterbury and the current co-chair C-100 Coalition of World
Economic Forum whose mission it is to promote understanding
and dialogue between the Western and Islamic worlds
CONTACT: Daisy Khan, Executive Director, American Society for
Muslim Advancement at 212 362 2242 or 201 868 4060, E-Mail:
daisy@asmasociety.org
ASMA Society, 175 East 96th street, Suite 21T, NYC 10128
BELGIUM
05/02/2006 Thousands march in Belgium over Muhammad
cartoons
Excerpt from report by Belgian RTBF radio on 5 February
In the context of the anger to which cartoons of the Prophet
Muhammad have given rise, about 4,000 people demonstrated in
Brussels this afternoon. The demonstration itself passed off
without incident, but there were some disturbances a little
later in the area around the US embassy. [Passage omitted -
other headlines] So Brussels, too, has been the scene of a demonstration
against the publication of Muhammad cartoons in the press. In
response to calls issued by SMS, several hundred people met
at about 1600 hours [1500 gmt] near the inner ring-road, and
they marched along Chaussee de Louvain to Place Meiser and to
the gates of the RTBF [French-language public broadcaster].
During the march, the number of demonstrators increased to some
4,000 people. [Passage omitted - RTBF reporter says the demonstrators
shouted slogans including "Don't interfere with my religion"
and "Does freedom of speech have to lead to a humiliation
of Muslims?"]
Later a group of about 250 people went to the area around
the US embassy, where a few incidents broke out - apparently
incidents described as slight. This is all that is known for
the time being.
Source: RTBF Radio 1, Brussels, in French 1800 gmt 5 Feb 06
CZECH REPUBLIC
03/02/2006 Czech commentary calls for solidarity with
Danes over Prophet cartoons
Excerpt from comment "We are all Danes to some extent"
by Milan Vodicka published by Czech newspaper Mlada fronta Dnes
website on 3 February
Arabs are suffering for their faith - daddy will not have
Danish cheese for dinner and the little boy is not allowed to
build Lego mosques.
It has again been shown that minor causes have big consequences.
A Danish paper has published drawings of Prophet Muhammad and
Arabs (who are probably suffering the most of all Muslims) have
declared a boycott on everything Danish. They have a feeling
that Islam has been ridiculed. However, they are ridiculing
it themselves. [Passage omitted]
It is like in a burlesque: armed Palestinians besieged the
EU seat in Gaza, Arabs are withdrawing their ambassadors from
Copenhagen, Danes are fleeing, the Muslim world is burning flags
of Western countries and crowds are shouting "Death to
Denmark".
But this is not a burlesque. What we see is a clash of civilizations
in a nutshell. When Muslim governments demand that the Danish
Government punish the editorial office and apologize, you suddenly
realize that they have no idea of how things work in our part
of the world. Freedom of speech? What is it? Gods and prophets
should not be offended. But this is the past; we have moved
forward. And, figuratively speaking, this shift represents the
difference between the West and the East.
With hindsight, it is true that the caricature was not very
sensitive. But who would this have occurred to - we are thinking
in a different way. [Passage omitted]
It is customary that people in the West criticize, disparage,
and ridicule authorities. They thus demonstrate their freedom
and this also works as an overflow valve. They also do this
when they do not mean anything bad at all. Something like this
is not customary in the Muslim world, so Muslims do not understand
that the Danish newspaper did not want to ridicule Islam. That
they interpret it in this way illustrates a neurosis of their
entire civilization.
The Islamic world has a sense that it is unsuccessful and
is withdrawing into itself with a sentiment of self-pity. Since
the war in Iraq, the feeling that everything that the West is
doing is part of a big plan for weakening the Muslims has become
stronger.
And there is one more thing attached to this. Does not something
occur to you when you read that 5,000 Yemeni women marched in
the streets of the Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in protest against
the caricatures? This resembles controlled demonstrations of
the past era. Why not? Islamism is on the rise. Governments
must run forward in order to keep pace and not be swept away.
Instead of stepping on the brakes, they stand up at the head
of crowds in the streets.
Things will calm down. There is no need to get excited or
back down apologetically. So, if you are unable to draw caricatures,
at least buy some Danish cheese or build something out of Lego
today.
Source: Mlada fronta Dnes website, Prague, in Czech 3 Feb
06
FRANCE
05/02/2006 French anti-racist group to sue paper in
cartoon row
Excerpt from report by Radio France Internationale on 5 February
[Presenter] The Movement against Racism and for Friendship
between Peoples has today announced its decision to lodge a
complaint against France Soir [over the publication of a cartoon
depicting the Prophet Muhammad in the paper]. The MRAP considers
that the cartoon published in this French daily newspaper is
a racist abuse of freedom of speech. This is what the MRAP's
general secretary, Mouloud Aounit, said:
[Aounit] We are lodging a complaint over the publication of
one cartoon, in particular the one which is an example of how
Muslims are lumped together with terrorism, the one which presents
the Prophet with a bomb on his head. Committed as we are to
freedom of speech, we judge that there is a limit to this freedom
when it is part of the development or the incitement to hatred
of all Muslims. [Passage omitted]
Source: Radio France Internationale, Paris, in French 1600
gmt 5 Feb 06
France
05/02/2006 French premier urges sense of responsibility
in cartoon row
French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has said people
need to show a sense of responsibility when weighing the freedom
of speech against the possibility of offending others.
He made the remarks in an interview broadcast this afternoon
by French Europe 1 radio, in which he was asked about his response
to the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad
in a number of European newspapers and the anger to which this
has given rise in the Islamic world.
The prime minister said the issue of the limits of freedom
had been a "difficult" one for centuries. He continued:
"And of course we need to defend freedom. At the same time
- and this is what the art of living together is all about -
at the same time we need to defend respect, respect for others.
Humanity begins with the ability to open oneself to others,
to recognize one's difference, in a spirit of tolerance. And
the president used a word which seems very important to me:
freedom, respect, but also responsibility. We are not in just
any period, and people don't act in the same way in all eras
and in all situations."
He added: "Of course I condemn the demonstrations and
this spiral of violence, but: responsibility in what we say
and in what we do. We are in a world in which, when people express
themselves in Denmark, they are heard everywhere in the Middle
East. A few decades ago, the world was not as transparent. So
a sense of responsibility needs to - we need to be careful about
what offends people, what may shock people. People do not have
the same idea of the sacred everywhere in the world. Well, people
need to take this into account."
In a separate development, the French news agency AFP, citing
police figures, reported that 1,000 people had demonstrated
in Paris today at lunchtime to protest against the publication
of the cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
Sources: Europe 1 radio, Paris, in French 1706 gmt 5 Feb 06;
French news agency AFP, Paris, in French 1730 gmt 5 Feb 06
05/02/2006 Iran starts broadcasting Al-Kowsar Arabic TV channel
Text of report by Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) website
Tehran, 5 February: Concurrent to the days marking the victory
of the revolution in Iran and the commemoration of the third
Shi'i Imam Husayn, Al-Kowsar international TV network has started
to operate.
This TV channel owned by Voice and Vision of Iran [state radio
and TV] will broadcast 16 hours of programme in Arabic for those
who love pure Islamic teachings in different parts of the world.
In the past 25 years, this TV network has been broadcasting
its programmes under the name of Sahar, which according to relevant
officials has been considerably popular among its viewers and
has been able to take giant strides to promote Shi'i culture
and Ahl al-Bayt [the prophet of Islam's household]'s teachings.
At present, Al-Kowsar is working independently. It intends
to compete more than the past with the international Arab media,
which unfortunately are mostly set up to mar Islamic and human
identity. It also aims at taking faster and stronger steps in
presenting true Islamic concepts and to reflect the realities
of political and social developments in Iran and the world.
As announced by the external services of the Voice and Vision,
Al-Kowsar network has been set up to respond to intellectual
and cultural needs of international viewers, who want to watch
a Shi'i-inspired TV channel. An objective behind setting up
this TV channel is to promote true teachings of the Koran and
Ahl al-Bayt and to air genuine ideals of the Islamic Revolution.
Al-Kowsar international TV network broadcasts its programmes
on Nilesat and Hotbird to the entire world.
Source: ISNA website, Tehran, in Persian 1206 gmt 5 Feb 06
Afghanistan
07/02/2006 Al-Jazeera journalist says Afghan police
beat up cameraman
Text of report by Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news
agency
Kandahar, 7 February: The police in Kandahar have beaten an
Al-Jazeera cameraman and have taken his camera.
The Al-Jazeera journalist in Afghanistan, Waliollah Shahin,
told AIP today: "After the explosion in front of the Kandahar
Security Command today, my cameraman, Shams-al-Din, and I arrived
to film the scene in line with our profession. But the police
brutally beat up our cameraman using the butts of their guns
and kicked him. They also took his camera."
He added: "Although his wounds are not obvious, he has
been badly beaten and after receiving medicine from a private
doctor he is still complaining about the pain."
Shahin said their camera has not yet been returned to them.
He said there was other material in it as well.
Waliollah Shahin, who is the Al-Jazeera reporter in Kabul,
was arrested along with his cameraman by US troops on 1 January.
They were released after being held for a few hours.
Source: Afghan Islamic Press news agency, Peshawar, in Pashto
0823 gmt 7 Feb 06
07/02/2006 Afghan court hears case of private TV accused
of airing immoral programmes
Text of report by Afghan independent Tolo TV on 7 February
[Presenter] The case against Afghan TV [a private TV channel
in Kabul] has been referred to the national security appeals
court of Kabul after a decision by the Media Monitoring Commission.
The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism had earlier
imposed fine of 50,000 afghanis [1,000 dollars] on Afghan TV
for airing immoral programmes.
[Correspondent] A video recording of un-Islamic and immoral
songs, recorded from Afghan TV by the Media Monitoring Commission
was played during the first court hearing at the national security
appeals court of Kabul.
Director of the Afghan TV admitted that the songs were aired
on his TV channel, but stressed that they were aired before
a recent session of private TV directors.
Ansarollah Hajjizada, head of the Kabul national security
appeal court, postponed the court hearing for further investigation
into the issue.
Source: Tolo TV, Kabul, in Dari 1330 gmt 7 Feb 06
AZERBAIJAN
07/02/2006 Azeri Christians, Jews condemn Prophet's
cartoons
Text of unattributed report by Azerbaijani newspaper Yeni
Musavat on 7 February headlined "The cartoons of the Prophet
Muhammad are a provocation"
The non-Muslim communities of Azerbaijan have condemned the
cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad printed in Denmark and other
European states.
"Not only does this hurt the feelings of those who profess
Islam, this is a deliberate provocation," Father Sergiy,
the spokesman for the Baku and Caspian Eparchy of the Russian
Orthodox Church, has told APA news agency.
He described the cartoons as an insult and blasphemy and said
that the provocation was aimed at stirring up an ethnic and
religious conflict.
Semen Ikhiilov, leader of the community of Mountain Jews,
told APA that no-one had the right to insult the saints of other
religions. "There should be tolerance between faiths,"
he said, adding that non-Islamic religions have never faced
disrespect in Azerbaijan. "Religious tolerance which exists
in Azerbaijan can serve as an example to the world. Christians
have drawings depicting their saints in Azerbaijan, Christians
come to churches to pray. The Jews and Muslims do not depict
their saints. We pray directly to God and no-one has the right
to hurt religious feelings under the cover of freedom of speech."
He said Islam was a peaceful religion and terrorists were
making use of Islam. "No-one has the right to show disrespect
for the Prophet Muhammad, one of the most respectable prophets,
because of terrorists," he said.
Gennadiy Zelmanovich, leader of the community of European
Jews, told APA about his negative attitude to the cartoons of
the Prophet. He said that those responsible for printing these
cartoons should apologize to the Muslim world.
The head of the Catholic church in Azerbaijan, (?Yan Chapla),
told APA that Catholics believe it is unacceptable to print
cartoons of saints of any religion or publish insulting stories.
He said liberals and atheists were to blame for this.
He said that cartoons of Pope John Paul II had been published
in the Italian press and films insulting Jesus Christ had been
shown. He stressed that the struggle against these undesirable
things should be carried out within the framework of the law.
"It is wrong to set fire to embassies and take revenge
on individuals," he pointed out.
Source: Yeni Musavat, Baku in Azeri 7 Feb 06 p 12
BANGLADESH
07/02/2006 Bangladesh group thanks UK media for coverage
of cartoon protests
Text of report by Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo on 7 February
A number of organizations, particularly the pro-Islamic organizations
of Bangladesh, have condemned and protested the publications
of the satirical cartoons of the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad in
Denmark and some other countries of the European Union. The
largely circulated Danish daily Jyllands-Posten published the
cartoons - a dozen of them - on 30 September 2005. Newspapers
of various countries of the European Union, including France,
Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland reprinted
the cartoons subsequently.
Printing or publication of images or portraits of the Prophet
of Islam are an act of blasphemy as they lead to idolatry. One
of the cartoons published in the Jyllands-Posten depicted Prophet
Hazrat Muhammad in a turban resembling a bomb. The satirical
cartoons in the dailies have hurt the religious sentiment of
the God-fearing and devout Muslims of Bangladesh.
Various Bangladeshi organizations deplored the Danish and
European dailies which printed or reprinted the cartoons, who
are still defending the right to do it in line with freedom
of speech and the freedom of the press. Hizb-ut Tahrir has announced
a plan to besiege the embassy of the Royal Kingdom of Denmark
located in Gulshan, Dhaka after Friday noon congregational prayers
on 10 February.
Leaders of the Hizb-ut Tahrir made the announcement at a news
conference held in the Paltan office of the organization on
Monday [6 February]. The announcement said that the women's
branch of the Hizb-ut Tahrir will organize a human-chain in
front of the Alliance Francais, Dhaka at 10.30 a.m. the same
day. Chief Coordinator Mahiuddin Ahmed and central leaders of
the Hizb-ut Tahrir, including Kazi Murshedul Huq, Shaykh Tawfiq,
and Mostafa Minhaz, were present at the news conference.
Apart from this, various organizations in press statements
condemned and protested the publications of the satirical cartoons
of the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad in the newspapers in various
European Union countries. They also deplored the governments
of these countries for defending the printing or reprinting
of the cartoons as being a part of press freedom and the freedom
of expression.
These statements said that the freedom of the press must not
be absolute. Surely it is conditional with regard to the lofty
sentiments of the people. Islam, they said, never allows satire
against any other religions or faiths. The cartoons have hurt
the sentiments of the 1.5 billion Muslims around the world,
the statements said. In this connection, these organizations
thanked the Indonesian and Pakistani parliaments, which adopted
resolutions condemning the publications of the cartoons of the
Prophet.
These organizations urged the government to officially lodge
protests with the European countries where these cartoons were
printed or reprinted. These organizations also urged the Bangladesh
parliament to adopt a condemnation resolution and asked the
respective countries to take appropriate measures against the
recurrence of such incidents in the future.
The organizations which condemned the publication of the cartoons
included Bangladesh Awami Chhatra Parishad, Bangladesh Islami
Chhatra Sena, Islamic Front of Bangladesh, Jamia Hossainiya
Arjabad [Mirpur], Madrasa Darul Habib Al Islamia, Jamia Ahmadiya
Sunniya Aliya, Chittagong.
Meanwhile in a statement, the Ahhmadiya Muslim Association
thanked the mass media in the United Kingdom for highlighting
the protest and agitation programmes being held in the country
against the satirical cartoons of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad published
in various European countries.
Source: Prothom Alo, Dhaka, in Bengali 7 Feb 06
CHINA
07/02/2006 Chinese spokesman urges restraint, calm
over "cartoon incident"
Text of report by reporters Xu Song and Liao Lei entitled:
"Foreign Ministry spokesman comments on the cartoon incident";
carried by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News
Agency) Asia-Pacific service
Beijing, 7 February: In response to a question from a reporter,
Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said on the 7th that the
publication of the cartoons by certain media "has violated
the principle of mutual respect and coexistence in peace and
harmony between different religions and civilizations".
At the same time, he stressed that the safety of diplomatic
missions should also be guaranteed based on the relevant international
law.
A reporter asked: Lately, some media published cartoons that
desecrate the image of Prophet Muhammad of the Islamic religion.
What comment does the Chinese side have on this?
Kong Quan said: The publication of the aforementioned cartoons
by the media has violated the principle of mutual respect and
coexistence in peace and harmony between different religions
and civilizations. At the same time, we also maintain that the
safety of diplomatic missions ought be guaranteed based on the
relevant international law. We hope that all parties concerned
would exercise restraint, remain calm, and strengthen exchange
of views and dialogue to appropriately handle this incident.
Source: Xinhua news agency, Beijing, in Chinese 0923 gmt 7
Feb 06
IRAN
07/02/2006 Iranian daily holds contest to test "West's
freedom of expression"
Text of report by Iranian newspaper Hamshahri website on 7
February
Following an invitation issued by a Danish newspaper to a
group of illustrators, a number of caricatures were published
on the theme of the desecration of sacred values and effrontery
towards the holy Prophet of Islam, and a number of other European
newspapers published these illustrations on the pretext of freedom
of expression.
The serious question raised by Muslims and international public
opinion today is: "Does the West's freedom of expression
extend to subjects such as America and Israel's crimes and plundering
or an event such as the Holocaust or is this freedom of expression
only for the desecration of the sanctities of divine religions?"
Hamshahri newspaper, while keeping its distance from vindictive
or irrational conduct, issues an invitation, in turn, calling
on the artists of the world to use freedom of expression and
to enter their illustrations on the mentioned subjects.
The details of the contest will be published in the newspaper
on Monday 24.11.84 [13 February 2006].
Source: Hamshahri, Tehran, in Persian 7 Feb 06
07/02/2006 Iran needs "soldiers" to fight
media war - agency chief
Text of report in English by Iranian news agency IRNA website
Tehran, 7 Feb: Managing Director of the Islamic Republic News
Agency (IRNA) here Tuesday [7 Feb] referred to the significance
of media work in the world of today and said that at present
Iran is looking for 'soldiers for soft war'.
Speaking at the ceremony marking the introduction of IRNA
Basij (voluntary forces) chief, he added that Iran has made
great progress in economic, industrial and military fields but
that it needs more manpower in the media sector.
"Basij should make effort to train the soldiers required
for soft war and promote the volume of valuable information
by launching a specialized movement," he said.
Khademolmelleh pointed to the measures taken on the domestic
scene and reiterated the need for media promotion to this end.
"However, this is not sufficient and we should be prepared
to counter the West's news invasion," added the official.
He referred to dissemination of valuable and objective-oriented
information as the factor of progress in the age of communication
and today's modern world.
The IRNA chief stressed, "If we manage to produce and
avail more specialized and valuable information to the community,
we will succeed."
He underlined that Basij should find a way to produce information
of high value, adding that despite the great volume of the information
being currently produced, the extent of their value is not known.
Meanwhile, he said, "In the age of communication -- 21st
century -- the world conditions have changed on account of the
Communication Revolution. Therefore, the tools of invasion have
also changed. "The conditions of the present age are identified
by objective-oriented news used as bombers. Their information
bombs explode in such a way that all of a sudden Iran's president
becomes subject to news invasion and bombardment, which by itself
marks the explosion of information and news."
He referred to IRNA as a basic embankment of news defence.
He noted that there is no doubt that a war known as the soft
war is currently underway.
"This is a war of thought and they have targeted our
thoughts.
They believe that if they change the thoughts of the youth,
they will also influence their attitude," concluded Khademolmelleh.
Source: IRNA website, Tehran, in English 1211 gmt 7 Feb 06
MALAYSIA
06/02/2006 Malaysia: Newspaper duty editor resigns
over publication of cartoon
An editor from the Sarawak Tribune had resigned after publishing
one of the cartoons that had sparked violent protests across
the Muslim world, the Malaysian website Malaysiakini reported
on 6 February.
The Sarawak-based newspaper had used one of the controversial
cartoons to accompany a foreign news agency report about the
violent demonstrations, the website said. The newspaper later
published a front-page apology and the duty editor had resigned
for the "oversight".
Deputy Internal Security Minister Chia Kwang Chye was reported
as saying that the newspaper would be issued a show-cause letter,
while its editor-in-chief, Toman Mamora, had been summoned to
the state administrative centre to meet with officials from
the Internal Security Ministry.
Yap Swee Seng, spokesperson for the Action Against Political
Interference in the Media coalition, said the issue should be
considered as resolved with the public apology by Sarawak Tribune.
He urged that no further action be taken by the ministry.
On the resignation, Yap said: "We don't really know whether
the concerned editor has resigned voluntarily. If he did, it
is okay but we suspect there might be pressure from the ministry
as they have planned to issue a show-cause letter and it holds
the power to revoke the paper's licence."
Source: Malaysiakini website, Petaling Jaya, in English 6
Feb 06
07/02/2006 Malaysian minister: Daily deserves "heaviest
punishment" over cartoons
Text of report in English by Malaysian news agency Bernama
website
Kuching, 7 February: Sarawak Tribune should receive the heaviest
punishment once investigations prove that the English daily
is guilty of reprinting a news extract on the caricatures of
Prophet Muhammad, Information Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Kadir
Shaykh Fadzir said.
He said what was surprising was that the established newspaper
was not sensitive to current sensitivities especially those
related to issues on race, religion and culture.
"I feel that people who play on racial, religious and
cultural sentiments, should get the heaviest punishment, there's
no room for apology, (they) can't afford to make mistakes,"
he told reporters after attending a gathering of the ministry
staff, here Tuesday [7 February].
Abdul Kadir said the newspaper should be more sensitive with
the current situation especially the negative impact as a result
of the publication of the caricatures.
The cartoons, which first appeared in a Danish newspaper late
last year, and then reprinted in several European newspapers
lately angered Muslims, resulting in protests and demonstrations
worldwide over the last few days. Islam forbids any depiction
of Prophet Muhammad.
On the call by UMNO [United Malays National Organization]
Youth Chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein for the Internal
Security Ministry to suspend the publishing licence of the newspaper,
he said the matter should rest with the Internal Security Ministry
to take the necessary action.
Source: Bernama website, Kuala Lumpur, in English, 7 Feb 06
UNITED KINGDOM
07/02/2006 Iran: MP says blocking BBC website was not
political
Text of report by Iranian newspaper Aftab-e Yazd website on
7 February
A member of the Majlis Cultural Affairs Commission has spoken
about the existence of numerous documents and evidence in support
of the option of filtering the BBC [Persian] website. He said:
The filtering of the BBC website is not political in any way.
Seyyed Jalal Yahyazadeh, who was speaking in an interview
with ILNA (the Iranian Labour News Agency), referred to his
follow up investigations about the reasons for the blocking
of the BBC website, and said: I have held meetings with the
relevant officials and the committee [responsible for the decision],
and at these meetings, several pieces of documented evidence
were presented to me which showed that during its operation,
the said website had committed many offences in relation to
the free flow of information.
Source: Aftab-e Yazd website, Tehran, in Persian 7 Feb 06
WEST BANK & GAZA
03/02/2006 West Bank and Gaza: Armed men storm TV offices
over unpaid salaries
Text of report by Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds on 3 February
Armed men, who stated that they were from Al-Aqsa Martyrs
Brigades, stormed the offices of Palestine Satellite Channel
in Al-Irsal area in Ramallah on Thursday [1 February]. The event
took place following the decision of PNA [Palestinian National
Authority] President Mahmud Abbas "Abu-Mazin" to stop
paying the salaries of about 65 employees working at Palestine
television, the satellite channel, and the voice of Palestine,
and to lay off some of them. This was stated by the employees
of the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation.
In a statement issued and distributed in front of and inside
the prime minister's office prior to the cabinet's weekly session
held on Thursday, the employees stated that they were surprised
by this decision that was planned by Dr Nabil Sha'th, previous
minister of information, and Muhammad al-Wahidi, head of Palestine
Television. The employees mentioned that the decision was made
because they have other jobs besides their government work,
according to the statement. The employees appealed to Prime
Minister Ahmad Quray and the influential cabinet ministers to
try to stop the arbitrary measure taken against them, according
to the statement. They also called for forming a committee to
investigate the matter and dismiss those who deserve to be dismissed.
The demand was made for a number of reasons, primarily that
they support stopping the salaries of employees who are outside
the country and are registered as employees of the Palestinian
Broadcasting Corporation but are not asked to report to work.
According to the statement, Muhammad al-Wahidi, head of the
television, deceived the PNA president and did not inform him
of what was taking place at the corporation.
The employees had previously called for developing and rectifying
the situation at the broadcasting corporation. They did that
on several occasions but received no response. They pointed
out that most of the employees whose salaries would be stopped
are the most prominent at the broadcasting corporation because
they are the qualified employees.
The employees stated that they had to seek employment outside
the corporation because their salaries are very low and are
not enough to provide the minimum required to live a decent
life. This situation forced them to think of working in the
various institutions. They also pointed out that the field reporters
for the Palestine television and radio do not receive any compensation
for their field work.
According to the statement, the employees emphasized that
nothing was rectified at the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation
and that they could provide official evidence for that. They
pointed out that the reform about which some people are talking
is nothing more than fighting people in their sustenance.
The employees expressed their extreme dissatisfaction with
the decision and affirmed that they would resort to all the
legal steps of protest and that they would not keep silent.
On his part, and according to some of the employees against
whom the decision was issued, Basim Abu-Sumayyah, head of the
Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation, sent a letter to PNA President
Mahmud Abbas asking for stopping the decision to freeze the
salaries of employees. Abu-Sumayyah pointed out that most of
the persons contained in the decision are committed to their
work at the corporation in accordance with the rules and regulations.
Source: Al-Quds, Jerusalem, in Arabic 3 Feb 06
Outrage over Prophet Muhammad drawings routed in history,
current events
By RAPHAEL SATTER
Associated Press Writer
Thursday, February 2, 2006
For centuries Muslim artists have drawn animals and landscapes,
soldiers and sultans. But one subject has long remained taboo
the face of Muhammad.
Revered by Muslims as the last prophet sent by God, if he is
drawn at all, it is with his face obscured or featureless.
Now, a Danish newspaper's attempt to fill in that blank has
Muslims across the globe accusing Europeans of provocation.
Experts say the controversy could help fuel the rise of extremist
movements in the Middle East.
The controversy began when a children's book writer complained
to a Danish newspaper, the Jyllands-Posten, that he could not
find an illustrator for his book about Muhammad. The paper asked
several cartoonists to come up with their own takes on what
Muhammad might have looked like, and published them in Septem-ber.
The drawings were reprinted by France Soir and several other
European papers Wednesday to make a point about freedom of speech.
The Quran does not expressly forbid illustrations of Muhammad,
but the Is-lamic tradition carries several injunctions against
depiction of any human fig-ure, and indeed of any living being
at all, for fear that might lead to idolatry and because it
suggests man can mimic the creative power of God.
The ban on pictorial representation, never universally followed,
began to re-treat as Islam spread into areas beyond the Arab
world.
Persian and Turkish miniatures from the 12th century onwards
depicted human figures, including that of Muhammad, although
his face was always obscured, of-ten by a divine flame.
Full pictures of Muhammad's face "are very, very rare"
in the Muslim world, said John Voll, director of the Center
for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University.
"Virtually all Muslims would not think it appropriate."
The Danish cartoonists not only showed Muhammad's face but
added such flour-ishes as a bomb-shaped turban.
Radwan Masmoudi, director of the Center for Study of Islam
and Democracy in Burtonsville, Maryland, said that it was the
way that the cartoons depicted Muhammad, rather than the act
of depiction itself, that was fueling most of the outrage.
"He was portrayed as a terrorist, as somebody who has
no moral values," Masmoudi said.
The controversy comes at a time of increased tension between
the West and the Muslim world. Resentment has been building
over the situation in Israel, the war in Iraq, and the standoff
over the Iranian nuclear program.
"These pictures on top of that really constitute an insult
to Islam that no Muslim can accept," Masmoudi said.
The decision to reprint the cartoons will only add "fuel
on the fire," said Emily Hunt, of the Washington Institute.
Public opinion in the Muslim world risks being radicalized
because of a fundamental misunderstanding over Europe's defense
of free speech, Hunt said. "It comes across as if the West
has deliberately insulted Islam."
This is not the first time that Western depiction of the Muhammad
have sparked controversy. In 2002, the American Public Broadcasting
Service cut scenes depicting Muhammad from a documentary about
Islam following objections from American Muslim groups. In 1997
the American Supreme Court's refusal to re-move a carving of
Muhammad from its marble frieze depicting historic lawgivers
sparked rioting in the heavily Muslim Indian region of Kashmir
Cartoons Spark Burning of Embassies
Syrians, Angry at Drawings of Prophet Muhammad, Target Danes
and Norwegians
By Karl VickWashington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, February 5, 2006; Page A15
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/04/AR2006020401208.html
ISTANBUL, Feb. 4 -- Outrage among Muslims
around the world over cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad
again erupted into violence on Saturday, as crowds in Damascus,
Syria, set afire the embassies of two countries where newspapers
published the images forbidden by Islam.
The embassies of Denmark and Norway were badly damaged by demonstrators
shouting "God is Great!" as police fired tear gas
and water cannons, news reports said. In the Palestinian territories,
protesters burned tires and threw rocks at offices of the European
Union, and a leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas,
was quoted as calling for the death of those responsible for
the caricatures.
Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic Church added its voice to Western
governments condemning publication of the images. "The
right to freedom of thought and expression . . . cannot entail
the right to offend the religious sentiment of believers,"
the Vatican said in a statement.
The controversy showed no signs of abating as newspapers reprinted
the cartoons, triggering fresh protests. In the West, each new
incident fueled curiosity about the provocative images in question
-- a series of 12 cartoons that a Danish newspaper commissioned
in September to directly challenge Islam's ban on depicting
the prophet. The cartoons not only pictured Muhammad, who Muslims
believe carried the word of God from a mountaintop 1,500 years
ago; several also lampooned him, with one artist rendering his
turban as a bomb.
After Muslims began protesting this past week, newspapers in
Germany, France and Norway reprinted the cartoons, calling the
issue a matter of free expression. But the Bush administration
and other Western governments declared that publication served
no purpose except offending the world's 1.1 billion Muslims,
many of whom already feel aggrieved. Global surveys taken before
the cartoon controversy showed that Muslims overwhelmingly believe
the U.S.-led war on terror is in fact a war on Islam.
"It's interesting how our ambassadors in Europe see this
issue so differently than ambassadors in Islamic countries,"
said a European diplomat in Turkey, where reaction to the cartoon
flap has been relatively muted. "Those in Europe see it
as a free speech issue," he said, while diplomats in Muslim
countries are agitated.
The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity to share confidential
diplomatic traffic. The diplomat quoted a cable from his country's
Cairo embassy that read: "I can't de-escalate. Freedom
of speech and freedom of expression are not something I can
sell here if it is in conflict with Islam."
In the United States, major newspapers, including The Washington
Post, chose not to reprint the images on grounds they would
give offense. In South Africa, the high court barred Sunday
papers from reprinting them. CNN International reported that
two newspapers in New Zealand did publish the images, but the
channel blurred footage of the papers.
"We should have killed all those who offend the prophet
and instead here we are, protesting peacefully," Mahmoud
Zahar, a leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, was quoted as telling
the Italian daily Il Giornale on Saturday, according to the
Associated Press. Hamas won control of the Palestinian Authority
parliament in elections last month.
The Reuters news agency reported the government of Iran had
appointed a committee to explore bans on trade with countries
where the cartoons had been published. Last year Iran quietly
imposed a similar ban on at least one country, South Korea,
that had voted against it at the International Atomic Energy
Agency.
In Damascus, peaceful protests at the Danish and Norwegian
embassies grew violent after demonstrators broke through police
lines. Both buildings were empty at the time they were overrun.
Denmark warned its citizens to avoid the country.
"The situation for Danes in Syria has developed negatively
in the past hours," a Foreign Ministry statement said.
Norway also warned its citizens away. That country previously
pulled aid workers and diplomats out of the West Bank after
protests.
Demonstrations were also reported in Pakistan, Britain, Iraq
and Bethlehem in the West Bank. In the West Bank town of Hebron,
about 50 Palestinians burned a Danish flag and demanded a boycott
of Danish goods, chanting "We will redeem our prophet,
Muhammad, with our blood!" they chanted, the AP reported.
There were scattered counter-demonstrations, such as one outside
Copenhagen where about 50 right-wing protesters held Danish
flags and shouted, "Denmark for Danes!" the AP reported.
Italy's ANSA news agency reported that about 50 supporters of
the right-wing Northern League offered Danish beer and biscuits
to passersby in Milan.
U.S. Says It Also Finds Cartoons of Muhammad Offensive
By JOEL BRINKLEY and IAN FISHER
Published: February 4, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/04/politics/04mideast.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 The Muslim world erupted in anger on Friday
over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad published in Europe
while the Bush administration offered the protesters support,
saying of the cartoons, "We find them offensive, and we
certainly understand why Muslims would find these images offensive."
Streets in the Palestinian regions and in Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan,
Iraq, Iran, Indonesia and Malaysia were filled with demonstrators
calling for boycotts of European goods and burning the flag
of Denmark, where the cartoons first appeared.
While a huge rally in the Gaza Strip was peaceful and many
leaders warned against violence some of the oratory was not.
"We will not accept less than severing the heads of those
responsible," one preacher at Al Omari mosque in Gaza told
worshipers during Friday Prayer, according to Reuters. Other
demonstrators called for amputating the hands of the cartoonists
who drew the pictures.
Many Muslims consider it blasphemy to print any image of Muhammad,
the founder of Islam, let alone a cartoon that ridicules him.
The set of a dozen cartoons has outraged Muslims as being provocative
and anti-Muslim, while many Europeans have defended their publication
under the right to free speech.
One cartoon depicts Muhammad with a turban in the shape of
a bomb. Another shows him at the gates of heaven, arms raised,
saying to men who seem to be suicide bombers, "Stop, stop,
we have run out of virgins." A third has devil's horns
emerging from his turban. A fourth shows two women who are entirely
veiled, with only their eyes showing, and the prophet standing
between them with a strip of black cloth covering his eyes,
preventing him from seeing.
Since being published in Denmark in September, they have been
reprinted in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and
Hungary, as well as in Jordan. They are also on the Internet.
Editors at the papers in France and Jordan were fired.
The United States has been trying to improve its image in the
Arab world, badly damaged by the Iraq war and American support
for Israel.
The State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, reading the
government's statement on the controversy, said, "Anti-Muslim
images are as unacceptable as anti-Semitic images," which
are routinely published in the Arab press, "as anti-Christian
images, or any other religious belief." Still, the United
States defended the right of the Danish and French newspapers
to publish the cartoons. "We vigorously defend the right
of individuals to express points of view," Mr. McCormack
added.
At the United Nations, Secretary General Kofi Annan also criticized
the publication of the cartoons, but urged Muslims to forgive
the offense and "move on."
"I am distressed and concerned by this whole affair,"
he said. "I share the distress of the Muslim friends, who
feel that the cartoon offends their religion. I also respect
the right of freedom of speech. But of course freedom of speech
is never absolute. It entails responsibility and judgment."
For the Bush administration, talking about the uproar represented
a delicate balancing act. A central tenet of the administration's
foreign policy is the promotion of democracy and human rights,
including free speech, in countries where they are lacking.
But a core mission of its public diplomacy is to emphasize respect
for Islam in the wake of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Major American newspapers, including The New York Times, The
Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and The Chicago Tribune,
did not publish the caricatures. Representatives said the story
could be told effectively without publishing images that many
would find offensive.
"Readers were well served by a short story without publishing
the cartoon," said Robert Christie, a spokesman for Dow
Jones & Company, which owns The Wall Street Journal. "We
didn't want to publish anything that can be perceived as inflammatory
to our readers' culture when it didn't add anything to the story."
In a midafternoon meeting on Friday, editors at The Chicago
Tribune discussed the issue but decided against publishing the
cartoons. "We can communicate to our readers what this
is about without running it," said James O'Shea, the paper's
managing editor.
Most television news executives made similar decisions. On
Friday CNN ran a disguised version of a cartoon, and on an NBC
News program on Thursday, the camera shot depicted only a fragment
of the full cartoon. CBS banned the broadcast of the cartoons
across the network, said Kelli Edwards, a spokeswoman for CBS
News.
Only ABC showed a cartoon in its entirety, lingering over the
image for several seconds during Thursday's evening news broadcast
and on "Nightline." "We felt you couldn't really
explain to the audience what the controversy was without showing
what the controversy was," said Jeffrey Schneider, a spokesman.
In France, where rioting broke out last year among its sizable
Muslim population, President Jacques Chirac released a statement
on Friday defending free speech but also appealing "to
all to show the greatest spirit of responsibility, of respect
and of good measure to avoid anything that could hurt other
people's beliefs."
In Gaza, a pamphlet released by gunmen at the European Union
office threatened harm to "churches." Hamas leaders,
showing how their role has changed since their election success
last week, quickly and publicly reacted to calm fears of Gaza's
small Christian population, only 3,000 people. On Thursday a
top Hamas leader, Mahmoud Zahar, visited the only Catholic church
in Gaza to condemn any threats against Christians.
"He said he is protecting us not because he is Hamas,"
said the Rev. Manuel Musallam of the Holy Family Roman Catholic
Church, who said he has long and friendly relations with Hamas.
"But he is protecting Christians and our institutions as
the state of Palestine and as a government."
Washington Area Muslims React With Tempered Anger
Some Say Depiction Overstepped Liberties
By Caryle Murphy
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 5, 2006; Page A15
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/04/AR2006020401145.html
Wearing a brown golf cap against the cold drizzle, Rocky Omary
stood outside Walima Cafe in Falls Church, where he and about
50 other men of Middle Eastern descent had just watched the
Tunisian soccer team take a drubbing from the Nigerians.
That trouncing was bad enough. But Omary had other, more disturbing,
insults on his mind: specifically, the recent publication in
European newspapers of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad
as a terrorist.
"I've been getting a lot of e-mails about it, and I'm
distributing them all," said Omary, a Damascus native who
sells real estate in Northern Virginia. "There is a limit
to freedom. There are 1.2 billion Muslims in the world. Let's
have some respect."
A few miles away at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society mosque
in Sterling, Zaki Al Barzinji, 16, was equally upset.
"Just because you can say something doesn't mean you should
say something," the teenager said. "If somebody showed
a picture of the pope with a bomb on his head, that would cause
a great public outcry. Nobody would be talking about freedom
of speech."
Washington area Muslims say they are closely following the
furor in Europe and other parts of the world sparked by the
cartoons, which first appeared in Denmark and Norway. In interviews
yesterday, they expressed anger and hurt feelings. And although
they said they recognized the value of freedom of speech, they
said the freedom must be matched with respect and responsibility.
"Technically, you have the right to walk into a crowded
theater and yell 'Fire,' " said Uzma Unus, 34, a teacher
in Sterling who is also vice president of ADAMS. "But is
that responsible?"
Several were critical of the violent reactions of some Muslims
in Europe and the Middle East. The better way to respond, they
added, is through dialogue and peaceful protests, such as the
recently launched boycott of Danish dairy products.
"We don't want what is happening in Europe . . . to cross
over to the United States," ADAMS Deputy Imam Sheikh Rashid
Lamptey told about 150 men and women attending midday prayers.
"We want to conduct [our protests] in a very orderly way."
The cartoons, including one showing Muhammad with a bomb in
his head covering, have drawn escalating outrage from Muslims
in England, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and in the
Palestinian territories.
Yesterday, crowds in Syria set fire to the Danish, Norwegian
and Swedish embassies. And, according to a wire report, a radical
Islamic preacher in Lebanon demanded that the Danish editor
who first printed the cartoons be killed.
Such reactions are "not warranted," said Robert Marro
of Great Falls, who was attending prayers at ADAMS. Europeans
could have defused the situation by apologizing instead of staking
out a hard-line position of upholding free speech, he said.
"Growing up in America, I'm used to political cartoons,
but . . . it's clear that this just crossed the line,"
said Marro, a retired U.S. diplomat. "What would the reaction
have been if on Jan. 16, The Washington Post had published a
picture of Martin Luther King with gangsta-rap clothing, a crack
pipe and a Saturday night special? . . . It would have provoked
a storm of outrage."
The cartoons doubly offended Muslims, because in addition to
depicting Muhammad in a pejorative manner, they violated Islam's
longtime prohibition on any image of the prophet, his family
or early companions.
ADAMS's imam, Mohamed Magid, explained that the ban stems from
early Islam, when Muhammad preached monotheism in a culture
steeped in the worship of idols.
To discourage such idolatry, he ordered Muslims not to draw,
and religious leaders have interpreted this to mean that the
prophet was banning images of himself and those close to him
so they would never become objects of worship for Muslims, Magid
said.
"We don't want to attribute divinity to the prophet,"
he said.
Cautioning his congregation not to overreact, Magid urged them
to follow the model set by the prophet, who is said to have
always forgiven those who insulted him, including the woman
who deposited her trash on him as he passed her home.
Magid also called for "constructive, civilized dialogue
so we avoid a clash of civilizations." As part of that
effort, he said he and other area Muslim leaders will meet tomorrow
with the Danish ambassador to Washington.
At the Falls Church strip mall, where the soccer fans scrunched
their shoulders against the damp, cold air, several men voiced
appreciation for the U.S. government's criticism of the cartoons.
"We salute this position," said a 39-year-old salesman
from Tunisia, who declined to give his name.
Majdi Omouri, 30, a limousine driver, was philosophical. "If
you look at freedom as something really large, without limits,
it doesn't make sense," he said. "Freedom has to be
united with responsibility. . . . In the name of freedom, I
cannot insult your beliefs."
US sides with Muslims in cartoon dispute
Reuters
Friday, February 3, 2006; 12:22 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/03/AR2006020301577.html
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington on Friday condemned caricatures
in European newspapers of the Prophet Mohammad, siding with
Muslims who are outraged that the publications put press freedom
over respect for religion.
By inserting itself into a dispute that has become a lightning
rod for anti-European sentiment across the Muslim world, the
United States could help its own battered image among Muslims.
"These cartoons are indeed offensive to the belief of
Muslims," State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper said
in answer to a question. "We all fully recognize and respect
freedom of the press and expression but it must be coupled w |