Satellite Chronicle
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