It is not surprising. Why? Even in an Islamic country like us, our Prophet's way of life (pbuh) is often ridiculed...the way he ate, kept his beard, married more than one wives etc....
Azahar --- muslim insuffer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > http://musliminsuffer.blogspot.com/ > > bismi-lLahi-rRahmani-rRahiem > In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful > > > === News Update === > > Islam and the West: Who Hates Whom? The Danish Case > > By Fahmi Howaidi > > Arab News, January 22, 2006 > > source: > http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=76631&d=22&m=1&y=2006 > > The Danish government's attitude toward the > blasphemous caricatures of the > Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) published by a > newspaper in the > country should not be dismissed lightly as it is > typical of the manner in > which Western governments and intellectuals treat > topics related to Islam. > The lethargic reaction of the Muslim governments to > the European > newspaper's outrageous treatment of the Prophet too > deserves censure. > > It was on Sept.30 last year that a popular Danish > newspaper Jyllands-Posten > published 12 caricatures of the Prophet. Matters > were further exacerbated > by the chief editor of the newspaper who in a > comment expressed his > "abhorrence" at the veneration of their Prophet by > Muslims. > > The drawings were more than a shock to the > 180,000-strong Muslim community > who represent three percent of Denmark's population. > The Muslim diplomats > in Copenhagen felt outraged. Eleven of them held a > meeting and demanded an > immediate apology from the newspaper. > > As the chief editor refused to comply with their > demand, the envoys > requested a meeting with the prime minister of the > country to register > their protest at this insult to Islam. Anders Fogh > Rasmussen refused to > meet them but informed the envoys through his office > that since the issue > involved the freedom of expression his > administration could not interfere > in the matter. They were told to resort to legal > action if they desired. > > On learning about the affront to the Prophet, > Secretary-General of the > Organization of the Islamic Conference Dr. > Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu wrote to > the Danish prime minister and the top officials of > the European Union and > the Organization for Security and Cooperation in > Europe (OSCE) requesting > them to stop the hate campaign against Islam and > take a stern stand against > attempts to malign the Prophet. The gist of their > response was that nothing > could be done to stop the campaign, as the freedom > of expression was the > cornerstone of the Danish democracy. In the meantime > the ambassadors of the > Muslim nations in Geneva complained to the Human > Rights Commission saying > that the Danish newspaper was inciting racism and > hatred against the > Muslims. The commission agreed to look into the > matter and prepare a report > by the 24th of this month. > > At the Islamic summit meeting held in Makkah last > month, the Muslim leaders > discussed the issue and expressed deep concern over > the media campaigns > against Islam and the Prophet. The participants > emphasized the > responsibility of all governments to guarantee > respect for all religions > without allowing anyone to make the freedom of > expression a cover for > insulting a religion. > > After three months of silence, the EU commissioner > for Justice Franco > Frattini commented that publishing such cartoons was > not a wise move as > such acts would only inflame passions and encourage > extremism in Europe. > > While 22 Danish ambassadors with working experience > in Arab countries > criticized their government for its stand on the > issue, a delegation of > Danish Muslims representing 21 organizations visited > Cairo and met with the > Sheikh of Al-Azhar and the secretary-general of the > Arab League. The > foreign ministers of the Arab countries too > criticized the negative > attitude of the Danish government. The OIC > secretary-general informed > Danish authorities of the OIC decision to boycott a > Danish exhibition > entitled "Impressions of the Middle East" the cost > of which was to be > shared by Denmark and some Arab countries. He asked > the Muslim countries to > stick to this decision to register their protest > against the European > country's position in the matter. > > Finally, the Danish premier's response came in his > New Year message to the > nation in which he said that his government > condemned any expression or > conduct that offended the sentiments of any > community. If the Copenhagen > authorities thought that this was the end of the > matter they were mistaken. > It is quite evident that the wound is too deep to be > healed by some > generalized statements issued reluctantly. > > In the meantime some Muslim organizations in Denmark > filed a suit against > the newspaper. The public prosecutor refused to > admit the case on the > ground that the publication of the cartoons came > under the purview of the > freedom of expression, which enjoys legal protection > in Denmark. The issue > became more complicated with another conservative > Christian daily in Norway > reproducing the cartoons. > > It is not surprising that some media persons behave > impudently against the > symbols of Islam as fanatics and hatemongers are > found in every society, > particularly in the West and often their intolerance > of Islam rises above > the voices of the intellectuals who speak with > reason and fairness. What is > most disturbing is the careless attitude of the > Danish government, which > should have taken a stand consistent with justice > and public decency. > > No system of law in the world claims that > desecrating the symbols of Islam > and the Prophet, or any other religion for that > matter, is the right way to > exercise one's freedom of expression. The freedom of > expression is > conditional on public good. > > Anglo Saxon and Latin legal systems, apart from the > Islamic law, give > protection for the freedom of expression as long as > it serves the interests > of society as a whole and does not lead to inflaming > passions and > disrupting social harmony. The highest > constitutional courts in the United > States stipulate that the freedom of expression is > guaranteed only as long > as it carries a minimum of redeeming qualities. > > Every legal system considers it a crime to abuse and > malign others. Abusing > is an aggression on another individual. Abusing the > Prophet of Islam is a > serious crime because nearly one quarter of the > world's population believes > that he is the Messenger of God. Dr. Ahmad Kemal > Abul Majid, an expert on > international law, said that even if an offending > publication can't be > hauled into court of law there was a moral and > political obligation on the > part of the government to condemn such acts in the > interest of the > religious and cultural diversity of a country. > > It is also disturbing to note that the Muslim > governments === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! 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