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Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Muslims protest at Swedish cartoon ( Al Jazeera)
About 200 Muslims in Sweden have demonstrated against a newspaper cartoon depicting the Prophet Mohammed as a dog, police said.
Muslims protesters on Friday called for a ban on blasphemy against the prophet and demanded an apology from Nerikes Allehanda, a local newspaper, which published the drawing on August 18.
The cartoon was used to illustrate an editorial on self-censorship, freedom of expression and religion.
Torbjoern Carlson, a police spokesman in Oerebro where the newspaper is based said: "The protest was calm, there were no arrests."
Protesters, some chanting slogans and carrying banners, marched several blocks under rainy skies to the newspaper's office.
Jamal Lamhamdi, the leader of the Islamic cultural centre in Oerebro, held a 15-minute meeting with the Ulf Johansson, the editor-in-chief of Nerikes Allehanda, Carlson said.
Meanwhile, a small group of demonstrators staged a counter-protest, their mouths symbolically gagged.
Angry reactions
The publication of the cartoon prompted angry reactions from Iran and Pakistan, which have both summoned Swedish diplomats to receive protests.
The 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference has also condemned the publication and urged the Swedish government to punish the artist and the publisher as well as demand an apology.
Fredrik Reinfeldt, the Swedish prime minister, told the TT news agency on Friday that he would defend Sweden's "freedom of expression, which is written into our constitution and ... which means that we don't make political decisions about what is published in newspapers."
The cartoon was drawn as part of a series by Lars Vilks, a provocative Swedish artist.
Several art galleries have refused to display the sketches because of fears of angry reactions from Muslims.
Vilks said he had received "several death threats by telephone, email, and comments to my blog" and that he planned to file a police complaint and seek protection.
The cartoon's publication comes a year after deadly riots in several countries against 12 cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed published in Denmark's biggest daily newspaper.
Muslims protesters on Friday called for a ban on blasphemy against the prophet and demanded an apology from Nerikes Allehanda, a local newspaper, which published the drawing on August 18.
The cartoon was used to illustrate an editorial on self-censorship, freedom of expression and religion.
Torbjoern Carlson, a police spokesman in Oerebro where the newspaper is based said: "The protest was calm, there were no arrests."
Protesters, some chanting slogans and carrying banners, marched several blocks under rainy skies to the newspaper's office.
Jamal Lamhamdi, the leader of the Islamic cultural centre in Oerebro, held a 15-minute meeting with the Ulf Johansson, the editor-in-chief of Nerikes Allehanda, Carlson said.
Meanwhile, a small group of demonstrators staged a counter-protest, their mouths symbolically gagged.
Angry reactions
The publication of the cartoon prompted angry reactions from Iran and Pakistan, which have both summoned Swedish diplomats to receive protests.
The 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference has also condemned the publication and urged the Swedish government to punish the artist and the publisher as well as demand an apology.
Fredrik Reinfeldt, the Swedish prime minister, told the TT news agency on Friday that he would defend Sweden's "freedom of expression, which is written into our constitution and ... which means that we don't make political decisions about what is published in newspapers."
The cartoon was drawn as part of a series by Lars Vilks, a provocative Swedish artist.
Several art galleries have refused to display the sketches because of fears of angry reactions from Muslims.
Vilks said he had received "several death threats by telephone, email, and comments to my blog" and that he planned to file a police complaint and seek protection.
The cartoon's publication comes a year after deadly riots in several countries against 12 cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed published in Denmark's biggest daily newspaper.
Declaration signed by prominent religious leaders ( Denmark cartoon)
original document
In the Name of God, the Benevolent, the Merciful
Declaration on behalf of Muslim Religious Leaders
All praise is due to God, and may He send His blessings and salutations upon our master, Muhammad, as well as upon his kin and companions.The events in Denmark concerning the Messenger of God represent an aggressive act that has violated the highest sanctities of the Muslim people.
Moreover it is devastating to the ideal of convivial dialogue between peoples, as enjoined in the Quranic verse which reads, 'And We created you as nations and tribes that you might know one another'.
In consequence, we affirm the following:
1. We hold up the hand of the nation that has come to the aid of the Messenger of God, as this response on their part demonstrates that it is a nation that is still very much alive. We also point out that this "aid" should mirror the moral code of the Prophet as reflected by the actions of his followers.
2. We call upon the Danish government and the Danish people to yield to the large number of objective and sincere voices emanating from within their society, by apologizing, and condemning and bringing an end to this attack. This is to ensure that Denmark is not isolated from the global community, a community that upholds the kind of freedom that prevents it from attacking and desecrating religious symbols or provoking animosity and antagonism towards any religion or race. We also extend this call to the countries that defended this attack, as there is no society today that advocates an unaccountable freedom without putting in place measures of regulation so
as to prevent harm to come to others. Of course, societies differ in their levels of regulation.
3. We affirm here that freedom of ideas is a right guaranteed by the teachings of our noble religion to those who seek clarification or desire to engage in dialogue provided that no abuse is intended, in consonance with the Quranic directive: 'And argue with them in the most courteous way'. This point has been agreed upon by all rationally-minded people and is stated clearly and
categorically in the agreements on human rights.
4. We appeal to all Muslims to exercise self-restraint in accordance with the teachings of Islam and we reject countering an aggressive act by acts not sanctioned in Islam, such as breaking treaties and breaching time-honoured agreements by attacking foreign embassies or innocent people and other targets. Such violent reactions can lead to a distortion of the just and balanced
nature of our request or even to our isolation from the global dialogue. The support that we give to our Prophet will not be given by flouting his teachings.
5. We highly esteem the unprejudiced stance taken by some religious authorities who have condemned this heinous assault. We also emphasize not holding non-Muslims accountable, whether in Muslim countries or elsewhere, for the crime committed by those who have insulted the Prophet. This principle finds its roots in the Quranic verses: 'And no soul shall bear the burden of another' and 'Is the reward for good anything but good?'
6. We call upon the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) as well as Muslim countries and governments and the international community to press the United Nations to issue a declaration criminalizing any insult to Muhammad, Jesus or Moses or to any other revered prophetic figure.
7. We also take this opportunity to remind the Muslims about the necessity and importance of reviving their connection with the beloved Prophet by loving him, following his example, and embodying his moral character and noble guidance. This rising-up by the Muslims in support of the Prophet should not constitute a mere reflex that ends when the occasion ends. Rather, this
vocation should forever remain alive within the Muslim people.
8. We further emphasize that it is our duty and responsibility to carry on the global dialogue and acquaint others with our Prophet by disseminating and making known his character traits, noble qualities and high moral standards.
This dissemination should be manifested in both oral and written form, but most importantly it should be manifested in our conduct and interaction with others. It is also imperative that the relevant institutions as well as people of means fulfil their responsibility by supporting these efforts.
We ask God to enable us to successfully carry out that which He loves and that which pleases Him.
Signatories of the Declaration
Abdullah bin Bayyah Professor in King Abdalaziz University Jeddah (Mauritania)
Abdullah Fadaq Well Known Islamic Spokesperson (Saudi Arabia)
AbdulHakim Murad Winter Sh. Zayed Lecturer, Islamic Studies, College of Divinity, Cambridge
University
Abla Muhammad al-Kahlawia Dean of Islamic & Arabic Studies College at Azhar University, Port Said
(Egypt)
Abu Bakr Ahmad al-Milibari Secretary General of Ahl al-Sunna Association (India)
Abu Bakr al-Adani bin Ali al-Mashur General Director of Islamic Tarbiya League (Yemen)
Ahmad al-Kubaysi Well Known Islamic spokesperson (Iraq)
Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassun General Mufti of the Syrian Arab Republic (Syria)
Ahmad bin Hamad al-Khalili General Mufti of the Sultanate of Oman (Oman)
Ahmad Nur Sayf Director of Islamic Sciences & Research Institute (UAE)
A'id al-Qarni Well Known Islamic Scholar (Saudi Arabia)
Ali Jumua Grand Mufti of the Arab Republic of Egypt (Egypt)
Ali Zain al-Abidin al-Jifri Well Known Islamic Scholar (Yemen)
Amr Khaled Well known Islamic Spokesperson
Anzar Shah Kashmiri Head of Ulama of Deoband (India)
Faruq Hamada Professor of Hadith Studies, Muhammad V University (Morocco)
Haji Muhammad Shafi Huzami Renowned Islamic Scholar of Jakarta (Indonesia)
Hamdan Muslim al-Mazrui Assistant Undersecretary for Islamic Affairs in Ministry of Endowments
(UAE)
Hamza Yusuf Well Known Islamic Scholar, Director of Zaytuna Institute (USA)
Hasan al-Saffar Shiite Islamic Spokesperson (Saudi Arabia)
Hiba Raouf Izzat Lecturer in College of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University
(Egypt)
Ikrimah Sabri Mufti of Jerusalem (Palestine)
Jasim al-Mutawwaa Head of Iqra Satellite Channel (Kuwait)
Kaya Hajji Abdullah Faqih Head of Langitano Academy, Islamic Scholar, East Java (Indonesia)
Khalid al-Jundi Well Known Islamic Scholar (Egypt)
Larbi Kachat Director of Dawah Mosque and Head of the Islamic Cultural Center,
Paris (France)
Muhammad Akhtar Rida al-Azhari Head of Barelwi Ulama (India)
Muhammad al-Alwini Head of European Academy of Islamic Culture & Sciences, Brussels
(Belgium)
Muhammad Ali Taskhiri Secretary General of the International Assembly for Understanding
between the Islamic Sects (Iran)
Muhammad bin Muhammad al-Mansur Islamic Scholar of the Zaydi branch (Yemen)
Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah Well known Shiite Scholar (Lebanon)
Muhammad Rashid Qabbani General Mufti of Lebanon (Lebanon)
Muhammad Saeed Ramadan al-Bouti Department Chair of Theology, University of Damascus (Syria)
Muhammad Tahir al-Qadiri Founder of Minhaj ul-Quran International Organization (Pakistan)
Mustafa bin Hamza Professor of Islamic Law, Muhammad I University, (Morocco)
Nuh Ali Salman al-Qudat
Well known scholar of Jordan, former Mufti of the Jordanian Army
(Jordan)
Saeed AbdalHafiz Hijjawi General Mufti of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Jordan)
Salman al-Awda General Supervisor of "Islam Today" Institution (Saudi Arabia)
Tariq al-Suweidan Well Known Islamic Spokesperson (Kuwait)
Umar bin Muhammad bin Salem bin Hafeez
Dean of Dar al-Mustafa Institute, Hadramawt (Yemen)
Wahba al-Zuhayli Department Chair of Islamic Jurisprudence, College of Islamic Law,
Damascus University (Syria)
Yasmin Mahmud Khalil al-Husary Head of Husary Islamic Foundation (Egypt)
In the Name of God, the Benevolent, the Merciful
Declaration on behalf of Muslim Religious Leaders
All praise is due to God, and may He send His blessings and salutations upon our master, Muhammad, as well as upon his kin and companions.The events in Denmark concerning the Messenger of God represent an aggressive act that has violated the highest sanctities of the Muslim people.
Moreover it is devastating to the ideal of convivial dialogue between peoples, as enjoined in the Quranic verse which reads, 'And We created you as nations and tribes that you might know one another'.
In consequence, we affirm the following:
1. We hold up the hand of the nation that has come to the aid of the Messenger of God, as this response on their part demonstrates that it is a nation that is still very much alive. We also point out that this "aid" should mirror the moral code of the Prophet as reflected by the actions of his followers.
2. We call upon the Danish government and the Danish people to yield to the large number of objective and sincere voices emanating from within their society, by apologizing, and condemning and bringing an end to this attack. This is to ensure that Denmark is not isolated from the global community, a community that upholds the kind of freedom that prevents it from attacking and desecrating religious symbols or provoking animosity and antagonism towards any religion or race. We also extend this call to the countries that defended this attack, as there is no society today that advocates an unaccountable freedom without putting in place measures of regulation so
as to prevent harm to come to others. Of course, societies differ in their levels of regulation.
3. We affirm here that freedom of ideas is a right guaranteed by the teachings of our noble religion to those who seek clarification or desire to engage in dialogue provided that no abuse is intended, in consonance with the Quranic directive: 'And argue with them in the most courteous way'. This point has been agreed upon by all rationally-minded people and is stated clearly and
categorically in the agreements on human rights.
4. We appeal to all Muslims to exercise self-restraint in accordance with the teachings of Islam and we reject countering an aggressive act by acts not sanctioned in Islam, such as breaking treaties and breaching time-honoured agreements by attacking foreign embassies or innocent people and other targets. Such violent reactions can lead to a distortion of the just and balanced
nature of our request or even to our isolation from the global dialogue. The support that we give to our Prophet will not be given by flouting his teachings.
5. We highly esteem the unprejudiced stance taken by some religious authorities who have condemned this heinous assault. We also emphasize not holding non-Muslims accountable, whether in Muslim countries or elsewhere, for the crime committed by those who have insulted the Prophet. This principle finds its roots in the Quranic verses: 'And no soul shall bear the burden of another' and 'Is the reward for good anything but good?'
6. We call upon the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) as well as Muslim countries and governments and the international community to press the United Nations to issue a declaration criminalizing any insult to Muhammad, Jesus or Moses or to any other revered prophetic figure.
7. We also take this opportunity to remind the Muslims about the necessity and importance of reviving their connection with the beloved Prophet by loving him, following his example, and embodying his moral character and noble guidance. This rising-up by the Muslims in support of the Prophet should not constitute a mere reflex that ends when the occasion ends. Rather, this
vocation should forever remain alive within the Muslim people.
8. We further emphasize that it is our duty and responsibility to carry on the global dialogue and acquaint others with our Prophet by disseminating and making known his character traits, noble qualities and high moral standards.
This dissemination should be manifested in both oral and written form, but most importantly it should be manifested in our conduct and interaction with others. It is also imperative that the relevant institutions as well as people of means fulfil their responsibility by supporting these efforts.
We ask God to enable us to successfully carry out that which He loves and that which pleases Him.
Signatories of the Declaration
Abdullah bin Bayyah Professor in King Abdalaziz University Jeddah (Mauritania)
Abdullah Fadaq Well Known Islamic Spokesperson (Saudi Arabia)
AbdulHakim Murad Winter Sh. Zayed Lecturer, Islamic Studies, College of Divinity, Cambridge
University
Abla Muhammad al-Kahlawia Dean of Islamic & Arabic Studies College at Azhar University, Port Said
(Egypt)
Abu Bakr Ahmad al-Milibari Secretary General of Ahl al-Sunna Association (India)
Abu Bakr al-Adani bin Ali al-Mashur General Director of Islamic Tarbiya League (Yemen)
Ahmad al-Kubaysi Well Known Islamic spokesperson (Iraq)
Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassun General Mufti of the Syrian Arab Republic (Syria)
Ahmad bin Hamad al-Khalili General Mufti of the Sultanate of Oman (Oman)
Ahmad Nur Sayf Director of Islamic Sciences & Research Institute (UAE)
A'id al-Qarni Well Known Islamic Scholar (Saudi Arabia)
Ali Jumua Grand Mufti of the Arab Republic of Egypt (Egypt)
Ali Zain al-Abidin al-Jifri Well Known Islamic Scholar (Yemen)
Amr Khaled Well known Islamic Spokesperson
Anzar Shah Kashmiri Head of Ulama of Deoband (India)
Faruq Hamada Professor of Hadith Studies, Muhammad V University (Morocco)
Haji Muhammad Shafi Huzami Renowned Islamic Scholar of Jakarta (Indonesia)
Hamdan Muslim al-Mazrui Assistant Undersecretary for Islamic Affairs in Ministry of Endowments
(UAE)
Hamza Yusuf Well Known Islamic Scholar, Director of Zaytuna Institute (USA)
Hasan al-Saffar Shiite Islamic Spokesperson (Saudi Arabia)
Hiba Raouf Izzat Lecturer in College of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University
(Egypt)
Ikrimah Sabri Mufti of Jerusalem (Palestine)
Jasim al-Mutawwaa Head of Iqra Satellite Channel (Kuwait)
Kaya Hajji Abdullah Faqih Head of Langitano Academy, Islamic Scholar, East Java (Indonesia)
Khalid al-Jundi Well Known Islamic Scholar (Egypt)
Larbi Kachat Director of Dawah Mosque and Head of the Islamic Cultural Center,
Paris (France)
Muhammad Akhtar Rida al-Azhari Head of Barelwi Ulama (India)
Muhammad al-Alwini Head of European Academy of Islamic Culture & Sciences, Brussels
(Belgium)
Muhammad Ali Taskhiri Secretary General of the International Assembly for Understanding
between the Islamic Sects (Iran)
Muhammad bin Muhammad al-Mansur Islamic Scholar of the Zaydi branch (Yemen)
Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah Well known Shiite Scholar (Lebanon)
Muhammad Rashid Qabbani General Mufti of Lebanon (Lebanon)
Muhammad Saeed Ramadan al-Bouti Department Chair of Theology, University of Damascus (Syria)
Muhammad Tahir al-Qadiri Founder of Minhaj ul-Quran International Organization (Pakistan)
Mustafa bin Hamza Professor of Islamic Law, Muhammad I University, (Morocco)
Nuh Ali Salman al-Qudat
Well known scholar of Jordan, former Mufti of the Jordanian Army
(Jordan)
Saeed AbdalHafiz Hijjawi General Mufti of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Jordan)
Salman al-Awda General Supervisor of "Islam Today" Institution (Saudi Arabia)
Tariq al-Suweidan Well Known Islamic Spokesperson (Kuwait)
Umar bin Muhammad bin Salem bin Hafeez
Dean of Dar al-Mustafa Institute, Hadramawt (Yemen)
Wahba al-Zuhayli Department Chair of Islamic Jurisprudence, College of Islamic Law,
Damascus University (Syria)
Yasmin Mahmud Khalil al-Husary Head of Husary Islamic Foundation (Egypt)
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