MWL Chief Wants Swedish Cartoonist Punished
JEDDAH — The Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL) yesterday urged Swedish authorities to punish the Nerikes Allehanda newspaper and its cartoonist for publishing a blasphemous cartoon depicting Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a negative way.
--MWL Secretary-General Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki described the cartoon that was published on Aug. 18 as abhorrent and provocative. “Such cartoons would harm relations between various religious communities and cultures,” he said.
Al-Turki, who is also chairman of the Global Program for Introducing the Prophet of Mercy, denounced the cartoon that insulted the Prophet, who was sent by God for the entire mankind in order to convey his message and promote goodness.
The cartoon triggered worldwide protests with Muslims demanding apology from the newspaper and asking authorities to prevent its further publication. About 300 Muslims rallied outside the newspaper’s offices in Orebro — a city of about 100,000 residents, 125 miles west of Stockholm.
The protests followed the publication of a hand-drawn sketch by Swedish artist Lars Vilks in Nerikes Allehanda, which claims a circulation of about 65,000 copies. “We want to show Nerikes Allehanda that Muslims in this city are upset over what happened,” said Jamal Lamhamdi, chairman of the Islamic Cultural Center in Orebro.
The row in Sweden echoes the one that began in Denmark in September 2005 when one of the country’s top newspapers, Jyllands-Posten, printed 12 cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). These drawings sparked violent protests across the Muslim world, culminating with the burning of the Danish Embassy in Damascus and its consulate in Beirut in February 2006.
Al-Turki urged Islamic organizations and Swedish Muslims to show restraint and open constructive dialogue with people of other cultures. He advised them not to take the course of emotional reaction. “Islam is an international, humanitarian and eternal message. God will protect it,” he said.
The MWL chief also called on Muslims to deal with those who attack Islam and its Prophet in a proactive manner, by explaining the teachings of Islam and highlighting the great personality of the Prophet. “By adopting this positive approach, we can win the heart of other communities and mobilize world support for the Prophet,” he added.
The 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference also condemned the latest derogatory cartoon and urged the Swedish government to punish those responsible. OIC Secretary-General Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu urged Muslims to remain calm and exercise restraint.
Source: arabnews
Al-Turki, who is also chairman of the Global Program for Introducing the Prophet of Mercy, denounced the cartoon that insulted the Prophet, who was sent by God for the entire mankind in order to convey his message and promote goodness.
The cartoon triggered worldwide protests with Muslims demanding apology from the newspaper and asking authorities to prevent its further publication. About 300 Muslims rallied outside the newspaper’s offices in Orebro — a city of about 100,000 residents, 125 miles west of Stockholm.
The protests followed the publication of a hand-drawn sketch by Swedish artist Lars Vilks in Nerikes Allehanda, which claims a circulation of about 65,000 copies. “We want to show Nerikes Allehanda that Muslims in this city are upset over what happened,” said Jamal Lamhamdi, chairman of the Islamic Cultural Center in Orebro.
The row in Sweden echoes the one that began in Denmark in September 2005 when one of the country’s top newspapers, Jyllands-Posten, printed 12 cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). These drawings sparked violent protests across the Muslim world, culminating with the burning of the Danish Embassy in Damascus and its consulate in Beirut in February 2006.
Al-Turki urged Islamic organizations and Swedish Muslims to show restraint and open constructive dialogue with people of other cultures. He advised them not to take the course of emotional reaction. “Islam is an international, humanitarian and eternal message. God will protect it,” he said.
The MWL chief also called on Muslims to deal with those who attack Islam and its Prophet in a proactive manner, by explaining the teachings of Islam and highlighting the great personality of the Prophet. “By adopting this positive approach, we can win the heart of other communities and mobilize world support for the Prophet,” he added.
The 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference also condemned the latest derogatory cartoon and urged the Swedish government to punish those responsible. OIC Secretary-General Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu urged Muslims to remain calm and exercise restraint.
Source: arabnews
