Canadian Religious Leaders Meet Over Cartoons
- From: "Islam Will Replace Collapsing Amerikan Empire" <islam_to_replace_amerikan_empire@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2006 07:56:39 -0500
Canadian Religious Leaders Meet Over Cartoons
By Tamer Abo Asood, IOL Correspondent
TORONTO, February 13, 2006 (IslamOnline.net) - Representatives of the
religious communities in Canada will come together to discuss respect of all
religions in view of the insulting cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessing be upon him) published by several European and Canadian newspapers.
"The Muslim Council of Calgary will be holding a World Religion Panel
Discussion on the 18th of February. to address the danger of defaming
religious figures and educate the public about the importance of respecting
people's faith," activist Alaa Elsayed told IslamOnline.net on Monday,
February 13.
He said the panel brings together a Jewish rabbi, a Catholic priest and a
Buddhist monk to discuss the issue.
The move comes after a Jewish newspaper reprinted the insulting cartoons,
first published by Denmark's mass-circulation Jyllands-Posten last
September.
On February 9, Jewish Free Press reprinted three of the drawings, considered
blasphemous under Islam.
But the Jewish Council of Calgary immediately slammed the move, dissociating
itself from the newspaper and denying any type of support to such hateful
publication.
The CIC has appealed to Muslims in Canada and worldwide to exercise
self-restraint and avoid harming Muslim relations with followers of other
faiths.
"To allow self-serving opportunists anywhere in the world to negatively
influence our response to these cartoons is to give away our powers of
reason and understanding; it is nothing short of admitting defeat," the
council said.
"Instead, let us focus on issues of professional ethics and address those in
the media who make the editorial decisions."
The 12 drawings, including portrayals of the Prophet wearing a time-bomb
shaped turban and showing him as a knife-wielding nomad flanked by shrouded
women, have caused an outcry in the Muslim world.
Official Complaint
Canadian Muslims have filed a police complaint against the Jewish newspaper
for republishing the blasphemous caricatures.
"We lodged an official complaint investigating hate crime, and we will meet
with the prosecutor on Monday," Elsayed told IOL.
The Muslim activist said a complaint would also be filed against another
Jewish newspaper, Western Standard, for reprinting the cartoons.
Ezra Levant, Western Standard publisher, defiantly told the Calgary Sun he
would not apologize for the publication.
"My staff and I have nothing to apologize about and our readers should know
what the whole fuss is about," he argued.
He had earlier described the anti-Prophet cartons as "innocuous",
criticizing the federal government for issuing a statement he considered too
sympathetic to Canadian Muslims.
Newspapers which have published the cartoons claim they were exercising
their right to free speech.
Hundreds of Canadian Muslims took to the streets of Toronto and Montreal on
Saturday, February 11, to peacefully protest the drawings.
More than 300 Muslims gathered near Montreal's McGill University while 250
others marched in front of the Danish consulate in Toronto.
A cohort of 100 Muslim and Western dignitaries, under Prince Turki
Al-Faisal, Saudi ambassador to the US, and Lord Carey, former archbishop of
Canterbury, will be working on defusing the cartoon crisis and promoting
reconciliation between the Muslim world and the West.
Muslim dignitaries and organizations have called for the enactment of an
international law banning the publication of any insults to religious
symbols and values.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League, the Muslim
world's two main political bodies, are seeking a UN resolution, backed by
possible sanctions, to protect religions following the publication of
provocative cartoons.
http://islamonline.net/English/News/2006-02/13/article06.shtml
Read Also
The Prophet's Manners (Folder)
http://www.islamonline.net/English/In_Depth/mohamed/1424/manners/index.shtml
.
- Prev by Date: Re: prophet MUHAMMED the best person ANSWER REGARDING HIS THIRTEENTH WIFE
- Next by Date: Another episode in "Iraq War Crimes" series
- Previous by thread: The "prophet" Mohammed was a pig
- Next by thread: Another episode in "Iraq War Crimes" series
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
|
