Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has strongly condemned the decision of French magazine Charlie Hebdo to republish the insulting cartoons on Prophet Muhammad and the Holy Qur’ān, and termed it as a mischief against Islam.
Nusrat Ali, Secretary General of the organisation, said the unjustified attack on Paris office of the magazine last week was condemned the world over. But even before the French government could make public the probe into the attack and conspiracies behind it, the magazine announced to republish the controversial cartoons just to hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslim Ummah. The decision of Charlie Hebdo is extremely irresponsible and mischievous and aimed at spreading hatred against Islam and Muslims in Europe. No pre-emptive steps from the French government to stop the uncivilized acts of the magazine make the intention of the government also doubtful.
The Jamaat leader also said the universal values of Islam, the guiding message of Qur’ān and the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) demand that they should be studied in the larger interests of humanity and made guide in individual and collective life. The insulting attitude against them in any country can invite the wrath of Allah for the citizens there.
He also expressed hope that the people of France and their government would adopt the attitude of sensitivity and rationality and stop the mischiefs of magazines like Charlie Hebdo; this will help in restoring the interfaith relations in the world.
Turkish Magazine Tells Hebdo ‘nothing has been forgiven’
Turkish satirical magazine Cafcaf, the only publication in Turkey which places emphasis on Islamic values, has hit back to the Charlie Hebdo arrogance with a unique cover. Cafcaf has responded to Hebdo with an equally moving magazine cover in French – who have massacred human rights in the name of liberal, modern Europe – saying “Non, rien n’est pardonne” translated as “NO, nothing has been forgiven”.
“Arrogance has become a habit of the European culture, who have placed themselves above others in a position where they are free and unquestionable and in turn, have elicited a significant response from the entire world,” a report said on 16 January citing the magazine saying in a statement.
Charlie Hebdo, in their latest publication had put a caricature depicting the Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) shedding a tear and holding up a sign saying “Je suis Charlie”, the message of solidarity with the victims. Above the cartoon are the words, “All is forgiven”.
Cafcaf, in answer to Charlie Hebdo, showed pictures pointing to those who have been oppressed in Afghanistan, Gaza, Chechnya, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and China, with a Palestinian child in the front middle, all whose blood is still being spilt, saying nothing will be forgiven.
Anti-Charlie Hebdo Protest
Held in Chechnya
Tens of thousands of people have rallied at a state-sponsored protest in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya against the publication of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) cartoons in the wake of attacks in France. “This is a protest against those who support the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad,” the region’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov – a loyalist of President Vladimir Putin – told the rally in the capital Grozny on 19 January. “This is a protest against those who insult the Muslim religion.”
Demonstrators chanted “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest) and marched through the streets of downtown Grozny, the capital of the predominantly Muslim region, releasing balloons and carrying posters that read “Hands off our beloved prophet” and “Europe has only united us”, as speakers harangued Western governments for allowing publications to print caricatures of the prophet.
The protest was the latest to take place in the Muslim world over the latest publication of a Prophet Muhammad cartoon by the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.
The magazine ran the cartoon a week after an attack on its offices, the first of a spate of attacks that eventually left 17 people dead in and around Paris in three days. Muslims see any depiction of Islam’s prophet as offensive and the publications have sparked sometimes violent rallies in countries from Pakistan to Niger.
Russia’s media watchdog on Friday warned publications that printing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad was against the country’s law and ethical norms. Media and communications ombudsman Roskomnadzor said that publishing the caricatures could be qualified as “inciting ethnic and religious hatred” and punished under anti-extremism laws.
Although Russia’s leadership extended its condolences to France, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov participated in a unity march staged in Paris following the attacks, pro-Kremlin commentators and Muslims accused the cartoonists of provoking the attack.
Around 15,000 people rallied Saturday against the drawings in Chechnya’s neighbouring region of Ingushetia.
Doctors’ Body in Kashmir Demands
Ban on Charlie Hebdo
Terming the portrayal of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) on the cover page of Charlie Hebdo as an abominable act, “outrageous and provocative”, a doctors’ body in Kashmir said Paris should ban the satirical magazine in the “interest of world peace”. “France should stop anti-Islam and anti-Muslim propaganda and immediately put a ban on the publication of the magazine,” Dr Nisar ul Hassan, President Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) said in a statement on 13 January.
“Ridiculing and insulting the holiest figure in Islam is intolerable and unacceptable to Muslims,” Dr Hassan said. “The repetition of this abominable act by magazine is wilful disrespect to Islam and Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) and has enraged Muslims across the world.”
He said the States have the responsibility to ensure full respect of all religions, but “freedom of expression does not in any way justify disregard to religion”.
“Media has to be responsible and respectful to religious beliefs,” Dr Hassan added.
Egyptian Parliament Urges Int’l Community
to Stop Violation of Religious Sanctities
In a session held in Turkey on 16 January, the Egyptian Parliament in exile strongly condemned publication of insulting caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) or any other prophets or sanctities of any divine religion, and urged the international community to take all necessary measures to criminalise insults aimed at God and desecration of religious sanctities.
In a statement, the Egyptian Parliament said: “As we already mentioned, our position is clear: we reject violence, murder and chaos… but we also strongly condemn insults or ridicule aimed at the Prophet of Islam or any prophets or sanctities of the divine religions (Islam, Christianity and Judaism). In fact, when such anti-religious insults and ridicule are repeated, sheer will and ill-intent are clearly evident.
“We call on the international community to take all measures that criminalise such hateful attacks on religious symbols and sanctities, which in our view are by no means any lesser crimes than the Holocaust. International law bans denial or trivialization of that crime.”