Bayan Institute Statement about the Cartoons of Prophet Mohamad
The European double standards with respect to “freedom of expression”, only feeds the fundamentalist in the Islamic world.
Freedom of expressions, Yes; double standards No
(O Muhammad) And already were messengers ridiculed before you, but those who mocked them were enveloped by what they used to ridicule. Quran -Al-Anbiya -41
In his controversial book “The Satanic Verses”, Salman Rushdi had provoked the reactionary Clerics to issue a fatwa against him. This produced a negative and undeserved picture of the whole Islamic experience. The West defended his right to speak.
Several years later a Marxist who converted to Islam, Roge Garudi, published a book titled “The History of Jewish Mythologies.” The Book dealt with the Western Anti-Semintisim and racism towards minorities. In Paris the book was taken off the bookstores, and some fanatics burned the one who dared displaying it.
In many European countries any doubts about the Holocaust, not only is not tolerated as part of free expression, but may have legal ramifications. As an example, in Canada, Ernest Zundal a German Canadian, had been prosecuted in legal courts, and later deported back to the country of his origin after 47 years of residence in Canada. In these situations the issue of “free expression” did not come up.
To complicate the situations further, Ahamadinejad, the Iranian President who came to power in undemocratic “elections”, has make unfortunate statements about the Holocaust.
And at this juncture, a Danish newspaper produces Cartoons about the Prophet Mohammed under the pretense of free expression. The Danish Government not only was deaf to the objections of 120,000 Muslim citizens, but also refused to meet with the Ambassadors of the Islamic countries, despite diplomatic protocol. It was distressing that some European newspapers reprinted the cartoons; shouldn’t these be interpreted as Islamophobia ?
The murder of Jews began with cartoons such as one in 1938. The Cartoons specifically titled “the god of Jews is money” !
Even within the discourse of fee speech critical analysis in different than insult and slander towards religion.
He has oriented for you of religion what He enjoyed upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [o Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus - to establish the religion and not to be divided therein. Difficult for that who associates others with Allah is that to which you invite them. Allah chooses for himself whom he wills and guided to himself whoever turns back [to him]
Surah ash-Shura 13
Spread of Hatred by the Fundamentalists.
The double standard discussed above understandingly fuels the Islamic fundamentalists in their defensive utterance, which may lead to Western backlash; all this in unhelpful and ignores the context of the times.
The spread of hatred and anger is not good for anyone, and comes back to bite us all in the West as well. Only many innocent people become victims of these extremist in the Orient and Occident. Is it wise to go out of our way to provoke pain in others? Is this the best experience of “Free Expression”?
In the hope of ecumenicalism and inter-cultural understanding where no values are ridiculed and each culture-specific is celebrated and tolerated; and that is a companion for “Free Expression”.
Feb 8, 2006
Bayan Center (Toronto) Bayan is an Iranian Progressive Muslim cultural Center
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