Home >> Europe >> Western Europe

     Email   Print 

Cartoon Controversy and Respect of Islam

Badrul Islam - 2/9/2006

The political cartoons portraying Muhammad in a negative light originated from a well-meaning attempt to write a book about our Prophet Muhammad to promote religious toleration. The Author of the book couldn’t find any illustrators to draw the picture of the Prophet out of fear, remembering the fate of the Dutch film-maker, Theo Van Gogh killed by Islamic Militants for criticizing fundamentalism. Rose, Culture Editor of Jyllands-Posten Newspaper contacted 25 Danish newspaper Cartoonists challenging them to draw the picture of “Prophet as they see him”. In response 12 cartoonists submitted the images and the newspaper published them. Next France, Spain, Italy, Germany and European Countries followed suite and this is very perplexing indeed. Nothing more is mentioned about the book and I wonder if the contents of book contains proper materials or satirical story on the Prophet.

Laban, prominent Muslim Cleric in Denmark first saw the images and brought them to the notice of the Culture Minister, who forwarded it to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister replied that he had no power to punish the newspaper, thus confirming discriminatory feelings against Muslims. Laban and group of eleven Muslim Ambassadors sent delegates to Egypt and Lebanon to raise the issue with Islamic Scholars and 0fficials and then it became major news in Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya two most influential Arab languages TV network. Reactions were violent in Muslim countries, boycott of Danish products were encouraged and some also withdrew their Ambassadors from Denmark.

In an interview, Rose, following the foot-steps of the Prime Minister and Culture Minister of Denmark, said that he has no regrets and now his newspaper is preparing to publish cartoons satirizing Jesus and Israel-Palestine conflict as a reply to his critics. Rose says “We have a tradition of satire in Denmark and we do it with the royal family, politicians, anyone”. It will be interesting to see those publications and what the reactions will then be in US, UK, European and other countries. Meanwhile the ever-vigilant Prime Minister of UK, Tony Blair, took the opportunity and spoke to Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen by phone to lend support. Tony Blair said, “The attack on citizens of Denmark and people of other European countries are completely unacceptable as is the behavior of some of the demonstrators in London over the last few days. The Danish government has done everything it reasonably can to handle a very difficult situation.”

David Davis, Leader of the 0pposition Conservative Party says, “Placards carrying slogan calling for people who insult Islam to be beheaded or massacred or annihilated” are direct incitements to violence. He further says, “I expect that actions should be taken against those who have incited violence, and taken soon.”

British Police are under political pressure to explain why no arrests were made during demonstration in which Islamic protestors chanted threatening slogans. Police spokeswoman says, “Police officers have to consider the effect on public order that immediate arrests could trigger. They have videotapes of the protests held and arrests would be done at appropriate time”. 0ther European countries will no doubt voice in equal terms their opinions, but none would offer regrets on the publication of the cartoons in Jyllands-Posten.

Don’t Europeans consider themselves civilized? French paper Le Monde in support says, “Western Laws permit religions to be freely analyzed, criticized and even subjected to ridicule.”

What more proof is required to conclude that the West is racist? What is the reaction in America and why is Bush so silent? Anne Applebaun expresses her opinion in the Washington Post, “Denmark is a faraway country of which Americans know little of and violence are in places where there are no Americans and that best explains the muted American reactions.” She further states that dozens of American papers have stated that they wont reprint the cartoons because they prefer to refrain from gratuitous assaults on religious symbols.

In 1989, Washington Post published “Piss-Christ”, a Photograph of Christ on a crucifix submerged in a jar of urine. That picture, a work of art, received a grant from National Endowments for Arts, but led to congressional denunciations, protests and letter writing campaigns. Anne further states that when Newsweek published allegations of the misuse of Quran at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base resulting in rioting and violence, Newsweek was blamed and accused of lying.

Logically then the Danish Newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, should be blamed, but that has not happened. The moral is, Anne says, ”We defend freedom of press, if it means to caricature Prophet Muhammad; we don’t defend freedom of press if it means media’s right to investigate the US Government.”

“Gradually the Islamic world is learning that we don’t respect religion in the same manner as they (Muslims) do. Slowly we are learning that they (Muslims) feel differently about the printed word and the printed picture from us. And somehow, I’ve got the feeling that this new knowledge will be not the beginning of understanding but the inspiration for more violence.”

We, Muslims in retaliation against the Danish cartoon controversery couldn’t have portrayed the picture “Piss-Christ” nor could we have vilified Virgin Mary whom we identify as Marium or Moses whom we identify as Musa-ala- salaam.

Muslims are equally human being as like Christians, Jews and others and therefore some wild reactions are possible but the saner Muslims are calling them to practice the methods of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (SWAWS) which is to practice patience and reflect on the prayers of our Holy Prophet, “I seek refuge in the light of your face by which all darkness is dispelled and every affair of this world and the next is set right. There is no power and no might except by You.”

The entire episode of the Danish Cartoon Controversy reminds me of the statement of Albert Einstein who right said, “Politics is more difficult than Physics and the world is more likely to die from bad politics than from bad physics."