In a remarkable show of unity, Muslims have globally expressed their disgust and disappointment at the blasphemous portrayal of their Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Muslims are exercising their constitutional right within this country and internationally to defend the honour and dignity of their Beloved Prophet from the defamatory, hurtful and irresponsible cartoons that were commissioned by Jyllands-Posten’s editor-in-chief Carsten Juste.
We are disappointed and angered at the Mail & Guardian‘s decision to reproduce one of the cartoons and take this opportunity to put forward our position.
Muslims are rightfully acting strongly against the deliberate -disregard for the rule of law shown by Juste.
In order to understand the reaction of the Muslim community, one has to have an understanding of who Muhammad (PBUH) is to Muslims and how much they love him. In Islam love for Muhammad (PBUH) transcends love for family, wealth and even love for one’s self. God loved Muhammad (PBUH), therefore we love him. True and sincere love for Muhammad (PHUB) is a reflection of our deep love for our creator. This love is not only expressed in cheap lip service, it is expressed in the religious observances performed by Muslims daily.
We, the followers of Muhammad (PBUH), wish to categorically state that by publishing those cartoons Jyllands-Posten has promoted hatred against the Muslim communities in an already xenophobic and Islamophobic society. The damage done is unacceptable and the editor should be disciplined because of his disregard for democratic laws that clearly state that freedom of expression is not absolute. We as citizens of this global village should acknowledge that we all have a responsibility to ensure and promote respect, harmony and peace with each other.
The newspaper should also recognise that any group has religious sensitivities and its right to dignity and respect will indeed foster the much-needed harmony and peace, which the world needs.
This begs the question, why did it publish this? What was the intention?
Surely it was not to encourage good relations between the world religions. It was definitely not for the benefit of the Danish society. Mocking a religious personality is tantamount to an expression of hate against deeply held beliefs. We place the responsibility solely on the shoulders of the editors who disregarded their democratic guidelines and published those infamous cartoons.
Ironically, the Sunday editor of -Jyllands-Posten, Jens Kaiser, refused to publish cartoons depicting Jesus Christ, titled “the resurrection of Christ”.
Kaiser said: “I don’t think Jyllands-Posten’s readers will enjoy the drawings. As a matter of fact, I think that they will provoke an outcry. Therefore, I will not use them.”
We have a similar situation, but in the case of Muhammad (PBUH) it was done in the name of freedom of expression. There seems to be no limit to the hypocritical attitude by people who wish to provoke the Muslim community and then criticise it for reacting.
The French, who also published the cartoons and claimed it is their right to freedom of expression, banned Muslim woman from dressing according to their religious beliefs. In Austria, David Irving, a historian, has been imprisoned for Holocaust denial. If he is found guilty, he will be sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The recent history of this country has demonstrated that we cannot leave decisions up to individuals who might be biased against a certain race, religion or culture. We are therefore appealing to the respected editors in this country to uphold the laws of our country. The Bill of Rights forms the cornerstone of democracy in South Africa. It enshrines the rights of people in our country and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom. The Bill is very clear regarding the rights of the media, it states that the press has freedom, but within limits. It may not incite violence and it may not advocate hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion, and that constitutes incitement to cause harm.
Nabeweya Malick writes on behalf of the Muslim Judicial Council