A Call to Prevent a Clash of Civilizations

8/9/2019 A Call to Prevent a Clash of Civilizations

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• SpainC *+rticle 565 of the criminal code/

• IrelandC +rticle 41.3.,.i of the constitution of Ireland provides that the publication of

blasphemous matter is an offence. 7rohibition of Incitement to )atred act , this includes

hatred against a group on account of their religion.

•

anadaC 0ection 63 of the $anadian $riminal code. 8ffence against the $hristian religion isblasphemy.

• Be ealandC 0ection ,69 of the :ew ;ealand $rimes +ct ,3,

hurche! 'r in!tance hld !anctity in the hri!tian rld and are prtected under the cn!titutin in

!me urpean cuntrie!& 1n example i! the cn!titutin ' Genmar5, !ectin H 7State hurch9 hich

!tate!C

"The <vangelical =utheran $hurch shall be the <stablished $hurch of >enmark and as such it shall

be supported by the 0tate."

It i! e#ident 'rm the ab#e mentined la! that 'reedm ' !peech i! a 'undamental ri$ht but thi! ri$ht

i! nt ab!lute& There are hundred! ' b5! and ne!paper article! that ha#e been publi!hed

attemptin$ t critici%e I!lam and the ba!ic tenet! ' it! 'aith yet Mu!lim! ne#er bect t !chlarly

debate !ince they are ell aare that thi! i! part ' an n$in$ debate n I!lam and ithin the tenet!

' 'reedm ' expre!!in.& There ha#e been cuntle!! ne!paper article! cmpletely mi!repre!entin$

I!lam, 'ten publi!hin$ clear lie! and exa$$erated !trie! abut I!lam and it! la yet Mu!lim! are

tlerant and appreciate that thi! i! part and parcel ' li#in$ ithin !cietie! h claim thi! t be part '

their liberal demcracie!.& e#er hen thi! ri$ht ' 'reedm ' expre!!in. i! abu!ed and the m!t

!acred element! ' I!lam are deliberately in!ulted then thi! ill de'initely create $reat unre!t amn$

Mu!lim! arund the rld& *y depictin$ the ly rphet ' I!lam (*+) a! ieldin$ a 5ni'e and

earin$ a bmb di!$ui!ed a! a turban n hi! head i! a deliberate attempt t in!ult and !tir up

cntr#er!y, pre!entin$ him and hi! 'ller! a! #ilent terrri!t!& 1nther caricature prtray! him a!!upprtin$ !uicide bmber! and !ayin$ Stp, Stp e ha#e run ut ' #ir$in!J& can !uch

caricature! be u!ti'ied under the banner ' 'ree !peechA Mre#er the!e caricature! ere nt printed

ithin a #acuum but in an en#irnment ' an anti-Mu!lim bia! here ten!in! ere already runnin$

extremely hi$h ithin the Gani!h cmmunity and indeed thru$hut urpe& Enly recently the Queen

' Genmar5 had made cntr#er!ial remar5! !tatin$ thatC “&e have to show our opposition to Islam

and we have to at times run the risk of having unflattering labels placed on us because there are

some things for which we should display no tolerance.” 7=9

Mre#er many cuntrie! ha#e pa!!ed anti-terrri!t le$i!latin, !e#erely re!trictin$ the ci#il libertie! '

indi#idual!, ith the le$i!latin dra'ted in a manner that i! clearly aimed at 'cu!in$ upn Mu!lim! in

the cuntrie! cncerned& There i! a !trn$ 'eelin$ that a !ub!tantial minrity i! bein$ cntinually

abu!ed and mi!repre!ented in the ma!! media thru$h the prtrayal ' ne$ati#e ima$e! nt ba!ed

upn reality, and then !ubected t humiliatin$ chec5! and prcedure! hen $in$ abut their li#e! n

a daily ba!i!, all in the name ' 'reedm ' !peech and natinal intere!t& It i! thu! hi$hly !urpri!in$ that

the !acred element! ' it! 'aith are ridiculed u!t in the name ' 'reedm ' expre!!in and !peech

5nin$ that the reactin! ill be extremely ten!e& There i! n dubt that the publi!hin$ ' the!e

caricature! by the ne!paper! in#l#ed a! an exerci!e t demn!trate cntrl and per directed



a$ain!t Mu!lim!, either !ub!cribe t ur culture and ay ' li#in$ r !u''er the cn!e/uence! and be

ridiculed and deba!ed&

eali!in$ the !i$ni'icance ' thi! ri$ht !me rld di$nitarie! ha#e cndemned the publicatin ' the!e

caricature! and ha#e empha!i!ed the re!trictin ' the ri$ht ' the 'reedm ' !peech t&

K'i 1nnanC "I also respect the right of freedom of speech. ?ut of course freedom of speech is never

absolute. It entails responsibility and judgment." 7H9

<ac5 Stra, *riti!h Frei$n SecretaryC “There is freedom of speech we all respect that. ?ut there is not

any obligation to insult or to be gratuitously inflammatory."

I believe that the re-publication of these cartoons has been insulting% it has been insensitive% it has

been disrespectful and it has been wrong.

“There are taboos in every religion. It is not the case that there is open season in respect of all aspects

of $hristian rites and rituals in the name of free speech. :or is it the case that there is open season in

respect of rights and rituals of the (ewish religion the )indu religion the 0ikh religion. It should not be

the case in respect of the Islamic religion either. &e have to be very careful about showing the proper

respect in this situation.” 7L9

The +S State GepartmentC “These cartoons are indeed offensive to the belief of @uslims.”

0pokesman Aurtis $ooper saidB “&e all fully respect freedom of the press and e!pression but it must

be coupled with press responsibility. Inciting religious or ethnic hatred in this manner is not

acceptable.” 769

hilippe Gu!te-*la%y, French Frei$n Mini!terC “The principle of freedom should be e!ercised in a

spirit of tolerance respect of beliefs respect of religions which is the very basis of secularism of our

country.” 7;9

@atican cardinal 1chille Sil#e!trini cndemned the cartn!, !ayin$ &estern culture had to know its

limits.

It i! thu! clearly apparent that u!in$ 'reedm ' !peech t imply that there are n limit! t hat ne

can !ay r d i! a myth& 1n act that ''end! the reli$iu! and mral #alue! ' a cmmunity !uch a!

!lidarity, inte$rity and !anctity, re!ultin$ in endan$erin$ the peace, cannt be re$arded a! a ri$ht t

expre!! ne! 'reedm ' !peech& I!lam t teache! the principle ' tlerance and c-exi!tence, t li#e

and let li#e& It di!cura$e! the de'amatin ' ther 3d! and reli$iu! !ymbl! teachin$ re!pect t

man5ind& (1l-QuranC 1l-1namC 6C80)& I!lamic 4a lay! $reat empha!i! n the !ecurity, di$nity and

re!pect ' all ther reli$in! t$ether ith their belie'! ithut any di!criminatin&

I' internatinally rec$ni!ed principle! ' tlerance and c-exi!tence are put a!ide and mral andreli$iu! #alue! are di!hnured then the pre!ent !ituatin ill r!en and the pre#ailin$ ten!in! ill

inten!i'y& urpe cn!ider! it!el' t be an educated and ci#ili%ed !ciety but it! re!pn!e t the $r!!

in'rin$ement ' the ba!ic ri$ht t reli$in ' ne ' it! minrity cmmunitie! ha! becme un-

under!tandable& There need! t be !me mechani!m t put an end t the!e hrri'ic ccurrence! hich

may pr#e a ptential threat t rld peace& Th!e h ad#cate that the ri$ht t 'reedm ' !peech i!

bein$ erded and any re!traint! upn it cannt be tlerated mu!t l5 ithin their n demcratic

!cietie!. and the extent t hich their ci#il libertie! ha#e been erded thru$h the recent anti-terrri!t



le$i!latin& The!e are the mea!ure! that ha#e curtailed the ri$ht! and libertie! ' indi#idual! and ha#e

much mre !eriu! implicatin! hich need t be addre!!ed& Mu!lim! are 'eelin$ alienated and

tar$eted thu! hen ne!paper! be$in t ridicule the m!t !acred element! ' their 'aith, reactin! ill

ine#itably be hi$h&

I' the publicatin ' the caricature! i! nt ta5en !eriu!ly and !tep! are nt ta5en t re!l#e the!ituatin, then it can $enerate !ci-plitical and ecnmic cri!e! hich may lead t a cn'lict beteen

ci#ili%atin! and beteen natin!&

The!e are the rea!n! behind the an$er a$ain!t the publicatin ' the!e cndemnable caricature! and

the an$er at the di!re$ard !hn by the $#ernment! tard! the ri$ht'ul prte!t! ' the Mu!lim rld

a$ain!t the ''ence& 8&2 billin Mu!lim! all #er the rld ha#e been deeply in!ulted and in!tead '

creatin$ m#e! t re!l#e the matter, the act i! bein$ cntinuu!ly u!ti'ied prln$in$ rld-ide

unre!t&

In rder t !l#e thi! internatinal i!!ue and di!!l#e the !eriu! ten!in it ha! cau!ed, I prp!e the

'llin$ !lutin! be implementedC

• 8& 1ll ne!paper! that ha#e publi!hed the caricature! mu!t unre!er#edly apl$i!e and

ithdra their publicatin!&

• 2& lear le$i!latin need! t be pa!!ed by all 3#ernment! hich balance the ri$ht t

'reedm ' !peech ith the ri$ht! ' indi#idual! and cmmunitie! that their !acred belie'!

!huld nt be in!ulted and ridiculed&

• =& 1ll 3#ernment! !huld then en!ure that any !uch le$i!latin i! en'rced thru$h the due

prce!! ' the la and thi! type ' incitement and ridicule ne#er happen! a$ain&

I expect that cmmn !en!e ill pre#ail and re!pn!ible leader! ill ri!e t the cca!in and repair the

dama$e that ha! been dne t inter-ci#ili%atin relatin!& I al! expect that the cncerned leader! '

the cuntrie! ill di!play leader!hip and bra#ely extend crdiality t the Mu!lim! ' the rld&

Notes:

789& httpCNNen&i5ipedia&r$Ni5iNlcau!tOdenial

729& Gaily Tele$raph, 8=&02&06, &tele$raph&c&u5P ** Be!C

httpCNNne!&bbc&c&u5N8NhiNrldNeurpeNH;0;=6&!tm

7=9& Gaily Tele$raph, 88&0H&200L, &tele$raph&c&u5

7H9& ** Be!C httpCNNne!&bbc&c&u5N8NhiNrldNeurpeNH6020&!tm

7L9& ** Be! and eb!iteC httpCNNne!&bbc&c&u5N8NhiNu5NH6;6L2H&!tm

769& Gaily Tele$raph, 0H&02&06C &tele$raph&c&u5

7;9& ** Be!C httpCNNne!&bbc&ac&u5N8NhiNrldNmiddleOea!tNH6;HL;0&!tm

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A Call to Prevent a Clash of Civilizations